Pest Profiles

Most bees, including the carpenter bee, play an important role in the ecosystem because they help pollinate plants. However, unlike other bees, the carpenter bee can do serious damage beyond painful stings. The insect got its name because they make their nests by boring into wood. While carpenter bees don’t pose as big a concern as wood…

This St. Patrick’s Day many people will be dressed in green hoping that a little luck of the Irish will rub off. That got us thinking about another good luck symbol – the ladybug. How things come to be lucky is usually somewhat of a mystery and varies from one culture to the next. What’s…

Most stinging bugs are associated with the spring and summer, but Yellow Jackets can actually stick around late into the fall in Alabama. Let’s take a look at the issue of Yellow Jackets being present in autumn, signs to watch out for and what to do to get them off your property. Why Yellow Jackets…

Fireflies are hands down one of the most popular bugs on the planet. Rather than inducing fear or squeamishness they incite wonder as they light up the sky. But lurking among them is a devious imposter. While most fireflies light up to attract a mate, Photuris does so to attract their dinner. Insect Imitation as…

Ants are an unwelcome, yet familiar, sight in Alabama. Mounds and marching lines signal that cooler weather is settling in for the fall or it’s warming up for the spring, making the ants more active. Currently, there are approximately 136 ant species in the state, and not an inch of it is free of the…

All along the southern regions of the U.S. lurks one of the few spiders that has a venomous bite. We’re talking about the creepy crawly brown recluse. As the name suggests, they don’t like hanging out with humans all that much. It’s almost always accidental contact that leads to a person being bitten by a…

They’re back…the season for biting midges is upon us again. These small, black, biting flies, also referred to as no-see-ums or ceratopogonidae, are coming out in annoying droves. If you want to nix the no-see-ums this year you’ll need to know the enemy and arm yourself with information. The Anatomy of Biting Midges There are…

People in Alabama are beginning to find a lot of Asian lady beetles in their homes as it warms up. Though they look very similar to the traditional ladybug, these pests are decidedly different from their docile look-alikes. In this post we’ll profile the Asian lady beetle and discuss how they differ from standard ladybugs. Characteristics…