No matter how hard you try, it’s pretty hard to keep all flies away from your house or yard. They’re generally a nuisance but can also spread disease so it’s a good idea to try to reduce they’re populations. House flies are generally found in greatest numbers during the hotter summer months. House flies are …
Just as you bite into that big, juicy apple, fresh off your tree, you catch sight of something that shouldn’t be there; that worm in the apple is no cute cartoon. Most likely it’s the larvae of the codling moth, a serious pest of apples that also attacks pears and walnuts. This insect pest can …
Ticks are insects that attach to you or your pets and have the potential to transmit diseases once they start feeding. They cannot jump or fly, but often climb grasses and shrubs in order to come in contact with people or animals walking by. Reduce the ticks in your yard by keeping leaf litter, tall …
Rollie pollie’s – are these good or bad? Known more commonly as pill bugs, these little crustaceans are part of Nature’s recycling team. They generally hide under boards, rocks, flower pots, piles of grass clippings, flower-bed mulches and other decaying vegetation, where there’s plenty of moisture. No need to do anything if you find them …
Pincher bugs? Also known as earwigs, they get their name from the myth that they crawl into sleeping people’s ears and tunnel into the brain. They are nocturnal and communal creatures; they gather during the day in moist, dark, tight hiding places. They’re generally scavengers but feed on plants when it suits them. They eat …
Do your kids cringe when they see a spider or other bug? This is the time of year when insects and related critters abound. These creatures may look scary so it can be a challenge to convince a youngster that they’re harmless. Check out these tips for Tackling Your Children’s Fear of Creepy Crawlies
Spiders get a bad rap; many people go to great lengths to get rid of them. Is it their other-worldly appearance? A concern about being bitten by a poisonous type or simply the idea of “creepy, crawling” things? Whatever the reason, before eliminating them, it’s good to understand the invaluable role they play keeping pest …
True or false – the only good bug is a dead bug? FALSE! Without bugs (mostly insects), our world would not be the same. There are more than 1.5 million known insect species in the world, with about 97 percent being either good for the garden, or simply benign. Less than three percent of insects …
This hard-to-miss fearsome looking ground beetle is a definite GOOD GUY, feasting on soil dwelling insect larvae and pupae and other invertebrates like snails and slugs. Find out more about the “10 Most Wanted Bugs” in your garden. Like his name, the predaceous ground beetle is most often seen in or on the soil but can …
