Because clover mites are very tiny, because they tend to “swarm” over surfaces in large numbers, and because the immature mites are reddish in color, people think the worst. To many, the mites’ red color implies that they suck blood (they don’t), so they are misidentified as chiggers, ticks, bed bugs, bird mites, and so
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First of all, what you saw may or may not be yellowjackets. Some other wasps look very much like yellowjackets: European paper wasps make those open “umbrella” nests under the eaves (and elsewhere). They’re black and yellow but are distinguished by orange antennae and orangey wings. European hornets look somewhat like very large yellowjackets but
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A recent online forum had a question relayed by a pest control technician. In one of his accounts, the staff veterinarian wanted to know if the cockroaches in residence in one room of an animal research facility could transmit parasitic pinworms to animals in another room. The answer is “yes” they could if the cockroaches
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Well, you’re not alone. Most every home is invaded by nuisance ants at one time or another, and spring invasions are common (see Indoor Ant Invasions are a Rite of Spring!). Almost always, these seasonal invasions originate from the outside. Various ant species are involved and they usually move inside in response to a change
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First, don’t assume that they are carpenter ants. That may be a good bet in water-damaged wood, but there are many species of pest ants that like to nest in softened, moist wood. These other ants don’t really excavate the wood in the same manner as carpenter ants, but they do sometimes take advantage of
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Kids love them and most of us have good feelings about ladybugs, more correctly known as lady beetles. Technically these insects are not “bugs” but are instead members of a beetle family. In fact, our states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts have both chosen the lady beetle as their state insect. Several other states have
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If what you are seeing are indeed cockroach egg cases, we couldn’t rule out hatching. It would depend on many variables, including how long the apartment has been empty or roach-free. GERMAN COCKROACH EGG CASES CAN TAKE WEEKS TO HATCH The most common cockroach in apartments is the German cockroach. The egg case of the
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A recent blog post discussed a potential increase in residential mouse infestations as more people are storing greater amounts of packaged and bulk foods in their homes (see Extra Stored Food Can Mean Extra Mice!). More food on shelves and in boxes can also mean increased risk of stored food pests (or “pantry pests” as
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Science says it really is as hard to swat a house fly as you think it is. It’s not just you. House flies have more successful escapes, all thanks to their halteres. Entomologists (but not many other people) know that flies really have two pairs of wings. Unless you’re an expert, you could probably never
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