Ticks are a really common pest found through out the United States. They wont be found in your house, but they may be in your yard or a nearby wooded area. Ticks latch on to the host and feed off the host’s (cat, dog, human, etc…) blood. One of the concerns with ticks are the diseases that can be contracted by a tick bite; Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Ehrlichiosis are a few tick-borne diseases.

There’s no need to avoid the outdoors; with some prevention and careful attention, you can reduce the chances of being bitten and becoming infected with a tick-bourne disease.

Here are a few ways to protect yourself from ticks:

• Wear light colored clothing – this helps to spot the ticks before they bite
• Use insect repellent with 20-30% DEET (What is DEET?)
• Wear long pants and tuck your pants into your socks – this makes it even more difficult for the ticks to get to you
• Enjoy the outdoors but know where you may find ticks – ticks live in grassy/wooded areas as well as moist and humid environments – staying on trails helps to avoid any contact with ticks that may be on plants
• Check yourself daily for ticks – remember ticks enjoy warm areas such as armpits, behind the knees and even in the belly button
• Use monthly flea and tick medicine on your pets (cats and dogs)
• Pesticides are sometimes an option, contact your local pest control company

Bitten by a tick?

The artichoke plume moth is a moth (believe it or not) belonging to the superfamily Pterophoridae (plume moth). It is believed there are currently 159 species of plume moths in North America.

Adult artichoke plume moths can range in size from 3/4” to 1 1/4” and are typically light shades of brown…as seen in the picture to the left. Plume moths are recognizable because of their odd shaped wings and posture; the moths can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Artichoke plume moths can cause serious damage to artichoke plants. The larvae will eat any part of the plant but the costly damage occurs when they eat the flowering buds. Damage to the artichokes happens primarily when the plant is grown as a perennial (central coast of California); most artichokes grown in southern California are grown as annuals. Artichoke growers can reduce the plume moth infestations by 95% if certain steps are taken such as including plant materials in the soil and shredding the tops.

Missed our first two posts about weird insects? Here they are:

1. Cow Ant
2. Crab Spider

Indian meal moths are a very common pantry pest. I even had an encounter with indian meal moth larvae while eating crackers as a kid.

With that being said, the moths can be seen flying out of cereal boxes and cupboards; the indian meal moth larvae can be found in the actual products.

The adult moths are actually harmless, more of a nuisance if anything. But the larvae of the moths (also known as waxworms) are what munches on the dry foods in your cupboards.

The indian meal moth larvae enjoy a wide range of food from cereal and crackers to dry pet food and spices.

Have an indian meal moth infestation?  The most effective way to control the moths (and their larvae) is to completely dispose of any food that has been contaminated. The best thing is to remove everything from the cupboards and inspect each item one by one…look for the larvae and any webbing. Once you’ve disposed any items, vacuum (throw out the bag) and clean all shelves, crevices, etc…

Remember, if an item may have been touched by the indian meal moth, play it safe and throw the food away. Do not worry if you have already eaten food that has been infested with the moths, there are no known diseases or parasites carried by the indian meal moths.

Keep indian meal moths away by limiting their food sources. Although the moths and their larvae need very little food to survive, avoid purchasing bulk items that will be consumed slowly and clean up any food spills to keep the moths away. Keep an eye on spices since they often sit for more than 6 months. If you have a recurring problem with the pest, make sure you store food in tightly sealed containers i.e. mason jars with lids or place containers with snap tight lids.

Using traditional pesticides to control indian meal moths is not usually advised because of the close proximity to food.

We’ve talked about a lot of pests on this blog but I just noticed that we’ve never mentioned ANY beetles. So let’s talk about carpet beetles in California.

Carpet beetles do not bite or sting but they can cause serious damage to any natural fibers. These beetles are common pests in homes, warehouses and even museums; carpet, fur and fabric are just a few of the carpet beetles’ favorite foods.

