November

Cluster flies are found throughout North America and Europe, and probably originated in North America during the colonial days. They are large dark gray to black flies that resemble houseflies in appearance; however, they are larger and, in reality, are not related to houseflies at all. In fact, they are in the same family as blowflies and flesh flies. To …

October

Bed bugs, which are wingless, parasitic insects, have made a huge comeback in recent years. With the development of DDT, they were virtually eliminated and almost nonexistent until the mid-90s, when pest-control companies began baiting (rather than spraying) for cockroaches and ants. As a result of this change in technique, bed bugs were no longer being killed along with roaches …

September

The house mouse originated in the arid grasslands of Southeast Asia. Three subspecies similar in appearance are generally referred to under the name of one species, the Mus Musculus. Like their larger counterparts, rats, they are nocturnal creatures, feeding at night to avoid predation. Mice are timid, social, and territorial. The most common house mouse observed in the US is …

August

The Indian meal moth is found more than any other insect in stored food products in the United States. This insect got its name by being a pest of “Indian corn,” or maize. Like maize itself, the meal moth may have originated in South America. However, the meal moth is no longer exclusive to that continent and is a prevalent …

July

Wasp

Wasps and yellow jackets are the most common stinging insect we exterminate. They are social insects that produce new nests of paper each year with the help of wood and saliva. A colony is started by a queen, which is a fertilized female. The queen carries out all of the duties and chores of building a new colony; additionally, she …