You may have seen little, dark beetles crawling up your walls lately. Or, you may have found them dead in window frames or on windowsills. At this time of year, what you’re probably seeing is carpet beetles searching for a way out of your house. The newly emerged adult beetles are attracted to light. Carpet beetles are a common indoor pest but most people don’t notice them, except for this time of year when adults are on the move. They’re tiny and the larvae are often hidden and protected in dark cracks, crevices, and out-of-the-way sites.
VIEW MOREQ. We have an ongoing problem with what I’ve been told are springtails. I find these tiny insects in the basement hallway around the back door. They seem to show up when the weather gets warm and hang around for most of the summer. This is the third year we’ve had this problem. Any suggestions?
VIEW MOREChiggers are tiny red mites that are sometimes called “redbugs.” They are so tiny that most people can’t see them. But when chiggers bite, they cause days of intense itching far out of proportion to their small size. When someone walks, or worse, lies down or plays in an area infested with chiggers, they don’t soon forget the experience.
VIEW MORERecycling is what we all do these days. But, if recycling containers and recycling centers aren’t carefully monitored, they can provide a nice refuge for pests such as cockroaches and fruit flies. The problem is that containers tossed into recycling bins are rarely completely empty, and they are not always rinsed. It doesn’t take much syrupy residue in the bottom of a soft drink can to generate a lot of fruit flies.
VIEW MOREQ. Can you explain to me what pheromone traps are and how they work? My sister-in-law said that her pest control company used them when she had a beetle problem in her kitchen.
VIEW MOREQ. We apparently have an unusual pest in our home. We’ve found several of these tiny, shiny red things that look like little spiders or mites. They’re about the size of the head of a pin. I thought maybe they were clover mites but our county extension agent said they’re spider beetles. Do they suck blood, and why do we have them in our house?
VIEW MOREQ. We live in a new home. Last summer we had a terrible problem with clover mites getting into our home and I’m starting to notice some again this year. Is there anything we can do besides just vacuuming them up once they’re inside?
VIEW MORE