The majority of the damage by this pest is caused by the larvae. Moths can cause similar damage and it can be difficult to tell the difference but the carpet beetles usually damage one large spot and moths will create scattered holes.

There are three species of carpet beetles in California:

 Varied Carpet Beetle

  Furniture Carpet Beetle

Black Carpet Beetle

As with most pest control, prevention (in this case housekeeping) is most beneficial. On a regular basis, vacuum carpets, remove hair and lint from carpet and shelves; avoid storing useless clothes, animal furs, etc… The goal is to remove all food sources for carpet beetles and the carpet beetle larvae.

Properly storing items is another way to prevent damage to important belongings. When possible, store items in an air tight container layered with paper. Moth balls and crystals can also be used for extra protection. There is some debate about cedar chests. Some believe the chests are effective against the beetles but others believe the cedar oil disappears as the chest ages and will only affect the smaller larvae.

Carpet beetles can be one of the most difficult indoor pests to control since they can be found all over the building in odd places. For washable items such as clothing and blankets, a thorough wash will kill all three cycles of the carpet beetle. There are carpet beetle pesticides for consumer use but professional pest control companies are typically more successful with eliminating carpet beetles.

It is not uncommon to occasionally see a fruit fly (or several) in the house. Yes, they are annoying but can they carry diseases? Fruit flies can transfer bacteria and other disease carrying organisms to any food they land on.

Prevention is the best way to avoid any problems with fruit flies, here are some tips:

• Clean up any spilled food or liquid on counters, near garbage cans, in cupboards, etc…
• Eat or throw away any over ripe fruit
• Keep an eye on your recycling bin, the flies love food residue left on cans and bottles
• Take out the garbage on a regular basis

If you already have a problem with the flies you’ll want to eliminate any food source. Once you eliminate all food sources that could attract the flies, you’ll want to thoroughly clean all surfaces where the flies could’ve laid eggs. This is important because while you may not see any flies, their eggs may still be in hiding.  Doing a good deep clean is usually effective against the fruit flies.

If you’d like to trap the adult fruit flies, many people have success with setting out bowls of dish soap and vinegar, red wine or even rotting fruit covered with saran wrap and a small hole poked into it; the flies go in but can’t find their way out.

Fruit flies may be a nuisance in the house but the tiny flies are beneficial; fruit flies are often used in college science labs, they’re used to help develop new mosquito repellents and fruit flies are even used to research human genetics.

This is the second post in a series about odd insects. Our first post was about the cow ant which is actually a wasp.

The crab spider is another odd insect. It’s a spider but has a shell that is shaped like a crab’s shell. The formal name for this insect is Gasteracantha cancriformis but it’s also called the crab spider, jewel spider, smiley face spider, jewel box spider and a variety of other names

This peculiar spider is found in the southern states from California to Florida and they’re also found in South and Central America. Crab spiders are often spotted in the citrus groves.

Gasteracantha cancriformis are actually quite small; the females are 5 to 9 mm in length and 10 to 13 mm in width and the males are even smaller. As you can see from the picture, they can be brightly colored. The crab spider pictured is yellow but the spiders can be any combination of red, yellow, black and white. Crab spiders are often seen in their webs which usually have little puffs of silk (you can see one above the spider in the photo). The purpose of the tufts is not known but the book Florida’s Fabulous Spiders By Sam Marshall, G. B. Edwards says the tufts of silk serve as a warning sign to birds and other creatures to avoid accidentally destroying the web.

Crab spiders can bite but they’re not poisonous and you typically wont find them in the house.

The tarantula is one of the most recognized spider and it’s probably one of the most feared. They’re known for being hairy and VERY large.

There are over 900 species of tarantulas around the world and about four dozen of those species live here in North America. Most tarantulas found in the United States are brown and believe it or not, harmless. The bite of a tarantula from around California is comparable to a wasp or bee sting. What to do if bitten by a tarantula?

In addition to their infamous fangs, most tarantulas living in both North and South America also have urticating hairs which are more often than not used as a first line of defense. These hairs contain a mild venom that is irritating to sensitive areas.

