Category Archives: News
When are June beetles… not?
One of the April-flying species of scarab beetle. This specimen is Phyllophaga hirtiventris, a cousin to the turf-eating June beetle. I’ve been getting questions about the numerous June beetles attracted to lights this spring. Callers are wondering if the June beetles are coming earlier this year. Is this another sign of global warming? You can relax on this one. The clunky, loud beetles bumping against your screen windows aren’t another sign of large-scale climate change. These are the “early-bird” scarab beetles. We could call them “April” or “May”beetles,… Read More →
Fire ant season reminders
With a little bit of rain and warmer temperatures fire ant mounds are popping up throughout Texas and the southeast. Spring mound season is an excellent time to think about controlling some of those larger mounds with a mound treatment of your choice. Despite the warm days with air temperatures in the 80s and 90s, soil temperatures are just climbing to levels where fire ants are thinking about foraging for food. This means that in some areas it may still be a little early for applying fire ant… Read More →
Stopping catcus moth
Texas is under attack. From lake-hogging zebra mussels and giant salvinia, to chilli thrips (a new pest of roses) and crape myrtle scale, insects from other countries seem to be entering the state at a record pace. NPR.org recently published an update on the cactus moth invasion at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=134914916. The cactus moth has undoubtedly been assisted by man, but appears to have made at least some of its journey unassisted by hopping from island to island across the Caribbean from South America. This particular moth threatens the cactus… Read More →
Bed bug vs. bedbug
Last week, while reviewing an article in which I was quoted, I commented to the reporter about the spelling of the insect name “bed bug”. The article writer was using the condensed (one word) form of the name and I argued that it should be two words. This is consistent, I said, with the way other insect compound names are handled. The editor thanked me for my input and said they would “look into it”. I suspect I know what that means. The lumpers seem to be winning over… Read More →
Its the flea’s knees…or not
In this NPR Science Friday video, scientists Greg Sutton and Malcolm Burrows, of the University of Cambridge, filmed fleas jumping. They then sorted through different theories of how they jumped and concluded that fleas use their feet and not knees to push off the ground and jump on your cat or your dog. The high speed photography is amazing and I especially liked the slo-mo- photography of a flea’s jump compared to the blink of a human eye. An adult flea can jump approximately 13 inches, a little… Read More →
Pesticides and pests in Texas schools
A recent bill introduced into the Texas State Senate would do away with regulations passed 20 years ago to restrict pesticide use and improve the standard for pest control in public schools. The bill, introduced under the premise that it would reduce costs to school districts, got its first public hearing this week. A story published this week in the Texas Tribune summarizes the issue. If you’ve never given much thought to pest control as it relates to your children’s school, you’re not alone. Most of us take… Read More →
Car Talk adds wildlife (including insects) section
Any of you who find yourself out driving around on a Saturday morning, and have happened to tune into an NPR station, have probably heard the radio show Car Talk. Who would have guessed that two goofy brothers answering car maintenance questions on the radio would have been successful? I wouldn’t. Yet they’ve become an enormous hit, at least among NPR listeners with cars over a certain age. The Car Talk brothers usually make me laugh. So I was pleasantly surprised a few months ago when I got… Read More →
Bugguide.net innovator profiled
One of the links we include in the Insect Identification Help page is BugGuide.net. This is a great site for insect identification and networking with knowledgeable entomologists willing to help anyone get an insect identified. I use it a lot and direct insect enthusiasts there frequently. Until now, however, I didn’t know a lot about how the site came to be. A recent story from Iowa State University profiles one of the developers of the site, ISU systems analyst John VanDyk. Turns out that not only is John… Read More →
Now’s the time for dormant oils
Dormant season applications of horticultural oil can be an effective tactic to kill scale insects and their eggs during the winter months. But with the rapid onset of warm spring weather, the window of opportunity is relatively small in north Texas and many other parts of the state. Armored scale like obscure and gloomy scale are especially difficult to treat during the summer months, so the dormant season when leaves are off the trees is an excellent time to treat with a dormant oil. Oils are physical poisons,… Read More →
Rock music a recipe for weight loss?
Paper wasps, in the genus Polistes, are among the most common garden insects in late summer in Texas. Nearly everyone at some time has seen their umbrella-like nests dangling from tree branches or the eaves of buildings. While I’ve seen and watched many of these nests over the years, I have to admit I’ve never heard anything unusual. But, according to a new paper published in Biology and Nature, for years people have noted a distinct drumming sound coming from some paper wasp nests. Originally thought to be… Read More →
