Fact vs. Fiction: Tropical Rat Fleas
Fiction: Any flea affecting rats can carry bubonic plague. Fact: Bubonic — as well as septicemic and pneumonic plague — depend on the propagation and spread of Yersinia pestis bacteria. Y. pestis is able to aggregate in the gut of... Read more»
Fact vs. Fiction: American Cockroach
Fiction: Water bugs are just big cockroaches. Fact: American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) are mistakenly identified as water bugs (they’re not aquatic) or Palmetto bugs (Eurycotis floridana). They’re also popularly referred to as ship roaches or Bombay canaries. Fiction: The... Read more»
Fact vs. Fiction: Odorous House Ants
Fiction: Odorous house ants (OHA) or Tapinoma sessile, are easy to kill. Fact: OHA can be managed with customary professional ant control products and techniques. The sooner they’re identified and interventions are put in place, the easier the process. Individually,... Read more»
Fact vs. Fiction: Indianmeal Moths
Fiction: I froze my foodstuffs, but I still have Indianmeal moths (IMM) flying around my cabinets. Fact: Freezing stored products (grains, cereals, spices, dried fruits, nuts, etc.) for a minimum of three days will kill eggs, larvae and adults. If... Read more»
Fact vs. Fiction: Pigeons
Fiction: Feeding pigeons makes the world a better place and doesn’t hurt anybody. Fact: Feeding pigeons, deliberately or unintentionally, is the foundation of most pigeon problems. Once the birds have identified reliable areas as food sources, their numbers multiply — and... Read more»
Fact vs. Fiction: Ticks
Fiction: Tick populations die during the winter. Fact: Ticks aren’t as active during cold months, but they don’t die. They still can attach to companion animals and transmit pathogens. Fiction: If ticks aren’t observed on the companion animal, there... Read more»
Fact vs. Fiction: German Cockroach
Fiction: If you have cockroaches, you don’t have to worry about bed bugs. Fact: Cockroaches do eat bed bugs; however, we’ve seen firsthand where the cockroaches couldn’t keep up with the site’s bed bug population growth. A more reliable form... Read more»
Fact vs. Fiction: Deer Mouse
Fiction: Deer mice are just outdoor versions of House mice. Fact: House Mouse (Mus musculus) and all its fancy domesticated cousins are commonly found in houses and other structures, in addition to urban settings, living in close proximity to people.... Read more»