Many home owners have been seeing what appears to be an invasion of mosquitoes on steroids.  Even though these insects resemble giant mosquitoes, they are actually Crane Flies.  However, unlike mosquitoes, Crane Flies do not bite.  Some species don’t have mouth parts and the ones that do are only used for eating nectar. Their life [...]

     Many homeowners bring their patio plants indoors for the winter and may now be searching for the spider responsible for the webbing they see.  Chances are the webbed over leaves are the work of mites, however, not spiders.        Two-spotted spider mites are a common pest causing discoloration, and eventual loss of, foliage.  [...]

Now that we’ve had several below freezing evening temperatures, some green-thumbed homeowners have brought their potted plants indoors for the Winter.  Depending on how long the outdoor plants have been indoors, homeowners may be seeing tiny, slow-moving flying insects.   Several species of small flies can set up housekeeping in the moist organic rich soil required [...]

Many homeowners are taking advantage of the cooler temperatures by putting their fireplaces back in business.  While little is as heart warming as an old fashioned wood fire, they can be potentially dangerous due to more than just the occasional spark.  That firewood pile that’s been in the yard for months may have become home [...]

During our annual “search and recovery” of stored Christmas decorations, our chances of encountering Brown Recluse Spiders increase.   As the name implies these spiders prefer undisturbed areas in out of the way places, like boxes in attics, closets or basements where we store Christmas paraphernalia 11 months of the year.    Wear long sleeves and gloves [...]

This time of year in Alabama is especially beautiful with the trees dressed in their best fall colors.  Once the trees decide to let go of their fall finery though and the leaves start piling up on the ground it’s important for homeowners to brave the elements and grab a rake.    As the leaves [...]

Would you believe they both hibernate? Ordinarily lady beetles are not a nuisance; they feed on ornamental pests like aphids and whiteflies and are considered by some to be good luck. Lady beetles, and a number of other “occasional invader” insects, hibernate during the colder months of winter, frequently in our yards.  While Bears look for caves [...]

It’s beginning to cool off out there…and the mice know it!  This is the time of the year when the drop in temperature causes the mice to begin looking for warmer climates. And your nice, cozy living room may be just the accomodations they are looking for!  Exclusion is the best line of first defense against rodents [...]

That noise you hear is not a ringing in your ears…in fact it’s crickets. During the summer months crickets come out of their overwintering spots and unfortunately start to wreak havoc on your home or business. The two most common species that we deal with in the home is the house cricket and the field cricket.  Crickets [...]

If you haven’t been invaded by millipedes yet, consider yourself fortunate.   Millipedes are a seasonal pest which have made their annual return in a big way. Months of rain have provided moisture and food to a number of uncommon pests that only occur following specific weather conditions. According to Dr. Arthur Appel and Dr. Xing Ping [...]