Common Colorado Spiders

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Sir William Pest

 

Orb-weaver spider
Image via Wikipedia

Have you ever encountered a spider in your home, and even after you kill it you get the creepy feeling that it is still there watching you with it’s beedy little eyes?  

According to F.B. Peairs, W.S. Crenshaw and P.E. Cushing;

There are about 11 spiders that are not potentially dangerous to you, but still make you feel creep-ed out when you spot them. These spiders are: Funnel weaver spiders (Agelenidae), Jumping spiders (Salticidae), Dysderacrocata (Wood Louse Hunter)
“Roly-poly Hunter”, Ground spiders (Gnaphosidae), Cobweb spiders/House spiders (Theridiidae), Cellar spiders (Pholcidae), Sac spiders, Wolf spiders (Lycosidae), Araneusspiders (Araneidae), Tarantulas (Theraphosidae),  Banded Garden spider (Araneidae).

Spiders are beneficial arthropods, that survive by feeding on insects. Oftentimes they are the most important biological control of insect pests in gardens, fields, forests, and homes. However, their presence is a cause of concern to some people. Many people fear spiders because of stories or myths. Others object to spiders because of their habit of building webs in and around the home. There are a few spiders whose bite require medical attention, but these are very rare in Colorado.

To read more information on spiders, link to this article, which was provided by http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05512.html

by F.B. Peairs, W.S. Crenshaw and P.E. Cushing

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All Insects Are Bugs But Not All Bugs are Insects

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Sir William Pest
Dung Beetle - Geotrupes vernalis
Image by Ian A Kirk via Flickr

Most people I know are afraid of bugs. They don’t want them crawling around them or being around their food. They feel uneasy while they are sleeping just thinking about bugs.

If you are one of these people, I bet that you didn’t know some of these really amazing  facts about bugs I found on coolbugstuff.com:

* The weight of all Americans is less than one fiftieth of the insects, earthworms, and spiders in the United States

Hissing cockroach
Image by scragz via Flickr

*Insects date back to over 300 million years!

* Based on various sampling, the total number of insect species is between 15 and 30 million.

* Out of the 4000 known species of cockroach only 20 types are classified as pests.

* Mother Dung Beetles tenderly care for their young by cleaning away toxic molds and fungi off the dung balls where her larva lives and feasts.

* A cockroach’s head will live and respond for at least 12 hours after the animal has been decapitated.

* Scorpions can live for more than a year without eating.

*All insects are bugs but not all bugs are insects. An Insect has three body parts; a head, thorax, and abdomen. Insects have six legs and two antennae. Spiders and Scorpions have eight legs and are not considered insects.

Got it?

To read more interesting facts visit this interesting site – coolbugstuff.com

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Flies Mimic Airplanes

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Sir William Pest

 

Episyrphus balteatus male - flying (aka)
Image via Wikipedia

This article by Sciencemag.org is  quite interesting. They show how the flight of fruit flies are a lot like the aerodynamics of a fighter jet!! Have you ever tried to swat a fly? Isn’t it just amazing  how they can always barely get away? Swatting a fly can be so frustrating.

Based on the Sciencemag.org article,

Researchers thought that flies chose their altitude based on optic flow, a phenomenon familiar to anyone who has ridden an airplane. When the plane is at low altitude, the ground seems to race by, but as the plane climbs, the ground seems to move along more slowly. According to the optic flow model, proposed in 2007, insects like to keep the ground moving at a certain speed (to avoid crashing), and they set their altitude accordingly. The model helped explain some weird bee behavior—bees often crash into mirror-smooth water, and they fly lower when a headwind slows them down—but it had never been tested in free-flying insects.

The team’s observations, published online today in Current Biology, suggest that flies base their cruising altitude on horizontal edges and landmarks—such as table surfaces or tree tops—and not on how fast the ground is moving beneath them. The edge-tracking strategy may enable flies to keep tabs on possible landing spots.

Link to the article above to read more.

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Bed Bugs: Is Anywhere Safe?

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Sir William Pest

 

Adult bed bug, Cimex lectularius
Image via Wikipedia

When looking around on the internet, I came across this article from MSN about the rise of bed bugs.  According to this article, three very popular New York City stores had to temporarily shut their doors due to an infestation of bed bugs.  Although these bugs only stay on humans for five or ten minutes, they can get onto shopping bags, clothes or even purses and get a free ride to your house. Spotting these little bugs can be difficult but you will know you have an infestation when you start seeing little bites all over your body. If you suspect that you have bed bugs you should call your local pest control company. While waiting for them to come there are some steps you can take to help get rid of the infestation: 1. Wash your sheets in hot water and dry them on the highest setting your dryer will allow, 2. Take out drawers from your night stand and vacuum all around the baseboards and the walls, 3. Wash any clothes you think may have come in contact with the bugs, 4. Do not put the bedding or clothing back until you have had a professional come and treat the room.

