Spring’s the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors. The kids are playing outside, the pets are frolicking…and the venomous insects in your area are out in force. Spring is the season for mating and nesting for many bugs and some can be quite harmful to humans. If you’re concerned about the poisonous insects in your area, check out this list of Spring’s most common pest dangers… Continue reading
17 Things You Didn’t Know About Cicadas
It’s cicada season in many parts of the country! And by “cicada season” we mean “the first time many areas have seen the bugs in over 17 years.” In honor of the cicadas’ 17-year swarm cycle we’ve put together a short list of interesting facts you didn’t know about cicadas… Continue reading
Three Types of Spring Termites to Watch Out For
Termites are a big problem for US homeowners, causing over $3 billion dollars a year in damage to homes across the country. About 3% of all homes in the United States currently have a termite issue, and many homeowners aren’t even aware there’s a problem.
Certain termite species thrive when the weather warms up, and you may have noticed swarms of these pests in and around your neighborhood. Depending on where you live, spring is a crucial time for termite management. Here are three particularly nasty termite species who love nothing more than to soak up the spring weather (and eat your walls.)
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ladybugs
Ladybugs are an interesting lot. Prized for their beauty and noted around the world as good luck, these tiny bugs are out in full swing this spring. So, are ladybugs a blessing or a curse? As it turns out, as long as they don’t swarm, ladybugs are a friend to your garden and sometimes act as natural pest control.
Ladybugs eat aphids and aphids are a gardener’s worst nightmare. Eating everything from tomatoes to roses, aphids are pests. Ladybugs aren’t poisonous to humans but eating too many of them can harm some small animals – hence their red “stay away!” color! Continue reading
Spiders of Spring: Eight-Legged Pests
Spring is the perfect time of year. The weather’s beautiful, flowers are blooming, spiders are…everywhere. Humans aren’t the only creatures taking advantage of the warmer weather and in fact, many spider species wait for the spring to lay eggs and start exploring their world.
Here are a few of the most prevalent spider species found in homes this spring. Some are completely harmless and in fact eat pesky pests like mosquitoes; others are poisonous, however, and should only be handled by a pest control professional. Continue reading
How to Keep Your Garden Aphid-Free
Aphids are a plague to gardeners everywhere. A crucial part of the pest ecosystem, aphids offer little good to green thumbs that spend hours cultivating bountiful fruit and veggie gardens only to see them nibbled away.
Aphid bugs are tiny, pear-shaped insects that are usually green or yellow. They’ll eat just about every kind of plant although they prefer warm weather leaves and tomatoes, too. They’re difficult to spot but usually show up by the droves, thousands at a time. Here are a few of the best ways to get rid of aphids once you find them… Continue reading
How to Mosquito-Proof Your Home
It’s that time of year again. As the weather heats up, mosquitoes will be out in full force, particularly if you live in a hot, humid part of the country. Mosquitoes shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the outdoors with your family, however, and they certainly shouldn’t bug you while you’re in your home.
Here are a few easy tips on how to mosquito-proof your home so when summer comes you’ll have no qualms about getting outdoors or sleeping without a mosquito net! Continue reading
Spring’s Stinging Insects: What to Know
Stinging insects are out in force and with the weather warming up they’re bound to show up near your home soon. While some people are deathly allergic to the venomous sting of insects, most simply find these bugs a nuisance they’d like to keep far from their house. With so much press lately about the decline in bee populations it makes sense to take a look at a few of the most common stinging insects sure to buzz your way soon…
Bees.
There are dozens of different types of bees. Honeybees are, of course, crucial to plants and crops in the US and rarely sting humans. Carpenter bees and bumblebees, too, are fairly unaggressive and simply enjoy colorful flowers around Spring. Africanized killer bees are rare in the US but have been seen – if stung by one, seek medical attention immediately. The best way to get rid of bees is to simply remove the draw – whether it’s water or flowers – that brings them near your home. If all else fails, call a pest professional. Continue reading
How to Get Rid of Bees Without Killing Them
There’s been a lot of chatter in the media lately about the concerning decline in honeybee populations. Indeed, honeybees are a crucial part of the ecosystem and provide far more good than they do harm in most instances. They rarely sting and in fact spend most of their time pollenating plants which depend on their existence for their survival. Continue reading
Florida Receiving Federal Funds to Fight Pests
If you read last week’s post about California’s citrus pest problem, you may not be surprised to hear that the federal government is about to give the state of Florida over $6 million to fight pest infestations. Unlike the California situation, however, these funds are meant to prevent harmful infestations rather than to treat existing bug problems. Continue reading