Temperatures are rising in Wichita, and the snow is melting which is leaving puddles everywhere you look. Unfortunately, all this excess water is not going unnoticed by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes love this time of year and the extra water and warmer temperatures have them in the mood to breed. Eggs are laid on the surface of stagnant water, even a capful will do, and they hatch into larvae that feed on aquatic algae and organic material. What is not eaten by…
Spring is knocking at the door and everything in nature is waking up from a long winters nap, including pests. March is a beautiful time of longer, warmer days, immersing flowers and unfortunately swarms of termites. Warmer weather sparks the termites desire to spread their wings and fly, (before they shed them) in search of a new mate, a reliable food source, water and a new home to breed a colony. Guess where they want to settle down? That’s right,…
Sometimes we think of mice as cute little critters, but in reality they can be very dangerous. Mouse feces and urine can cause severe health issues for humans. They also carry diseases and vermin on their bodies and can pass them along to you. If you surprise one and get bit, you can also end up with rabies. They will also destroy our food sources, the structure of our homes and even our appliances. An infestation of mice…
The sound of chirping crickets can be soothing or annoying depending on your personal point of view, or the circumstances. While you are camping or sitting by a fire pit, the sound can be soothing, while you are in bed trying to sleep for an early work day, the sound is probably more annoying. Although crickets aren’t known to be dangerous, they can cause costly damage to fabric surfaces or clothing in your home. Overall they are just…
Right now, most of us are reflecting on the year that is passing, and looking forward to the new one in front of us. With every new year beginning, we make resolutions to improve the quality of life for ourselves and our loved ones. So for 2023, make a resolution that will really improve your health. It’s very simple really, clean more. Seems strange to say, but keeping a clean home will help your health by making your…
Centipedes are the things nightmares are made of. Not only do they make our skin crawl and freak us out, they are dangerous too. Who among us didn’t cringe at that scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? I love that movie, but still close my eyes during that part. Depending on the specie, centipedes can range in size from under an inch to over 7 inches long. They can have as few pairs of legs as 15…
Are assassin bugs as awful as the name makes them sound? Absolutely! Assassin bug adults have narrow heads and wider abdomens. They are black (sometimes brown) with red or orange markings on them. The abdomen sides are flared upward may have a checkered pattern on them. They may lift the tip of the abdomen in the air while they walk or even at rest. This makes them look like their “butts” are in the air. This mimics stinging…
Thief ants are unfortunately found here in the Wichita area. Thief ants possess small stingers on their oblong shaped abdomens. They have two-segmented petiole connecting their thorax to their abdomens. These pests range anywhere between 0.5 mm and 3 mm long. The queens measure just over 5mm and appear to be yellow to light brown in color. Workers are mostly yellow in color but can rarely take on a pale brown hue. Thief ants get their names from…
Silverfish are disgusting creepy crawlies that usually have brown bodies that can grow to be about 3/4 of an inch in length with antennae that stretches as long as their bodies. The body is covered with silvery, metallic looking scales. This characteristic gives them a fish-like shimmering look. That and how they move, wriggling like a fish would while swimming, is how these pest get their name. Also silverfish do not have wings but they can more very quickly.…
At one point in time or another, almost all of us have had a dream in which our spider friends have made an appearance. But, in your wildest dreams have you considered that spiders may be able to dream also? Me either, but now it seems that this might be the case. Humans dream in the phase of our sleep cycles known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. A team from universities in Italy, Germany and…
