What pests are the most annoying to homeowners? From the results of the following surveys, it seems that it all depends on who you ask, how you ask it, and when you ask. But no matter how, when, or who, there are a few pests that always seem to make the list!

The Top Ten Pests That Pester You Are …

Last year, I posted a survey to find out what pests most pester About Pest Control readers. The survey remains posted (http://pestcontrol.D106/b/2012/10/05/what-pests-pester-you.htm">What Pests Pester You) and we continue to get responses, with the top pest seeming to change with the season.

At last count (July 2013), the survey had been taken by 156 readers, ranking the most annoying pests with which readers have or have had problems as:

1. Mice or Rats - 16 percent
2. Ants - 14 percent
3. Spiders - 12 percent
4. Flies - 11 percent
5. Cockroaches - 9 percent
6. Mosquitoes - 9 percent
7. Bed Bugs - 7 percent
8. Termites or Carpenter Ants - 7 percent
9. Wildlife (skunks, moles, bats, etc.) - 6 percent
10. Plant pests (mites, aphids, thrips, etc.) - 3 percent

The Top Six Peskiest Pests

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/sponsorphotos/the-6-most-pesky-warm-weather-bugs/black-flies">Mother Nature Network lists the six most pesky outdoor warm weather bugs as being:

1. Ticks - With an annoyance factor of 9, ticks are most annoying when you are simply trying to relax in your own backyard.
2. Mosquitoes – Annoyance factor: 8. Although they seem to be everywhere, they are most annoying when you’re trying to take a relaxing nap in the hanging hammock or comfortable lawn chair.
3. No-See-Ums – Annoyance factor: 8. No-see-ums are most annoying when you’re trying to enjoy a get-away summer campout near the beach.

1. Black Flies – Annoyance factor: 7. Flies are most annoying when you’re tyring to enjoy a peaceful day on the lake
2. Chiggers – Annoyance factor: 7. Chiggers are most annoying when taking a long nature hike in a wooded area
3. Gnats – Annoyance factor: 6. Most annoying when trying to work in the garden in the cooler temperatures.

The Bugs that Really Bug Us Are …

About.com About Insects Guide Debbie Hadley’s “very unscientific poll” lists the 9 Most Annoying Insects and some reasons they bug us as:

1. Mosquitoes - itchy red bites and annoying buzz sounds
2. Fleas – tough-to-tackle infestations
3. No-see-ums – painful bites
4. House flies – nasty habits, tendency to hang out on our food
5. Ants – kitchen invasions
6. Biting Flies – painful bites and persistent attacks
7. Bed bugs – sneak attacks while we sleep
8. Cockroaches – prolific breeders and disease carriers
9. Ticks – hard to remove bloodsuckers

They Most Annoying Pest Survey Says …

A 2011 survey conducted by Atlanta-based pest control company Orkin, the pests that were most frequently seen around the home during the summer months were:

1. Flies (45 percent)
2. Flying and stinging insects (40 percent)
3. Mosquitoes (39 percent)
4. Ants -- According to the company’s service teams, ants were the pests that most frequently affected homeowners across the U.S.

Survey respondents further noted why they dislike pests:

• 43 percent said it was because they could "bite, sting or attack [them],"
• 41 percent dislike pests because they are a nuisance.

The company also notes a few additional reasons why pests are pests:

• According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, more than 500,000 people are sent to the emergency room every year from insect stings.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mosquitoes are most likely to bite between dusk and dawn – primetime for backyard activities.
• Although most ants can't bite or sting, the exception being fire ants, these filthy pests can contaminate food and surfaces with germs that could cause pneumonia, food poisoning and meningitis.
• Flies can carry more than 100 pathogens and transmit bacteria like E. coli and salmonella every time they land.