Pest Identification
The Top 10 Ways to Keep Pests Out of Your Home
Insects, arachnids, and rodents can be incredibly resourceful. Even after you think you have eliminated the very last one of these creatures from your home, yet one more appears. Fortunately, while the stray ant or spider may enter your home no matter what precautions you take, there is much you can do discourage these pests from … » Read the rest
Termites, the unseen menace
Termites are an unseen menace to our homes. Often, by the time we know they have invaded, it’s too late, and the structural damage has been done. However, by keeping a sharp eye out you can detect them early on. Here are some things that often betray their presence.
How to detect a termite invasion
- A
A Flea in Your Ear
It’s happening again. You just bought new flea collars for both the cat and the dog, and both pets had flea baths yesterday. Nevertheless, Fido is scratching again, and Mr. Whiskers keeps twitching his ears in the way that cats do when they have an itch. The fleas are back!
These pesky insects don’t stop by … » Read the rest
Headless, but not Lifeless
You may have thought you killed that nasty cockroach that you found yesterday. After all, you smashed it at just the right angle to decapitate it. How long could a headless cockroach possibly live? Unfortunately, that cockroach might not only be alive right now, but it might also be alive next week.
You Can’t Smother a … » Read the rest
The Amazonian Horror Show
It seems more like a scene from a horror flick than a nature documentary. A certain species of tree ant found in the Amazon, A. decemarticulatus, has figured out how to lay gruesome traps for prey.
How?
These ants hollow out stems of the Hirtella physophora plant to create galleries. They burrow holes and lie in … » Read the rest
The Year of the Bat
The United Nations named 2011 and 2012 the International Years of the Bat. So why do bats merit their very own year? Why not give the year to a lovely species of butterfly, or an exotic species of bird?
Bat Scares
Bats aren’t exactly cute and cuddly. Maybe it’s their tendency to live in spooky-looking caves, … » Read the rest
A Bugs Life
I awoke to darkness. It was comforting. I had lived in these little caves my whole life. These cool sand walls are home. As soon as I woke I was off, rushing to get to work, not even stopping to eat or bathe. I’ll let you in on a secret, I rarely ever bathe.
By the time I reached the bushes where … » Read the rest
Crime-Detecting Insects
You may not think of the annoying black fly hovering around your head as a the perfect tool for tracking down murderers, but it turns out that investigators around the world are using insects for just that purpose. Just how can bugs help law-enforcement agencies to catch killers?
Detective Fly
It turns out that the mere … » Read the rest
Attack of the Giant Wasps
We drove into Yellowstone early in the morning, hoping to beat the crowds. It didn’t work. Apparently everyone had the same plan. We pulled into a parking lot and pulled out the map. Where were we going to go?
“Well, I have to use the bathroom.” My little brother announced and headed across the parking lot … » Read the rest
Keep Out Unwelcome Winter Guests!
Spring and summer are typically the times of year that most people begin to think about keeping pests out of their homes, but it turns out that many pests invade homes in the winter, too! In fact, the National Pests Management Association (NPMA) recently estimated that as many as 21 million rodents seek shelter inside homes … » Read the rest
Connect with us on Facebook
Find us on Twitter
Find us on Google Plus