Insects

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Insects' topic. Click the article's title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

Dealing with Beetles
While there are many species and varieties of beetle, certainly the most destructive is the flour beetle, or pantry weevil. Posing a serious health threat to humans, panty beetles invade any unprotected dry foodstuff, and even flower arrangements. Here are some tips for dealing with beetles in your home.

Eliminating Earwigs
Follow the tips within this article to eliminate earwigs from your home. If you find that you have a large infestation, contact a professional exterminator for more ways to eliminate earwigs.

Get Rid of Carpet Beetles
Sometimes confused with lady bugs, carpet beetles differ in that they feed on fibers and carpet of your home, and their bodies have a different shape. If you suspect that you have carpet beetles, follow these tips to rid your home of them.

Getting Rid of Flies without Chemicals
You don't need to use harsh pesticides or chemicals to get rid of flies. Mix up a solution of three parts Ivory liquid soap to one part water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the soap solution anywhere you see flies, and they will either leave or die.

Getting Rid of Gnats
To control a gnat population naturally, allow your houseplants to dry out as much as possible and then apply sticky traps to trap the adult flies so that they cannot lay eggs. If you want to control gnats using chemicals, add a thin layer of perlite on top of your potting soil to reduce the formation of moist moss and algae.

Keep Outdoor Moths Away
While moths can be annoying and disruptive to your summer outdoor party, certain species can be destructive and deadly to your trees. Follow these tips to control outdoor moths in your landscape.

Kill Snails and Slugs with Beer
If you're having problems with snails and slug eating away your vegetable garden, destroying your flower beds, or otherwise sliming up your porch or patio, try attracting them with beer. It's not the alcohol that baits them; it's the yeast inside of the beverage they like.

Knowing If You Have Bedbugs
Since bedbugs congregate and feed at night, and if you have a house pet, wait until the pet is asleep and see if you can observe bedbugs emerge from their hiding places to feed on your pet. While that may sound macabre, actually seeing a bedbug in action will confirm your suspicions that you have bedbugs.

Managing the Japanese Lady Beetle
Whether you call them lady bugs or lady beetles, you can tell them apart from other insects by their colored, spotted domes. The beetles seek warmer places for overwintering purposes, and your home is as good a place as any, as far as their concerned.

Organic Pest Control
A great source for finding eco-friendly pest control products is your local home improvement store. Some stores, such as the Home Depot, even offer free classes during the summer months to educate gardeners about the benefits of using organic methods to control pests.

What are Earwigs?
Earwigs use their tail forceps for opening narrow spaces so that they can gain entry, capturing prey such as small spiders, and for protecting their nest and eggs. Since earwigs love moist, dark places, you might see them traveling the length of your damp, unfinished basement wall during rainy seasons, or hanging around your bathroom floor.

What is a Mormon Cricket?
Usually, Mormon crickets live their lives without incident. In other words, they go through their life cycle for years without being a nuisance to humans and their crops. However, as with all other boom and bust cycles, when conditions are just right, Mormon crickets can mingle with other Mormon cricket populations, creating a gargantuan colony.

What is the Japanese Lady Beetle
Japanese lady beetles are sometimes known as the Halloween lady beetle because of their propensity to congregate in large colonies in late October. Perhaps you've encountered them in your homes—around doors and windows—around Halloween time. If so, then you realize why they're also called the Halloween lady beetle.

Where is the Japanese Beetle Located?
In the United Sates, the destructive Japanese beetle has proliferated all of the states east of the Mississippi River, and continue to migrate west, with several pockets found in northern California. Native to Japan, the Japanese beetle is kept under control in Japan by natural predators, however.

 

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