September 22nd, marked the fall equinox this year; Where Summer blasts our days with her last hot breaths, and Fall creeps in with his first cool evening breezes. It's the time when, days and nights begin as equals and where days slowly shorten and...
Corky’s Pest Control Blog
Architects and Engineers; Bio-Inspired to Design and Create by Nature’s Finest Builders, Insects!
Architects and engineers are turning to the insect world for ideas on creating the homes, working environments and products of the 21st century. Bio-Mimicry is Bio-Inspiration at it’s finest. Scientists believe that, as fossil fuels dry up,...
Cockroaches, Mantids and Termites: Sisters From Another Mother!
The changes in recent research tell us that the comparison of ants and termites is all wrong. The current scientific termite data shows that termites may look similar to ants, but in actuality, they are descendants of a common ancestor of...
The Year is 1900 and Fear of the Mosquito “Plague” hits America!
Mosquitoes became the preeminent pest in America after the 1900 discovery, by Sir Ronald Ross, that linked them to the dreaded disease, Malaria. This was the Progressive Era, and American entomologist, Leland O. Howard, a staunch progressive,...
Beetles, From Exotic Fashion Accessories to Dangerous “Fire Bugs”!
Beetles Comprise One Fifth Of The 1.5 Million Living Species On Earth. There are more than a quarter million species of beetles in the world and 25,000 identified in North America alone. Beetles come in a variety of shapes and colors, from firey...
Why, Oh Why, does the Cockroach Fly?
Cockroaches are some of the nastiest bugs found in the United States. Every state has some area that is infested with these disease carrying bugs, including California. Within the cockroach world, American Cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) are on...
Eye Spy with My Little Eye, says the Fly!
Ever played the “I spy with my little eye”, game as you traveled upon endless tracks of roadway with parents or friends? This was the only way, besides calling out state license plates (how boring is that!), that my parents could keep myself and...
Ants – The Oldest Farmers on Earth!
It is said that when man learned to farm, modern civilization began. We humans credit ourselves as being very intelligent creatures capable of learning to grow crops and keep cattle, but we are hardly the first species to acquire the skill....
NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON’T – Insects in Disguise
Camouflage is an ancient art form among the worlds’ animal species and especially insects. In nature there are many ways to protect against potential predators: armor, poison, noxious smell, size or speed, etc. But perhaps no form of protection is...
When Crows Gather, There’s “Murder” Afoot!
Put the movie “The Birds” together with the 1999 film, “Murder of Crows” and you have a great horror show and it’s playing out right here is Southern California. Look, up in the sky, great flocks of crows are winging their way from communal...
Zika Update: To Travel or Not to Travel that is the QUESTION!
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) is providing us with this information, in the hope that it will cultivate awareness and promote public health and safety. Zika virus spreads to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species...
Afraid of Bugs? Insectophobia is the Mother of Invention
Fear of insects (also known as entomophobia) mainly includes disgust or aversion to bugs. Insects and bugs often appear “ugly or disgusting” owing to their shape, colors, or wiggly parts. Bugs like flies, mosquitoes and fleas are also associated...
Bad Bugs, Bad Bugs, Whatcha gonna do when they come for You!
Hot summer days and warm summer nights are here and bugs are headed our way. Ants, spiders, fleas, roaches, flies, termites, mosquitoes and a lot of other creepy crawlies are headed out of fields and canyons and even the neighbors’ yards and...
“La Cucaracha,” Sing Along, Stomp Your Feet and Smash that Roach!
Cockroaches are one of the dirtiest and hardiest of natures’ creations. Their saliva, droppings and decomposing bodies contain allergen proteins known to trigger asthma and allergy symptoms, especially in children. In addition to exacerbating skin...
Eat-It-Yourself Pest Control – Bugs are on the Menu!
So, you've never eaten bugs? Well, more than half the world thinks you're really missing out. People in most countries eat insects. Central Americans eat butterfly larvae. South Americans eat beetles. Africans eat ants, caterpillars, termites and...
