What are Silverfish? Silverfish is the name given to a shiny silver insect with metallic scales. The oval-shaped, flat critters run fast giving the illusion that they are swimming. That, along with their minnow-like appearance, has led to their name, Silverfish. They are wingless creatures with two antennae and a three-pronged tail. Because of this […]
The buzzing, bumbling, building of spring is upon us. As the weather warms and flowers bloom, stinging insects become active as well. And while we can appreciate them in our gardens, we don’t want them in (or on) our homes and businesses. Washington is home to a number of bees, wasps, and hornets that make […]
Soaring vistas, crashing waterfalls, verdant orchards, towering mountains, rushing rivers, and trickling streams: the Pacific Northwest calls to the nature lover. But all that outdoor time might bring you in contact with less than desirable pests, including ticks. Although ticks aren’t quite the problem that they are in other areas of the country, they do […]
As children, many of us knew the joy of rolling over a rotten log or long-standing rock and discovering the fascinating creatures living beneath. But even more compelling perhaps was the way these many legged “bugs” would curl into a hard little ball to protect themselves. We might have been told by those older and […]
Odorous House Ants (aka tapinoma sessile) are very common household pests. These small ants are attracted to human food, particularly sweet food, which has earned them the nickname “sugar ants”. They are found all over the continent from Canada to Mexico, so the likelihood of running into them at some point is high. Make sure […]
Washington state is home to a number of types of ants, but that is no surprise as these common insects are found the world over – from north to south, east to west, ants reside on nearly every continent and island on earth. Ants are so abundant and persistent that they inevitably run afoul of […]
Ants are one of the most common insects found all around the world. New species of ants continue to be found even today. In fact, scientists speculate that they have only identified about half of all possible species. Ants are found from the arctic to the tropics and on every island in the world. This […]
Mosquitoes in the Pacific Northwest Mosquitoes – those blood sucking, disease-spreading, painfully biting, itchy-bump causing nuisances of summer. While more than 40 different mosquito species can be found in Washington state, the Pacific Northwest has not always been known as a hotbed of mosquito activity. It has always had its share of mosquitoes, but the […]
You probably grew up hearing the old rhyme: Lady Bug, Lady Bug Fly away home Your house is on fire Your children are gone Well, with the emergence of the Asian Lady Beetle, the Lady Bugs tragic tale continues. Now, they need to fight this imposter which masks itself as a ladybug but isn’t quite […]
As the weather warms and the world awakens, we increase our chances of running into insects and bugs who are also excited about the change in the seasons. Nobody wants to surrender their backyard (or their kitchen) to puny pests. So how do we fight back? Not all flies bite, but the ones that do […]