Finally, an embedded reporter! In the trenches! A journalist’s dream come true! Although this particular writer doesn’t have the stomach for traditional on-the-ground, wartime reporting, at last I was able to participate in covering a different battle — one being fought fiercely on the front lines every day by our readers: You, the men and […]
Technical
The German Cockroach Makes a Comeback
You can’t tell the difference between bait aversion and sloppy baiting techniques by counting the number of cockroaches that are...
Most Wanted: Drywood Termites
Drywood termites (Kalotermitidae) have committed offenses through insidiously cryptic infestations. Attacks cause significant cellulose consumption, which causes structural and wood...
Sheperspective: How Big a Threat is One Bed Bug?
Which spreads more bed bugs: Visiting infested hotels or picking up discarded furniture? It has been a long time since...
Callback Cures: Re-Evaluating Termite Treatment Do-Overs
When it comes to callbacks, few pests raise as much concern as termites. The advent of modern treatment technologies has...
Time is Money: Keep your Nozzle Clean
You’re on the job when, suddenly, you notice the pesticide isn’t coming out of the compressed air sprayer smoothly, evenly...
Ask the Expert: Chipmunks, Mice, Bed Bugs and Cockroaches
Q. I’m baiting for mice on the exterior of a residence at the request of the homeowner. Recently, chipmunks have been...
Conducive Conditions: What’s Wrong with this Picture?
As a pest management professional, you should be on the lookout for potential problems in and around the areas you treat....
Most Wanted: Oriental Cockroach
The Oriental cockroach (Blatta Orientalis) has committed public health violations resulting from septic contamination of structures and food. Aliases: “Asiatic Cockroach,” “Shad Roach” and “Waterbug”...
Did You Know? American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
⦁ Crows are intelligent and can learn to count, talk, solve puzzles, and create and use tools to solve problems....
Bed Bugs: Perfect Parasite, Perfect Storm
Why is the bed bug the perfect parasite? Look at its profile: ■ While feeding, they inject an anti-itch compound...
Ask the Expert: Birds, Biting Insects and Yellowjackets
Q. A homeowner has a bird mite problem, so I removed a bird’s nest from the gutter and treated the...
Fact vs. Fiction: Starlings
Fiction: All blackbirds are starlings. Fact: As with most common names, several species are referred to as blackbirds. Starlings (Sturnus...
Fact vs. Fiction: Tropical Rat Fleas
Fiction: Any flea affecting rats can carry bubonic plague. Fact: Bubonic — as well as septicemic and pneumonic plague —...
Ask the Expert: Ticks, Carpet Beetles, Wasps and Snakes
Q. Some companies in my area are spraying lawns for tick control, which I don’t think is necessary. I concentrate...
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...