When you think “fire ant”, you might think swarming, stinging insects from the south, but perhaps surprisingly, the fire ant threat to the Pacific Northwest seems to hail from across the pond. European Fire Ants are an invasive species that is gaining a foothold in British Columbia and have been found in the Seattle, WA […]
Boxelder Bugs – What You Need to Know
Boxelder bugs, those distinctive dark bugs with reddish-orange marking, are common throughout the Pacific Northwest. While they don’t pose a threat to health or structure, box elder bugs also aren’t welcome inside our homes. So, what should you know about these nuisances? Identifying a Box Elder Bug Box Elder Bugs Purpose Season & Lifecycle Boxelder […]
The Hierarchy of the Ant Colony: Queens vs Workers
Ants are fascinating creatures to study, even if they are always welcome in our homes. Understanding ant behavior can help us with ant control. These social insects have a role to play in their culture that dictates what they do. In this post, we explore the any colony and hierarchy of ants. The Queen Ant […]
Can You Get Rid of Drain Flies?
If you’ve ever found tiny, fuzzy pests buzzing around your sink or drain, then you know how annoying these little critters can be. As the name implies, drain flies (also called moth flies, sink flies, sewer flies, sewer gnats or filter flies) are a nuisance pest that develops in or around drains, sinks, or plumbing […]
Identifying Common Bathroom Pests
No one wants to flip on the bathroom light and find themselves face-to-face with twitchy antennae, a plethora of legs, or scurrying feet. However, there are a number of pests that are attracted to the very rooms we use to get clean. So, let’s identify some common bathroom pests and what you can do about […]
How to Get Rid of Silverfish
What are Silverfish? Silverfish is the name given to a shiny silver insect with metallic scales. The oval-shaped, flat critters run fast giving the illusion that they are swimming. That, along with their minnow-like appearance, has led to their name, Silverfish. They are wingless creatures with two antennae and a three-pronged tail. Because of this […]
Identifying Stinging Insect Nests
The buzzing, bumbling, building of spring is upon us. As the weather warms and flowers bloom, stinging insects become active as well. And while we can appreciate them in our gardens, we don’t want them in (or on) our homes and businesses. Washington is home to a number of bees, wasps, and hornets that make […]
Ticks in Washington State
Soaring vistas, crashing waterfalls, verdant orchards, towering mountains, rushing rivers, and trickling streams: the Pacific Northwest calls to the nature lover. But all that outdoor time might bring you in contact with less than desirable pests, including ticks. Although ticks aren’t quite the problem that they are in other areas of the country, they do […]
Do Roly Poly (Pill) Bugs Bite?
As children, many of us knew the joy of rolling over a rotten log or long-standing rock and discovering the fascinating creatures living beneath. But even more compelling perhaps was the way these many legged “bugs” would curl into a hard little ball to protect themselves. We might have been told by those older and […]
Odorous House Ants – What You Need to Know
Odorous House Ants (aka tapinoma sessile) are very common household pests. These small ants are attracted to human food, particularly sweet food, which has earned them the nickname “sugar ants”. They are found all over the continent from Canada to Mexico, so the likelihood of running into them at some point is high. Make sure […]