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 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...
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...
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 weirdness, take the Beaded Lacewing (Lomamyia latipennis), whose larvae go through a stage during...
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. ...
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,...
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...
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...
Mosquitoes have been the bane of man’s existence for centuries, or should I say millenniums. Not only are they annoying, buzzing around our heads, their bites itching and looking red and ugly, they carry diseases that have killed millions maybe...
Ants may be the perfect workers - they share chores, solve complex problems and work themselves to death without complaint. And now the behavior and appearance of nature’s most hard working insect has been copied in plastic and metal, with...
The wet weather pattern blamed for this winter's record snowfall in the East and mudslides in the West — is expected to wreak more havoc this spring with a surge in insects and other pests. When there's an increase in water, there's an increase in...
Holidays are over, a new year has begun, the kids are back in school and researching ant behavior and biology is my assignment this week so that I can pass on unique information about these abundant, complex and interesting creatures. So finding...
Decorating for the holidays is great fun, but make sure to take a few moments to inspect holiday decorations for signs of pests before bringing them indoors. No one wants to deal with a pest infestation-especially during the holidays. Boxes of...
The holidays should be a joyful time, giving a chance to reconnect with friends and family. But they can also be extremely stressful, especially if unwanted guests like, Ants, Spiders, Pantry Pests or Rats decide to make a holiday appearance at...
#1. Los Angeles #2. San Francisco #3. San Diego and #4. Sacramento According to a recent study, the average damage caused by termite infestations is $8,184 per incident– and the damage is most often not covered by homeowners insurance. Termite...
This time of year we look forward to spending time with family and friends, enjoying and sharing the warmth of our homes and plenty of wonderful food. Even the stress of traveling is overshadowed by the excitement and anticipation of being...
Veterans Day is celebrated to give honor and remembrance to those that are or have served in our military. No matter what war, police action, government sanctioned “occupation” or humanitarian projects were or are being performed, our armed...
Benjamin Franklin is sometimes credited with the invention of daylight saving time. In 1784, he made a joking reference to daylight saving in a letter from France but never thought anything of the sort would ever be adopted. The true mastermind...
Scientists were virtually certain that California would be rocked by a strong earthquake in the next 30 years. Now they say the risk of a mega-quake is more likely to happen sooner than previously thought. In recent years, the USGS (United States...
A survey from the NPMA (National Pest Management Association) found nearly half of all rat infestations happen in the fall and winter months. As temperatures cool, especially overnight, rats look for warm sheltered spots with access to food and...
Termites won’t be swarming around the house while the rain is falling, but once it stops, look out! Thick termite swarms may be coming your way. Weather plays a tremendous part in the life of a termite so as a general rule of thumb termites swarm...
In a U C San Diego study on the Africanized bees’ population growth in Southern California, it was found that more than 60 percent of foraging honeybees in San Diego County are now Africanized. News Flash -- Africanized honeybees, known as killer...
A recent survey of widow spiders in Southern California led by retired UC Riverside entomologist Richard Vetter revealed new information about their distribution in California. Currently brown widows are 20 times more common then black widows in...
Ants are in the house again! They have been racing into our homes and yards to find water and food since the onset of “the drought”. But look up in the sky, it’s raining and ants are still racing into our homes but now it’s to save their colonies...
All spiders crawl, some swim, others are known for their jumping skills and still others for their ability to catch a breeze and “balloon” to distant lands or into the nearest home. Spiders are fascinating creatures but not welcome visitors in our...
Ants, labor endlessly to support their colonies, each member having a specific job to perform, from the pampered Queens to the multi-tasking female workers to the short lived males, every member of the colony is continually in motion. So, with all...
Bedbugs were nearly eliminated in the 1940's with the help of the extremely-powerful, but now banned, chemical DDT. However, they have made a comeback in recent years, showing up in hotels, hospitals, buses, trains, movie theaters and other public...
Pet owners, here in Southern California, are itching to find the answer to the question, “Where have all the fleas come from?” Fleas are pests! Even with the many flea prevention products on the market today, fleas are again, emerging as a major...
The water conservation minded, dutifully collecting rain water and other runoff to use in their gardens and landscapes, are finding mosquitoes in and around their collection barrels and buckets. Staying mosquito free is important to maintaing your...
How Drought Affects Migrating Insects Current drought conditions are the most severe in approximately 1,200 years, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. 40% of California is in the “exceptional” drought category, which is up 23% from a year...
1. The Mosquito with 755,000 causal deaths per year. 2. Snails with 200,000 3. Snakes with 94,000