Hearing the word “lovebug” may evoke the season of love and red hearts, but these critters don’t live up to their name. They are not exactly loveable, and many people find them detestable. The lovebug Plecia nearctica is a fly species that is particularly a nuisance to motorists when traveling through the southern United States. […]
The Kissing Bug As Valentine’s Day approaches, stores get inundated with hearts, chocolates, and roses, and reds and pinks are everywhere. In the bug world, we have several different insects that often get associated with “love,” love bugs, maybe even ladybugs because of their bright red color. One that doesn’t get much love is the […]
What happens to honey bees in the winter? During winter months, it’s too cold for them to be out flying, sipping on nectar, and packing pollen on their legs, so what are they doing? Have you ever wondered why honey bees make honey? They don’t make it so that we can steal it, sell it, […]
What happens to house mice when the temperature drops? Although insects decline as the temperatures drop, warm-blooded pests like rodents are still as active as ever. When the outdoors become inhospitable, rodents travel in search of warmth, food, and shelter, which often leads them into our toasty, food-packed homes. The small and curious house mouse […]
What happens to those pesky mosquitoes in the winter? They hibernate, or overwinter, although it depends on the species how they overwinter. Some mosquitoes spend the winter months as adults, others as larvae or pupae, and others still as eggs. Overwintering is a type of dormancy, so any overwintering adult mosquitoes are not out biting […]
Have you ever wondered what happens to termites in the winter? If you’ve never wondered, are you wondering now? The answer to this question is less than exciting but not reassuring to a homeowner: they don’t go anywhere! Where do the Termites Go? During the winter months, insects seem to vanish from sight, only to […]
Pest Profile: Red Paper Wasp (Polistes carolina)(Insecta: Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Kristen Stevens, BCE The Red Paper Wasp: Beneficial or Deadly? Paper wasps are in the family Vespidae. The red paper wasp Polistes carolina is distributed throughout the eastern and south central United States. It is an elongate, slender wasp that is usually brownish-red with yellow markings. […]
Kristen Stevens, BCE (Stink Bugs, Kudzu Bugs, and Lady Bugs) What Pests to Expect this Winter As winter approaches, we don’t often think of insects; we think more of holiday treats and cold weather eliminating our not-so-welcome house guests. However, that notion is false. Well, at least the part about pests – those holiday treats […]
Kristen Stevens, BCE Corporate Entomologist, Cook’s Pest Control Cooler Weather Means Rodents Looking for Somewhere to Stay Warm As cooler weather approaches, so do rodent issues. Rodents, like any other pest, are seeking food, water and shelter when you find them inside your facility. They are there because inside seems like a cozy, great place […]
Kristen Stevens, BCE We don’t often think of birds as pests, and, indeed, most of them are not. However, there are some birds that can pose public health and damage concerns in addition to being a nuisance. They carry all number of different food-borne illnesses such as salmonellosis, histoplasmosis, campylobacteriosis and some others. Some birds […]
Kristen Stevens, BCE (spiders that are not deadly – wolf spider, crevice weaver) If you have ever seen the movie Finding Nemo, one of my favorite scenes is when the sharks are meeting as a support group for recovering fish-eaters. Their mantra is “Fish are Friends, NOT food!” They are trying to curb their appetite […]
With the weather beginning to cool off and leaves starting to change into striking colors of red and orange, many of you will likely take to the outdoors for an evening stroll. It is within this time of year that many orb weaver spiders reach full maturity and their brilliant webs can be seen on […]
In my work I travel quite a bit and stay in hotels all across the South. My biggest fear, however, is not being away from home or sleeping in the dark: it’s taking home bed bugs. Bed bugs have not been a problem for quite some time, but in recent years populations have exploded. So […]
Spp. Reticulitermes virginicus and Reticulitermes hageni Subterranean termites are one of the most common species of termites in the United States. They belong to the order Isoptera and are a small to medium insect. They live in colonies and have a caste system in which each individual within the colony has a specific role. The […]
Holidays and celebrations can be fun and joyous. On many of these occasions, our house is full of people and their pets, delicious food covers the tables, and, all of a sudden, my pants feel just a bit tighter. Sometimes, after the merriment dies down, the company of all those house guests that we thought […]
The coming of fall in the South can mean many things, but above all is football season. I hope that your favorite team is exceeding your expectations and is on track for making a bowl game. So, with football being such an integral aspect of southern living, I figured why not attempt to tie football […]
How to Identify Argentine Ants Argentine ants are very small, dark, slender ants. These ants are usually found in large colonies which they can form in loose leaf litter, wall voids, cracks in concrete, and under stones or other debris resting on the ground. Habits Like the tawny crazy ant, argentine ants are an invasive […]
Upon hearing the word “wasp,” many tremble in fear and imagine an angry creature chasing after them. However, this is not the case with the cuckoo wasp. These solitary wasps are brightly colored and found in metallic green, blue or purple hues. Their bodies are full of small pits which give them an almost glittery […]
Along with contact kill aerosols like Raid, mothballs are one of the most common pest control products bought and used by the general public. Unfortunately, that also makes them one of the most misused and misunderstood pest control products. As with any other chemical product, it must be used correctly to have any effect on […]
As summer approaches and beach trips are in the near future, are you or your loved ones nervous about swimming in the ocean because of sharks? According to the Bill Gates Foundation, you need to worry more about stepping into your own backyard! Accountable for over 700,000 deaths worldwide every year, mosquitoes are considered the […]
Many insects can cause us all manner of pain, ranging from annoying nuisance, to painful bites, stings, and irritations. Obviously, some insects have a worse or more potent effect on us than others. Some of the most potent effects insects can have on us, which can subsequently elicit a huge overreaction from our bodies, come […]
This month we will be addressing popular home remedies that are utilized to either catch or repel insect pests. These DIY traps can be found on the internet with ease to handle several different pests from mosquitoes to stink bugs. In this blog, we will address some popular DIY traps for flies, fleas, and fruit […]
With the heat of summer (and the drought that comes with it) to soon be upon us, several pests will begin to seek moisture and shelter from the elements. One such pest that could begin plaguing your home will be the millipede. Millipedes (Class: Diplopoda) can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but […]
Living in the South, getting a termite infestation is not a matter of ‘if’ but a matter of ‘when’. Although getting termites in your home is never a good thing, depending on the type of termite it may go from bad to worse. Our native subterranean termites are known as Eastern Subterranean Termites (Reticulitermes). Like […]
Boxelder bugs (scientific name Boisea trivattata) are named after one of their primary homes, the boxelder tree. They are known to occasionally enter structures during the winter to stay out of the harsh cold. Although a nuisance pest, they are actually native to the United States. They are specifically found in the western and eastern United […]
