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What is a ghost ant and how to get rid of it! Now that we are in spooky season, I feel it only fitting to talk about ghosts….ghost ants that is! Ghost ants are tiny ants that measure about 1.3
Ever wondered what creatures could be gnawing away at your beloved home without you even realizing it? It’s not a pleasant thought and even less pleasant to your pocketbook. But, knowing what to keep an eye out for can save
In the vast world of pest control and pesticides it could be a very overwhelming task to figure out what is the best pesticide to buy for your particular situation. And, what if you have multiple pest that you are
Introduction: Meet the Black Garden Ants Have you ever seen a line of small black dots marching along your kitchen counter, your pantry, or perhaps your living room? Well, those tiny invaders are most likely black garden ants – also scientifically known
So, you have ants, now what? You go to Google and type in “best ant bait” and voila! 7,560,000 results! What the! How in the heck do you know which ant bait to choose? The good news is HowToPest.com has
German cockroaches are the most common species of cockroach found worldwide that are known for their ability to adapt and thrive in human environments. If you have had German cockroaches in the past, you know unsettling it can be, when
If you have been on the fence about doing your own pest control, HowToPest.com is here to tell you that investing in pest control can save you money and time in the long run. It can also protect your family’s
If you are starting to notice unusual pest activity and are concerned that you might have a costly termite infestation but aren’t quite sure what it is. Well, let’s dig a little deeper to make sure you have clear knowledge
If you have been following our blogs for some time, you would already know that we have been in the pest control business for over 20 years. Every year around Springtime there is always one particular pest that seems to
Your Bed Bug Identification Guide. If you have ever had bed bugs then you can agree, it can be a very distressing experience! So, what if you have never had bed bugs before and waking up with bug bites is
Ants may be tiny, but they can create a big problem in your home. They get into your food, crawl around your countertops and walls and are just plain annoying. Fortunately, getting rid of ants is not as difficult as
As the weather warms up, we tend to spend a lot more time outdoors and coming in contact with ticks can be a real possibility! Ticks can be a nuisance, and when one latches onto your or your pets’ skin
Wasps can be a pesky and dangerous problem in your yard. Knowing how to identify them and using preventative measures can help you keep them away. This article will discuss ways to prevent wasps from entering your yard and how
Pest control spray timing is an important part of any pest management program. Properly timed applications can help reduce the population of pests and help prevent future infestations. Understanding the ideal timing for spraying and how it can benefit your
Earwigs (aka pincer/pincher bugs) are a common pest that can be found in many homes. Fun Fact: Earwigs got their name because of the “old wives tale” that they would crawl in your ears and lay their eggs on your
Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal, but it can also be a time of pest invasions. From small insects to larger wildlife, pests can quickly turn a pleasant spring day into a nightmare. If you want to keep
Here Comes the Bloodsuckers! For most of us here on the west coast, 2023 has already been a memorable year! We are experiencing record amounts of snow and rain and our lakes and reservoirs are full! It has been several
Your guide to proper identification, it is not what you think! You may be shocked to hear that this pest pro. (in my early years) did not know the difference between water bugs and cockroaches! Yep! Just like most people,
If you have found your way to our HowToPest.com website, then you are most likely having some sort of pest control issue. Hopefully it’s not 2 a.m. and you are on the internet frantically searching “how to get rid of
We’ve all seen the home insurance commercial where the happy couple sits on the couch and describes how much they love their new home with the walk-in closets and original crown molding before busting out that they do have a
Did you know that Fall is the most beloved time of the year? Ok, maybe I made that up, but it is definitely my favorite time of the year! I mean how can you not love the brisk, cool mornings
What is a bagworm? If you have ever dealt with a Bagworm infestation, you know that they are no joke! Bagworms while mostly prevalent in the Eastern United States are highly destructive and can cause permanent damage to shrubs and
It never fails, come June/July, the spider calls come rolling in like clockwork. So, if you are reading this and wondering “Ya, why do I have so many spiders in my home?” Well, HowToPest.com is here to answer all your
If you live in the Southwest region of the United States, you most likely have come across the Pinacate Beetle or Stink Beetle. They are a very common addition to most walking trails; in fact I can pretty much guarantee
I remember when I was a kid, I was sitting on the carpet in the den. I felt a sting of sorts on my ankle, I gave my sock a rub and continued what I was doing. A couple of
If you grew up in the 60’s and 70’s you know exactly who the young Grasshopper is! For those of you youngin’s, there was a show in the early 70’s named Kung Fu. Man, that show was awesome! I’m not
Being on the west coast, we don’t really have a clear division between Winter and Spring. We don’t get snow or even much frost for that matter, so my best indication for when it is Spring…when I can smell the
‘Round here, every year around springtime is what we like to call termite tornado season, or for the “lay folk” termite swarming season! Termite swarming season is where the winged adult termites come out in swarms to mate and form
If you are like me, when I decide to take on a project, I will research the heck out of it! I will find out every which way to do that specific task. Well, pest control is no different! If
Guess who’s baaaaaack? While the pandemic stopped most travel for 2020, and there was a “short” reprieve in bed bug cases, it did not stop the dreaded bed bug. They were still breeding faster than Samantha Jones on a Friday
If you are anything like me, at the first sign of a bug bite, I go in panic mode! Is it a mosquito bite? Is it a brown recluse spider bite? Is the venom going to start eating my flesh?
