We’ve seen this scenario happen more than once. A family goes on vacation. They close up the house and board the family dog and cat. When they return a few weeks later and settle back in to their home, they are attacked by fleas. What happened? They didn’t have fleas in their house when they
VIEW MOREThe size and shape of an insect’s legs vary according to the insect’s habits. While the basic leg type is the simple walking leg seen on cockroaches and most beetles, many insects have at least one pair of legs that are modified for a special purpose. Legs may be short and stout for digging (mole
VIEW MOREQuestion When I was opening up a wall in our basement, I discovered a slow plumbing leak and wet wood that has some kind of damage. The wood is soft and crumbly. Is there any way to tell if that is old termite damage (I don’t see any insects), or if it’s wood rot?—M. W.,
VIEW MOREQuestion My husband said he saw a tarantula in our garage! It was about 3 inches across and hairy. He tried to kill it but it got away. I didn’t know we had tarantulas in New Hampshire! Do you think there are others in our garage?—A. C., Dover, NH Answer We don’t have tarantulas in
VIEW MOREQuestion I heard on your website’s podcast that your company uses an insect growth regulator to treat for fleas. What is that? Is it better than regular pesticides? Answer An insect growth regulator, also called an IGR, is used in conjunction with regular pesticides. It’s a chemical that, when applied, affects the growth and development
VIEW MOREThis is something we hear pretty often. Of course we don’t have the answer but lots of researchers and other non-science types have speculated as to why mosquitoes seem to be more attracted to some people than others. A guy may never be bothered by mosquitoes, while his wife gets eaten alive. Maybe the guy
VIEW MORE[theme music] Katlyn Graham: Hello, I’m Katlyn Graham here with Tim Chace, a pest control technician with Colonial Pest and entomologist. Welcome Tim. Tim Chace: Good morning. Katlyn: Thanks for joining us here. We’re talking about fleas today, an area of your expertise. You’ve dealt with a lot of fleas in your lifetime. I’m sure
VIEW MORESometimes we use insects’ attraction to light to our advantage. In commercial kitchens, food warehouses, and restaurants, insect light traps are used to intercept and trap flies and other flying insects before they can contaminate food. Backyard “bug zappers” work because midges and moths are attracted to the bright light. But that same attraction can
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Question We keep finding fleas in our house, they get on us mostly in the living room. We don’t have any carpet, except for one 5X9 area rug in the living room. I thought fleas lived in carpet, so where are they coming from? We do have a cat. She had fleas last summer but
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