Category Archives: Household pests
It must bee spring
Despite a winter that just won’t seem to let go, spring is definitely here. I know this because the honey bees are swarming, and local callers are reaching out to Extension offices for help coping with the sudden bee invasion. According to Shelly Spearman of the Rockwall County Extension office, her office is getting one to two calls a day about bees. “We’re getting a lot of calls about bees hanging out in trees,” she said. So why are bee mobs suddenly invading our trees and landscapes? And… Read More →
Good grooming makes good pest control
Thanks to Wizzie Brown for alerting me to the recent, very cool video on cockroaches by NPR’s Science Friday. Like cats that lick their feet and fur, cockroaches continually groom their feet and antennae. I’ve watched cockroaches groom themselves, but never in magnified HD with a lucid narration by North Carolina State University entomologist Coby Schal. Dr. Schal reports on recent research by his laboratory to answer the question about why cockroaches groom, and he’s well worth listening to. One thing the video does not mention is that… Read More →
What’s the most dangerous insect?
Ask people what the most dangerous insect or spider and you’re likely to get a variety of answers. Brown recluse spider…ANY spider, bees, scorpions, hornets, ticks, army ants… the list goes on. But few entomologists or medical experts would likely dispute that the tiny mosquito is probably the most dangerous arthropod on the planet. To underscore this with just one of many mosquito-borne diseases, the World Health Organization has declared April 25th World Malaria Day. While no one can fully know the historical impact of malaria, the incomplete… Read More →
Mosquitoes to make first showing of 2013
Spring rains and warmer weather usually spell mosquitoes. To prove this to myself, I’ve been watching my backyard fountain slowly fill with recent rains, leaves and catkins from nearby oak trees. Last week I was rewarded(!?) with my first mosquito wigglers. “Wiggler” and “tumbler” are informal terms for the larval and pupal (immature) life stages of mosquitoes. Mosquito wigglers live in water, and as soon as temperatures get warm enough to drive their development, they quickly mature and emerge from pools and containers wherever they may be found…. Read More →
Termite season begins now
If you own a home in Texas you’re concerned about termites–or at least you should be. Termites are likely to be the most expensive insect pest you will ever get in your home. I was reminded of this fact this weekend cleaning out my mosquito filled water fountain at my home in Plano. There I saw several termite “swarmers” floating on the surface–my first termite sighting of the year. I’m not too worried about my home–it has been treated in the past. And termites are naturally just about… Read More →
Another fall pest for Texas homes?
The brown marmorated stink bug is the latest in a string of unwelcome foreign pests that want to share our homes during the winter months. A couple of weeks ago I posted a description of the hackberry nipplegall maker, which is a native insect pest that enters homes in the fall. The brown marmorated stink bug (let’s call it BMSB) is from Asia and has been settling into its new home in the eastern U.S. since it was first noticed in Pennsylvania in 1998. It was spotted in south… Read More →
Little insect with a big name invades homes
If you’ve ever noticed nipple-like swellings on hackberry leaves, you already know a little about the hackberry nipplegall maker, Pachypsylla celtidismamma. Pachypsylla is a genus of tiny insects that grow up inside galls that form on hackberry leaves. Like other gall makers, Pachypsylla adults lay their eggs on leaves, which then start to swell around the egg or developing larva, forming a gall. After feeding on the gall tissue all summer, Pachypsylla adults emerge in the fall. Unfortunately for fastidious homemakers, these adults commonly enter structures at this time in their… Read More →
Nebraska publication shows how to deter bed bugs
The University of Nebraska’s Integrated Pest Management program puts out excellent, practical materials on pest control. Their newest publication is an online magazine on the subject of managing bed bugs. I especially liked one of the videos included in the magazine showing how to protect your bed and use mattress encasements to discourage bed bugs. This video complements a blog post I wrote earlier the summer on first aid for bed bugs. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having bed bugs, I always recommend calling… Read More →
FAQs about aerial spraying for West Nile virus mosquitoes
In the summer of 2012 aerial mosquito spraying services were offered to Dallas area communities. The decision was made in response to the threat of record numbers of West Nile virus (WNV) cases in the north Texas area in that year. As with any important decision, there were differing opinions on what should be done to battle mosquito borne disease outbreaks. Because of concerns about aerial applications of insecticides over urban areas, I thought it might be useful to address some of the common questions from a science, applied entomology and… Read More →
First aid for bed bugs
A couple of weeks ago I was talking with a nice lady on the phone about bed bugs. As if she couldn’t believe anyone else could quite empathize with her situation, she suddenly asked me, “Have you ever had to deal with bed bugs yourself?” Thanks to a recent experience with one of my daughters, I could confidently answer “Why yes, I have!” Last month answering a late night call from my youngest daughter I hear, “Dad, I think I’ve got bed bugs!” The next day at her… Read More →
