3 places to inspect for stinging insects this spring
The next time you’re treating for wasps, hornets or fire ants, inspect the following to ensure “spring doesn’t sting” your clients: Play equipment — Swing sets and treehouses can be an often-overlooked home to stinging insects. When overwintering paper wasps... Read more»
Fiction: Crawley and the mysterious itch
Crawley McPherson is a fictional pest management service technician for Peace-of-Mind Pest Services. Read more»
Ant management: Traditional insecticides play important role
The insecticide may be applied to the outside surfaces of labeled structures and into wall voids. Read more»
Fire ant colonies float in Hurricane Harvey floodwaters
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, images of floating fire ant colonies from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Houston have gone viral on social media. Meanwhile, in Cuero, the river has brought my aunt all of the fire ants.... Read more»
‘Zombie’ ants video: Phorid flies used to combat fire ants
The University of Texas at Austin invasive species research program is attempting to control invasive fire ant populations in Texas with South American phorid flies. PBS showcased this process in its “SuperNature – Wild Flyers” documentary this summer, made with... Read more»
Stinging insects: Summer’s top Instagram photos
Mosquitoes and bed bugs may dominate the public’s pest discussions, but at this time of year, stinging insects like bees, wasps and fire ants are also top of mind. Pest Management Professional (PMP) (@pmp_magazine) browsed its Instagram follower base and... Read more»
Texas bites back with annual ‘pest fests’
Since the early 1980s, Texas has hosted two quirky annual festivals in spite of its most common pests: The Great Texas Mosquito Festival and FireAnt Festival. One tiny Texas town also established a festival commemorating its pesky wild hog population. The Great Texas Mosquito Festival... Read more»
Fire Ants Create Living Raft to Survive Flooding
When threatened with eradication from flooding, this colony of fire ants banded together to make a dangerous swim to safety. But not metaphorically. No, these tenacious insects literally joined together to create a living raft, as seen in a video... Read more»