Tarantulas are most active at night so chances are, you wont see these arachnids walking   around the yard or house by day. You may however, find their burrows (picture to the right) in your yard.

The first sign you have tarantulas nesting in your house is finding one of their silken tube tent nests. The nests can be found in dark corners of storage closets, cabinets and the attic as well as storage boxes and any storage areas in the garage.

If you’ve located a tarantula nest, the best thing is to call a professional to remove the spiders, any eggs and its web. No one wants tarantulas in the house, but they may be beneficial outside. Tarantulas and other spiders help keep other insect populations down.

Did you know tarantulas can live up to 30 years in the wild?

Yes, the state of California has an official state insect. California also has a state bird, state tree and even a state fossil.

The dogface butterfly became, by law, the state insect of California in 1972 but it unofficially had the title for years before that. One of the main factors for choosing the dogface butterfly was because the insect is only found in California.

As with many insects, the male and female are easy to tell apart. In the picture to the left the male is on the top and the female is on the bottom.

The butterfly’s formal name is Zerene eurydice but is called the dogface butterfly because it is thought the wing pattern of the male resembles a dog’s face. Besides it’s unusual name, the dogface butterfly is interesting because it isn’t seen very often in the wild and photographs of open wings are difficult because the butterfly flies so fast.

Below is a video of the dogface butterfly on a California Fuschia.

Dealing with pest infestations is a lot easier on the front end if just a few preventative steps are taken. Being one step ahead of the pests saves time, money and sometimes, your sanity.

One of the simplest ways to prevent pests is to think of the basic needs of any bug (or rodent, snake, etc…) and these include food, a place to hide and maybe even moisture. If you make it as difficult as possible for the pests to get comfortable in your home then you are less likely to have a problem.

So what are some good pest prevention practices to avoid an infestation?

• This is probably common sense but clean up any spilled food or drinks…these can attract pests
• Declutter – don’t give pests a place to hide
• Repair easy access points to the structure.. i.e. window seals, door jams, etc…
• Be conscientious – don’t leave doors open, avoid leaving dirty dishes for the morning, keep screens in the window when it’s open, etc…

Even if you try to prevent pests from moving in, you may still face an infestation. One of the most important steps to controlling the infestation is to properly identify the pest. If you figure out what you’re dealing with then you can take steps to make their life more difficult i.e. dumping out stagnant water so mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed near your house or structure. Another positive to properly identifying the pest is the correct pesticide can be used for the problem.

Mosquitos are not just annoying pests; they can carry deadly diseases such as West Nile, malaria, dengue, etc… For years humans have been trying different substances to repel mosquitos but bug spray wears off and citronella candles aren’t very effective for the patio.

Well things may be changing. At the end of August several articles were published about mosquito research being performed by Anandasankar Ray PhD and his assistant Stephanie Lynn Turner at the University of California Riverside. A new, more effective and environmentally friendly mosquito repellent may be on the horizon.

Researchers have discovered mosquitos and other blood sucking flying insects are attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale. So this new repellent is based on that principle. Fruit flies were the beginning in this study. Researchers were curious why fruit flies used carbon dioxide as a danger sign but were attracted to ripening fruit even though it emits carbon dioxide. It turns out odors released from the fruit blocked the fruit fly’s carbon dioxide receptors; the same holds true for the mosquito.

So far Ray has discovered two compounds, 1-butanal and 1-hexanol, that mimic food odors and show some promise in blocking those receptors that lead mosquitos to humans.

Possible benefits of the new mosquito repellent:

• Small amounts of the chemical proved effective
• Chemicals used for the repellent are easy to manufacture
• The chemicals may be used to repel mosquitos from entire backyards

Of course this new repellent is in the beginning stages but Ray hopes to see a marketable repellent in five years; some say it will take as long as a decade.

Are you a magnet for mosquitos? Some researchers are saying genetics may play a large part in why mosquitos seem to favor some people over others.