Insects
Pine Seed Bugs
Pine seed bugs are related to assassin bugs but are quite different in appearance and habits. These are insects that have been showing up in homes for more than 10 years. They are often misidentified as assassin bugs or stink bugs. They are in the leaf footed bug family and are called western conifer seed … Continue reading Pine Seed Bugs
Lady Beetles
Lady Bug, Lady Bug, Fly Away Home or fly away from my home as many people are now saying. Over the past few years, lady beetles (ladybugs) have been entering homes, sometimes in surprisingly large numbers. Most people like lady beetles but when they start showing up inside the house in the dozens and even … Continue reading Lady Beetles
Bed Bugs
Night, night, sleep tight…don’t let the Bed Bugs bite. Chances are greater that bedbugs may bite than has been the case in the recent past. It seems that bedbug infestations are on the increase. Incidences of bed bug infestations have been increasing over the past few years. Places where they are showing up include hotels, … Continue reading Bed Bugs
Boxelder Bugs
A major pest of soft maple trees, Box Elder bugs are commonly found in large numbers on the sunny side of homes. What is black and red and gathers in large numbers on the sunny sides of homes? The answer is boxelder bugs. Boxelder trees in the East are commonly called Manitoba or soft maples. … Continue reading Boxelder Bugs
Clover Mites
It just mite be. What is the size of a pencil dot, can climb walls, enter through screens and leave red stains if crushed? The answer is clover mites.Clover mites are very tiny mites (about 0.75 mm) that are usually reddish in colour but can also be olive green or rusty brown. Their first pair … Continue reading Clover Mites
Earwigs
Earwig! (ewwww), don’t worry, they don’t actually crawl into your ears. One of the most disliked insects that invade homes are earwigs. Perhaps this stems from the old European superstition at they crawl into the ears of sleeping people and then bore into the brain. Sounds like something out of a Steven Spielberg vie – … Continue reading Earwigs
Indianmeal Moths
Moths in the meal Those moths you are seeing flitting around the house are not coming from your wallet or your clothing. They are probably Indianmeal moths. Indianmeal moths are the most commonly found food pest in homes, grocery stores and food warehouses today. They are often mistaken for clothes moths, but in fact, they … Continue reading Indianmeal Moths
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes in Your Back Yard Events of 2002 have shown that not only has West Nile Virus spread into Ontario, but also is rapidly spreading across all of North America. It became apparent that there were many more cases in Ontario than originally reported and at least 16 human deaths.What can you do to help … Continue reading Mosquitoes