Ahh parenthood, one could say there is no greater blessing. Fun fact, February 14th or Valentine’s Day is the 3rd most common day of conception. So, if you are born at the beginning of November, you are most likely a
If you are losing sleep at night because you have so many unanswered questions about ticks, well, we’ve got you covered. As tick season quickly approaches, HowToPest.com has everything you wanted to know about ticks but were afraid to ask.
Ahhh, The Carpenters, if you grew up in the 70’s then you know The Carpenters! “Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near….”. It brings a tear to my eye every time. A song about just wanting to
Thankfully, here in California, we don’t really see many mole crickets. They tend to be in the southeastern states but are definitely making their way out west. I’m not gonna lie, in my opinion, mole crickets are adorable. Just look
Nowadays modern apartment living can mean evening socials, happy hours, book clubs and pool parties…who wouldn’t want that! We have a friend that sold her house and moved into an apartment that provided all those things and is loving life!
I often am confused at why, when people say that something is “vanilla” they are referencing something that is boring? One, I love vanilla, it is delicious and two, vanilla is a near perfect flavor that is added to most
It is a very common story in the pest control business. A customer calls because they are seeing tiny grainy droppings similar to sawdust, in their window sill or doorways or patio cover. If you think you’ve got termites, then
I know, I know we keep talking about bed bugs. Well, unfortunately the bed bugs are out in force this time of year and good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite is an all to familiar reality.
Think you are safe from pests in the winter? Think again. Winter pests are far more common than you think. While there might not be mosquitos feeding on your limbs and ruining your backyard bar-b-cue, there are plenty of other
If you keep up with our HowToPest.com blogs you probably have read our many tips on how to pest-proof your home. Rather than going back through all of them, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share our
As the season of Thanksgiving approaches, we at HowToPest.com in good conscience have to give a shout out to those bugs that we love and are thankful for. Unconventional? Maybe, but you gotta give props where props are due. Honeybees
There are elders with wisdom, some have great stories and sound advice. There are some elders that are just plain old (like uncle Bob) and then there are boxelders, bugs that is. If you have boxelder bugs, you know they
Have you ever had someone unexpectedly drop in at dinner time? As parents this was a frequent occurrence in our home. Sometimes it would be friends but sometimes it would be the dreaded boyfriend. This was a great time for
Tis’ the season! No, I’m not talking about Christmas, I am talking about rats. In all fairness, hearing scratching in your attic doesn’t always mean it is rats, it could be mice, it could be raccoons, heck it could even
Ok, I may be dating myself but if you grew up watching The Family Film Festival with host Tom Hatten you will surely remember one of the most terrifying movies of that time. THEM! Basically, atomic testing in New Mexico
Being in the pest control industry you can imagine we have had hundreds of calls from customers dealing with fruit flies. Their stories rarely differ, “They came out of nowhere”, “They are everywhere”, “They showed up overnight” etc. After a
If you are reading this blog, you are most likely well aware of the dreaded Ankle Biters! Aka, the Aedes Mosquito or the Container Breeders, the Ankle Biters are here and they are out for blood! I’m sure you can
Over the years we have investigated many of rodent infestations, but since we are in “Spooky Season” I feel it only befitting to write about one of our favorite encounters. It was a morning just like any other, we received
With holiday travel right around the corner the spread of bed bugs is at its peak. Here at HowToPest.com, we want to give you all the tools to keep you safe along your travels. There is a sense of security
Sing with me all you peeps who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s… The roach, the roach, The roach is on the wall, We don’t need no Raid, Let the mother flipper crawl. Crawl mother flipper, crawl. I had
What is the deal with all these darn spiders? It seems like they are showing up everywhere in my house. I’ve found them in corners, along door frames, getting comfy and cozy on my baseboards, living the high life in
We’ve all heard them. Most of us have seen them. But only a few of us know there is big business in them. And I’m talking BIG business, if you are into that sort of thing, and if you have
When it comes to romance, you’d be hard pressed to find another creature, human or otherwise, that could compete with the cicada. Now, I know this sounds crazy and you are probably thinking this bug blogger has lost her marbles
What has stripes, has origins in Southern Asia, lives off blood, and can be a big fat biting pain in the butt year round and during all daylight hours? The super-popular carnivorous Asian zebra? The blood-sucking Japanese bumblebee? A rabid,
When it comes to kissing, I am guessing the last thing that comes to mind is a nasty looking bug. It is definitely the last thing that comes to my mind. There is not a chance in heck that I’d
It sounds like a joke but the fleas you are seeing on your dog are most likely the Ctenocephalides felis, or cat flea. This is the most common type of flea, and it doesn’t really care if it hitches a