Fleas, “Adam, Had’em!” – The History of Fleas
The shortest poem ever written, composed by American poet Strickland Gillilan (also attributed to Ogden Nash) in the early 20th century, reads, “Adam, Had 'em”. Straight to the point, man has a long history with fleas. A fossil flea discovered...
Bites in the Night
There’s nothing like being awoken from a sound sleep by sudden itching, pinches or stings. These sensations send us scrambling from our warm covers, checking for bite marks and scouring our beds for the creepy crawlies we just know are using our...
Snail Slime – Nature’s Anti-Ageing Miracle Potion, On Sale Now!
Try saying this ten times; Helix aspersa muller glycoconjugates. This tongue twister, in fact, is the name of the snail slime that is the main ingredient in a natural skin product known as “snail cream” and it is said to reduce inflammation and...
To Get Rid of Gophers, Prepare for War!
It seems that in the world of “Gopher Control”, nothing is foolproof. Methods of extermination abound and stories of success and failures run rampant. Whether your preferred method is to repel them and make them go elsewhere (like the neighbors’...
Spider Webs, Beautiful to Behold, Deadly of Purpose.
At this time of year, in the early mornings, there is a soft glistening of webbing in the trees and on the lawn, and hillsides are decorated with dew frosted beauty. There is a fairytale quality to the scene and Natures’ art gallery is open for...
Cuckoo Bees – Not the Mothering Kind
Locally, in California we have about 1,600 species of native bees, some social, like the honey bee, and bumble bee, but most are solitary and include native bees such as; carpenter bees, leafcutting bees, sweat bees, digger bees, mining bees, mason...
Zika Update: Genetically Modified Mosquitos – GMM’s – to the Rescue, or not?
Are these “Super Bugs” the answer to our prayers or are they a gateway to more serious problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) has backed trials of genetically modified mosquitoes in the fight against the Zika virus. Currently,...
When it comes to Gophers; If you want Peace, Prepare for War!
It seems that in the world of “Gopher Control”, nothing is foolproof. Methods of extermination abound and stories of success and failures run rampant. Whether your preferred method is to repel them and make them go elsewhere (like the...
Beneficial Insects are on the Job! Beauty and Health will reign in your garden.
Spring rains and mild temperatures bring beautiful plants and flowers to the garden. They also bring the insects that feed off these plantings and ruin their health and appearance. But where there is infestation and destruction there are also...
Spring Brings Longer Days, Beautiful Weather and Dangerous Hitch-Hikers!
Living in Southern California and enjoying the “outdoor life” has it benefits but it also has it’s drawbacks, namely exposure to wildlife and the parasites they harbor and the diseases they carry. One of Nature's most proficient...
Insects emit “Silent but Deadly” toxic gases to immobilize prey!
The natural world constantly amazes with it’s weird and fantastic creatures and the wide variety of methods they use to thrive. For an example of weird, take the Beaded Lacewing (Lomamyia latipennis), whose larvae go through a stage during which...
Faces Only a Mother Can Love.
Mother Natures’ beauty is highly touted, but you can’t appreciate her beauty without acknowledging the ugly side of her own “nature”. Here are 4 insects that represent some of her ugliest creations and they live right here in Southern California. ...
Living with Bugs? Don’t look under the bed!
Aside from pets, family members, or short or long term guests, many of us often go weeks without seeing another living thing in our homes. But appearances can be deceiving. We are, in fact, surrounded by arthropods—insects, spiders, mites,...
Know the Facts. Mosquito Season’s Coming Early This Year.
Every year new facts and control techniques for insect pests are circulated among the masses. This year with the mosquito borne Zika virus and West Nile virus being in the news, stories, testimonials and cheap, homemade solutions touting...
What Zika means to those living in Southern California
In the 21st century, no place on earth is more than a day from any other place. Therefore, diseases with short incubation periods, such as Zika, have unprecedented opportunities for rapid spread through human movement. All travelers, regardless of...