Continuing our October series on scary insects, we bring you the brown recluse. Spiders spark a special kind of fear in most of us. Arachnophobia is a real issue for many people. But even though these spiders are frightening to look at, they are mostly harmless. The brown recluse is one…
Being in the October season, if is fitting to touch on the scarier parts of entomology. Halloween is right around the corner, and with it comes witches, skeletons, ghouls and ghosts. One of the most predominant and lasting symbols of this scary season is the spider. So this October, we will explore…
The insect world is full of diverse creatures. Some of these creatures are helpful, some are neutral and some are pests. And some of them are parasites. Bird mites fall under the parasite category. These insects are blood feeders that feed off of the blood of birds. They will feed off of them from hatching…
Some trees invite and harbor insects. Flowers attract bees, house plants attract spider mites and aphids, and fruit trees attract… well fruit trees attract just about everything. The boxelder tree is no different. In fact, it is so connected with this particular pest, that the bug itself is named after the tree. The boxelder bug…
The Eastern and Southern part of the United States have a unique pest that terrorizes yards and turfs. This pest burrows through the earth and eats roots in its path. On cool spring nights, you may have heard these small insects, calling out to one another. They are called mole crickets. These crickets do millions…
Every summer you will hear them, a high pitched Harley Davidson like sound will rise and fall in the distance. This is the song of the cicada. It is loud and many people feel that it is annoying. And yet this creature continues to do its thing regardless. So how do…
The insect world may be fascinating to some, but no one can deny the often it is disgusting. Of all of the insects in the world, few are more disgusting than the common house fly. It’s everywhere. You can find it in every state in the United States, and on every continent…
These peaceful Oklahoma nights of summer are upon us. I enjoy a nice evening sitting on my back porch with my wife. We back up to a forest area, so it’s common to hear all sorts of sounds coming from the night. Owls, coyotes, frogs and the like are common. But…
Lift any rock or stone and you will find a pill bug. These little creatures are also known as roly poly, wood lice, armadillo bug or potato bugs. Every kid has found these hiding in their yard. But what are these things? And what do pill bugs eat? Pill bugs…
With such a deadly name, It’s no wonder that they sound so dangerous. But this isn’t the only name that this bug goes by. Conenose bug, Triatoma bug and even wheel bug can be attributed to this insect. And they can be ugly. Sharp edges, large oval body and elongated head…