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Vespa Crabro – aka: The Hornet

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Sir William Pest

 

Deserted nest of Vespa crabro (european hornet)
Image via Wikipedia

Not many people know exactly what a Vespa Crabro is by its scientific name but it is a hornet. The vespa crabro has a funny name but it is definitely no joke. Although it is a small bug it is two times the size of a normal wasp.  Even if you have not seen one in real life a lot of people have seen this through Disney Pixar’s, A Bug’s Life.

When most people think of hornets their first reaction to others is, “Don’t panic!”, since these bugs will only attacked if they are provoked.

According to this article written by the Constant Gardner , hornets have a bad reputation for being viscious but really they are not harmful unless they feel they are in danger. Hornets are actually very docile creatures.  A lot of people mistake them for the Asian hornet who tend to give the rest of the hornet family members a bad name. The Asian hornet are still located mostly in the south of France and very few have made it to the United States yet.

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Horse Fly Control

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Sir William Pest

 

CARR, CO - APRIL 03: Horses congregate at De...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

During the summer months, biting flies can be trouble for any horse owner. When flies bite, they can leave open wounds on the horses.  Spraying pesticides directly on the open wounds can cause the pesticides to penetrate directly into the horse’s bloodstream, which in turn can cause horses to bite the already irritated areas.

The best method to treat the bites is not always the easiest, but it is the safest for the horses.  According to the article written by Rose Kivi, here are a couple of natural remedies to try: Keep the stalls clean - flies breed in manure and if you keep the stalls clean and the manure covered it will keep the flies from breeding. Also spray horses with fly spray daily - purchase a natural fly spray that does not contain pesticides.

To check out more ideas on keeping your horse safe check out the article.

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Two Beetles attacking Colorado Forests

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Sir William Pest

 

beetle on yellow
Image by Vicki’s Naturevia Flickr

According to the article written by the Daily camera of Boulder two different species of beetles are attacking Colorado forests. 

“You have trees that have survived the mountain pine beetle epidemic that are now being attacked by the twig beetle,” said Bob Cain, a U.S. Forest Service entomologist.

The Plan is to spend $30 million to try and protect the trees.  The twig beetle attacks first due to the fact that they are more common earlier in the year and then when you think you are in the clear is when the pine beetle goes to work.
“We’ve been doing some periodic field monitoring to see what this bark beetle is going to do,” said a district forester Ron Cousineau in Summit County. “Right now, we just don’t know to what extent it’s going spread or how much impact it’s going to have.”
 Although the twig beetle attacks first officials do not expect the damage from them to be as severe as the pine beetle. Officials are doing everything they can in order to save the forests. 
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Cool Black Widow Spider

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Sir William Pest
black widow spider
Image via Wikipedia

Check out the new awesome feature of a black widow on the new Absolute Pest Control website! While you are there make sure you take a look around the website! We are working hard to make this new website helpful for any kind of pest control problems that you might be having!

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Techniques to Control Vole Damage

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Sir William Pest
GLOUCESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 20: Conserva...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Voles , also known as meadow mice or field mice,  are usually brown or gray, though there are many other color variations. Voles breed throughout the year, though they tend to breed more in the spring and the summer. These rodents can produce 17 litters a year.  The litter sizes range from 1 to 11. Voles are known to cause exstensive damage to lawns crops and orchards. According to the article written by the internet center for wildlife damage management: the damage caused to lawns will look like holes that are 1/8 inch wide and 3/8 inch long and 1/16 inch deep. To help prevent the damage caused by voles you should keep lawns mowed regularly, eliminate weeds as much as possible.  To view some damage caused by voles, check here.

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Earwigs A.K.A Pincher Bugs

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Sir William Pest
A common earwig

Image via Wikipedia

 

We have all seen these bugscommonly called pincher bugs, but the proper name for them is earwigs. According to the article written by doyourownpestcontrol.com  they are very odd looking bugs, they are usually reddish brown and about 5/8 of inch long. Because these bugs are so small they can get into the house through crevices in doors or windows,  In order for these bugs to stay alive they require moisture, the life span is about a year. Their appetite consists of dead bugs and plants. They can be particularly harmful to farmer crops.  These bugs are also a huge problem in newly developed areas, they create huge populations in a small amount of time. They live in the same habitats that house roly-poly’s, centipedes and millipedes. In order to prevent these bugs from coming into the house and staying is avoiding standing water or too much moisture in the house (from a swamp cooler for example). For more information on earwig prevention check out this article from doyourownpestcontrol.com.

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