Ask a Question

TOPIC: Insects

• Do spiders eat earwigs?
• Do you know of any pest control companies that have an effective treatment for controlling box elder bugs in the fall before they get in the house?
• Does Utah State University offer any beekeeping courses in the Layton, UT area? If so, what information is available?
• Every spring I get larger black ants coming into my house mostly in the kitchen. I also see them outside the house and climbing around the base structure. I have determined that they are not termites. I tried using a bate last year but unlike all of the smaller colonies of ants that I gave the bate to (which I haven't seen in the house only in the driveway and sidewalks) which immediately started loading it up to take back to the nest, these ants weren't interested. Is there a reason? What kind of ant might they be and therefore what kind of bate do I need to use?
• Help! I have a gigantic ant problem (millions of small black ants) in my garden. They are everywhere: in the flower beds, the veggie garden, the lawn, under the sidewalks and driveway. I have tried the sprays and spreadable pesticide from Lowe's, but nothing seems to work. They seem to multiply by the day, and are making work in the garden creepy and painful (they bite too). What can I do? There is no obvious food source around; except they seem to be eating the iris' roots. I live just above Orchard Drive and Bountiful High School. What can I do?
• How do I get rid of nightcrawlers? My lawn is getting real lumpy.
• I am interested in beekeeping, and am currently reading several books on the subject. All of the books have said, "contact your local extension office to find out about apiary organizations and to register your hives." I've looked all over your site and can't find anything on this subject for Washington County. Where can I find information on apiary organizations in this area?
• I came up the stairs this morning, thinking there was a wad of cat hair...Ohhh was I wrong! It was a beetle almost 3" long! HUGE! Scared me to death! WHAT is it??? I have pictures of it along side a ruler. Brownish...legs were quite 'barbed'. Big antenae. Ewww.
• I found a possible red and blue leaf hopper on a plant in my yard. Some experts I have contacted say we don't have them in the west. Could it be identified by you to species if I catch one and bring it in? I do have a photo of it.
• I had a small fly with speckled wings basically destroy my peaches this year, about the size of a small "housefly". They lay eggs through the skin that go to the pit and then if left hatch into small worm type larvae. They got into every peach, but did not start getting there until the peaches were starting to ripen. It at first looks like a small round spot, but with time rots the fruit and turns it brown. What are they and how do you get rid of them?
• I had some trouble with Squash Bugs attacking my Spagetti Squash. Now my plants looks as if it may have Cucurbit Yellow Vine Disease (CYVD). Should I try to deteremine if its really CYVD and if it is, what do I need to do?
• I have a big problem with a little pest in my house. I would call them fruit flies, but they don't hang around fruit. They mostly bug me as I sit here at this computer, and often times in the bathroom by the mirror. How can I get rid of these tiny flies?
• I have a house in Kanab with a lot of Desert Poppies and Blue Flax Grass that is pretty tall surrounded by Junipers in the front yard. I think I may have Noseeums. If so how do I get rid of them? I got bit up pretty bad last weekend working in the yard.
• I have a young peach tree that has a bug on it I can't identify. It's a flying beetle type insect...black wings and red head. There isn't any fruit on the tree of course. The bugs are on the leaves but don't seem to be eating the leaves. They fly around the tree and are not constantly there. They seem to come and go. Any ideas?
• I have an indoor ant problem. They are tiny, reddish, with a long petiole before a heart-shaped abdomen. They especially like grease and meat. Raid has been somewhat effective, but new colonies show up in odd rooms (I am in an upstairs condo). Yesterday a new colony found my leopard gecko, and attacked her. Her toes were targeted especially, but when I found her the wounds didn't seem too bad, but she must have been stung a lot since she went lethargic and died later in the day. Most websites recommend identifying the species before trying to control them but I haven't been successful in finding a good identification guide. From what I can tell, they aren't sugar, carpenter, grease, white-footed, or other common indoor ants. Any suggestions?
• I have an infestation of giant willow aphids. How do I get rid of them? What damage will they do?
• I have ants all over my yard. I also have domestic cats and wild birds. Is there any organic or other non-toxic way to kill the ants without putting poison in my yard? If not, what is the most effective, least toxic substance I can use?
• I have been fighting a battle with snails and slugs for the past 10 years. I can't find diatomaceous earth that is free of serious pesticides and I can use around my vegetables. (It seems to be more like typical non-garden pesticide in the form I find it.) I also wonder about copper barriers and what sort of copper I could use for that.
• I have black beetles about an inch long in my home. They do not like the light, and look similar to a blister beetle, but the head is more compact to the body. I only see one or two at a time, but for every one I kill, one more shows up. What are they, and how do I get rid of them?
• I have large burrowing bees or wasps that live in my sandbox. They do not sting but are very annoying. What is the best way to get rid of them?
• I have little black beetles in my home do you know what they are and how to get rid of them?
• I have millions of tiny black jumping bugs in my garage. They go in and out of the cracks in the floors, all over the concrete, walls, etc. I see very few in the day time; However at night millions everywhere. I have tried every spay I know of but nothing seems to kill them. Please Help.
• I have seen small white worms crawling on the fround around my home. Can you tell me what they are? They move very very slow and are in a group as they move.
• I have spider mites on my IIiamna rivularis. It looks like I also have spider mites on my Mirabilis jalapa. I don't remember of having any problems with growing Mirabilis jalapa before. They have always been an easy plant for me to raise. I have read the article on spider mites and I am wondering if I should just let them go or buy an insecticide like Bayer Advanced 3 in 1 Insect, Disease and Mite control. The spider mites are taking over my yard.
• I have these little tiny beetle bugs. I suspect they are the mexican jumping bug thing. They are all over my tomatos, they eat the leaves until I wonder if the tomatoes will survive. What can I do to get rid of them? P.S. They eat my potato plants too.