If you or your clients see Cinara aphids or any unusual insect guests over the holiday, think about how they may have arrived. In many cases it may be plant material or firewood recently brought into the home for the holidays.
House centipedes are rarely serious pests; however, most people do not like them indoors. The first step in controlling centipedes is removal or altering objects that provide harborage.
Last week, hurricane Zeta blew into Louisiana and, like a freight train, roared across the Southeast and through the Upstate of South Carolina. The storm moved very quickly, and the winds were wild. In the aftermath around our house, Zeta left a heap of leaves, branches and wasps. Yes, wasps.
Cyrano de Bergerac was a fictional French soldier and nobleman with many wonderful talents, but his extremely large nose made him self-conscious and doubtful of his abilities. Alas, a long nose may be the best of all features. Just ask the camel cricket.
Fall is a time when many insect pests start to move in from outdoor locations to seek shelter in our structures from colder temperatures. When you do a Fall perimeter treatments, just be careful about pollinators.
Have you ever ridden on a dark-winged fungus gnat train? My guess is probably not. But if you have ever seen one, you were probably both grossed out and amazed at the same time.
If Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz had been a cockroach, she'd have clicked her 6 ruby slippers and said, “There is no place like clutter.” A pile of stuff in a bedroom, pantry or a garage is like a condominium for a bunch of bed bugs, cockroaches or rodents.
Summer is in full swing and so are the tabanids. The insect order name Tabanidae includes what we more commonly call deer flies, horse flies, and yellow flies. Of course, we may also add a few choice words to describe them after a painful bite.
A fun part of doing pest management is being out there every day with the opportunity to see something that grabs your attention; and few insects can grab your attention like a giant stag beetle.
Summer is a time of a lot of insect activity. Fireflies at night and wasps during the day provide the best theater. Perhaps the best Pompilid showstopper due to its determination and beauty is the rusty spider wasp.