So, let’s set the scene… It’s late afternoon, the sun is moving toward the west, and the temperature is perfect. You head outside with the book you have been dying to read, and you stretch yourself out on the lounge
Bugs got you down when you’re trying to get your summertime grilling on? I don’t know about you, but for me, summertime means firing up that grill and getting busy with some serious bbq action. No matter what is on
Besides humans, a plethora of insects, (yes, this bug blogger used the word plethora!), and a host of other pests, want to know what else is more active in the summer months? Rats. Those nasty, beady-eyed, long-tailed, disease-carrying creatures that
It is no secret that scorpions can be quite terrifying. They appear to be a nightmarish mix of spider and crab, have a stinger that can pack a serious punch, can grow up to 9 inches in length, and are
The summer sunshine doesn’t just bring on the heat, it brings on the fire! Fire ants, that is. And they definitely aren’t the type of heat you want to have around. Red Imported Fire Ant Identification Red imported fire ants,
Got moths? There are a couple types of moths that like to get comfy and cozy inside your home, pantry moths and clothes moths. Both of these moth-er fricking types of moths can be quite destructive in their own way
Just when you thought ants couldn’t be any more of a pain, enter the flying ant. Yes, an ant that has wings and flies. Sounds like fun, right? Not so much. So, how about a little flying ant Q &
Not sure what is causing destruction in your yard? Can’t decide if you’ve got a mole problem, a vole problem, or a good old Caddyshack-like gopher digging holes and tunnels and mounds in your perfectly manicured yards? Well, lucky for
It is tick season, peeps, and you know what that means, don’t ya? It means the ticks are out in full force. Actually, depending on the tick species, there can be tick activity year-round, but like many of their other
Some call them “little flies,” since this is the literal translation of their name, Bear Grylls calls them “mossies,” and I call them blood-sucking little turds that serve no purpose on this planet. Ok, I might have gotten a little
They say guilt will damage you the way termites eat away the wood, no damage is visible until it’s grave. Wow, that was deep. But the point of all that depth is oozing with truth. The damage done by termites
As soon as that juicy steak, or burger, or hot dogs, or any other meat hits the grill of your barbeque, all the meat bees in the vicinity will be asking this question: Where’s the beef? Then they’ll use their
It’s springtime peeps, and with that, pretty much every pest known to man wants to come out and play. And they do. With so many bugs to choose from, this bug blogger thought a little springtail Q & A would
I saw a spider in my bathtub, so I grabbed a tissue and then very, very carefully burned the house down. Hold up. Wait a minute. No need to burn down your house. Yes, it is springtime and spiders seem
I like big butts and I cannot lie… That’s what the song says anyway, but I am pretty darn certain that this is one big butt you would not like. At all. Not even a little bit. Earwig Identification This
Fleabag motels, flea markets, bed fleas, fleas, fleas, and more fleas. They seem to get around, those fleas. But if their gettin’ around means getting into your home and in particular, your bed, well, now they have gone too far.
Well, there’s a party going on right here, a celebration to last throughout the year…oh wait, you weren’t invited. And, even though it is taking place in your backyard, and more specifically in the garden that you spent countless hours
Where the sidewalk ends is where you’ll find the headliner for this bad a$$ bug blog. Actually, that isn’t the only place you’ll find them. They are found throughout the United States in cracks in driveways, under sidewalks, in walls,
Even though their name suggests otherwise, bird mites aren’t just for the birds. So, what exactly is a bird mite? Bird mites, also called chicken mites by their close friends and family, are parasites that love a meal of some
Just when you think this is the year that you are going to have a lush garden that produces a bounty of all of your favorite fruits and vegetables, enter the dream killer, also known as the ground squirrel. Ground
What in the world is a chigger, and what do they have to do with trains? Well, to start, chiggers are teeny tiny mites that have an exclusive membership to the arachnid family club, and they have absolutely nothing to
Who knew that motivation for bug blog writing would come from home and car insurance commercials? But alas, here we are again! This time, it is the battle of crazy ant versus crazy aunt. We’ve all heard about crazy aunts,
Oh, that wonderful time of the year when the chill is no longer in the air and there is evidence of new life everywhere we look. Flowers are in bloom, grass is lush and green, trees are bursting with new
Even though they might want to hold your hand, it is safe to say that you would not want to hold theirs. Not to be confused with The Beatles, the English rock band that took the world by storm in
Black Beauty, Secretariat, or the Black Stallion, it makes no difference to horseflies. In fact, you don’t even have to be a horse to get the attention of these blood-sucking insects. Cattle, horses, and humans are the objects of their
What is a camel spider? An eight-legged dromedary An arachnid with one or two humps An arachnid that isn’t actually a spider but is called a camel spider because people believe they like to feast on the stomachs of camels.
