?…ask the Bugman
All Creatures Great and Small
Cockroaches
First, I have to state that there is some disagreement among entomologists as to the proper name for the order of cockroaches. Sometimes they use Blatarria or Blattoptera. Some even use Dictyoptera. You can help prevent cockroaches from coming into your home by inspecting all incoming food products, all boxes, and any used furniture or … Continue reading
Ants
There are more than 20,000 species of ants around the world and about 570 species in the United States. Of those, about 30 species are common household pests. When discussing ants, we will use three terms that reflect the size of the ants in a colony. If ants are “monomorphic”, it means all the workers … Continue reading
Bed Bugs
Although bed bugs are a major problem in some urban areas and hotels, the good news is that they don’t carry any diseases. Some people don’t even know they are getting bitten. When my wife gets bitten she breaks out in a pretty impressive rash. When I get bitten, there are no marks at all … Continue reading
Household Pest Control
Recently there was an article in a NM paper about how a pest control company injects pesticides into the walls of homes to control all the pests that hide in the walls. Someone asked me if this was something they should consider. The answer is NO. First, there are very few pests that nest in … Continue reading
XT-2000
This blog will discuss the advantages of using XT-2000 orange oil for the contol of drywood termites and some other wood boring insects. I am posting a list of questions I got from readers of my column in California and the answers to the questions. There are also a few general termite questions as well. … Continue reading
Invisible Biting Bug Syndrome (IBBS)
I said before that Invisible Biting Bug Syndrome (IBBS) is reaching epic numbers. I have received a half dozen emails in the last week from people suffering from this, and I am not a doctor! I believe, after looking at this for many years that I have an idea what the problem is. I am … Continue reading
Drywood Termites
Drywood termites are a major wood destroying insect that cost consumers many millions of dollars in damage and control. One estimate suggested Californians spend $250 million dollars a year on this insect. For many years the primary method of controlling drywood termites was to use sulfuryl fluoride (Vikane) as a fumigant. The house had to … Continue reading
Home Inspections
If you own a home, it is a good idea to hire an independent professional pest inspection service at some point. The home should be inspected for all wood destroying insects, including subterranean and drywood termites, long-horned wood borers, metallic wood borers, powder post beetles, bostrichid beetles, anobiid beetles, wood boring weevils, carpenter ants, acrobat … Continue reading
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