WHAT MAKES A PEST A PEST?

By Chris Williams on May 2, 2017

Webster’s Collegiate Thesaurus identifies a “pest” as an annoyance, offering up useful idioms such as pain in the neck, pea in the shoe, and thorn in the flesh. The American Heritage Dictionary takes it one step further and adds “harmful” or “injurious” to the definition:  Pest  n. 1.  An annoying person or thing; a nuisance.…

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WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT A SQUIRREL IN THE ATTIC?

By Chris Williams on April 27, 2017

When some people discover that they have a squirrel, or squirrels, living in their attic, they immediately freak out. They can’t get that squirrel out of there fast enough. Other people are more laid back, if the squirrel’s not bothering them, they’re not going to bother it. Let me tell you a bit about the…

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Why Bed Bugs Are Difficult to Eliminate

By Chris Williams on April 26, 2017

While the populations of many pests and even beneficial insects are on the decline globally, bed bug infestations are on the rise in the U.S. and around the world. Each year brings more reports of homes and businesses playing host to these unwelcome guests that feed on the blood of humans. And just as numerous…

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CARPENTER BEE VISITS ARE BRIEF AND STINGS ARE RARE

By Chris Williams on April 25, 2017

We have a couple of bumble bees that seem to be burrowing into the teak table on our back deck. Whenever we get near, they dive bomb us. I’m worried that the kids are going to be stung. I don’t want to get rid of the table, is there anything we can do?  L. C.,…

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Brown marmorated stink bug update

By Chris Williams on April 24, 2017

Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an invasive insect species from Asia that has caused serious economic impact on producers of many different crops in states where it has become well established.  It is thought to have arrived in the US in shipping crates. Although adult bugs can fly, it’s an efficient hitchhiker and migration…

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