From one carpenter to another carpenter ants While they won’t be taking orders to build custom wood furniture any time soon, carpenter ants get their name from their unparalleled ability to work with wood. And by work with wood, I
If you are standing in your kitchen trying to decide what you want to make for dinner and you happen to glance out the window and see small piles of loose soil in your yard, well, I’ve got some good
What has between 30 to 354 legs, can be found in just about every horror movie ever made, and wanders your house at night while you are sleeping? If you guessed the house centipede – chances are you’ve either watched
Black flies, aka black gnats, turkey gnats, and buffalo gnats, can be found throughout the world in all climates from the warmest of warm tropics to the coldest regions of the Arctic Circle. All they need for survival is clean
I know an old lady who swallowed a fly I don’t know why she swallowed the fly Perhaps she’ll die I am not quite sure what they were thinking, or perhaps, smoking, when they busted out this weird little ditty
Back in the day when Duran Duran was singing about being hungry like a wolf, it is quite possible they were singing about the appetites of wolf spiders instead of the four-legged canine variety. And the appetites they were singing
🎵Sing with me!🎵 I can show you the world Shining, shimmering splendid Tell me, princess, now when did You last let your heart decide? I can open your eyes Take you wonder by wonder Over sideways and under On a
Hobo time! Why does that make me think of MC Hammer in his gold lamé parachute pants? Hobo time, buh duh da dum, hobo time! It is actually pretty catchy. So, what does Mc Hammer have to do with hobo
Contrary to their name, yellow jackets have nothing to do with the fashion industry. You won’t be seeing them walking down the runway with their pouty faces and long legs showing off the latest fashion trends. That’s not their jam.
If it isn’t bad enough having ants in your house, these ones come with their own special brand of stink. Odorous house ants, or stink ants, as I affectionately call them, smell like rotten coconut when their little bodies are
What is small, round, has a fuzzy body, wings like a moth? That would be the Drain Fly. Also known as a moth fly or sink fly, I prefer to call them annoying as @#$%. Drain flies are about the
What in the world is a cigarette beetle? A beetle that smokes A cigarette made of beetles A beetle that has a fond love of tobacco If your answer was “a,” you might be smoking more than tobacco. If your
So, after harassing her husband to build her some beds for her garden and mapping out what she wanted to plant, how many plants she wanted to plant, where she wanted to plant, setting up the water system, and fertilizing,
Ahoy Matey! Silver, yes. Fish, no. This isn’t a bug blog about some slimy variety of fish, it is a bug blog about those funky looking silver bugs that sometimes make their way into your house. And when I say
If there was an Ironman for the beetle species, this would be it. As its name suggests, the Ironclad Beetle is one of the toughest insects around and trying to kill them is no easy task. In fact, since they
I am totally dating myself but, if there was a Jessica Rabbit of the wasp species, it would be the mud dauber. Curvy little suckers, the mud dauber is a thread-waisted wasp, which means that it has a waist that
This might not be what you want to read, but mites are pretty much everywhere and pretty much everyone has them, especially since there are even mite species that can only survive on human skin. Try not to think about
Origami? While their name might make you think of small strategically folded pieces of paper, paper wasps are actually a real thing, and they are definitely not made of paper. They were given this name because they build their nests
What the heck are Moles anyway… Moles are small, burrowing mammals that also happen to be world-class diggers. In fact, if there was a digging event in the Olympics, I wouldn’t bet against them. Unfortunately, it is their gold-medal digging
So, they might not be able to rock you like a hurricane, but if you get stung by one, it’s going to hurt like a mother. Yep, I’m talking about scorpions, the eight-legged variety, not the heavy metal band. With
Do you remember Sebastian from Disney’s Little Mermaid? He was the red crab with the Jamaican accent that was tasked with keeping tabs on Ariel. No easy feat as she was always up to no good. But I digress. Anyhoo,
What if, instead of pickled peppers, Peter Piper picked a peck of pantry pests? What a difference two words can make. So, what if Peter Piper wanted to make his parents’ pumpkin pie recipe and went to the pantry to
While Argentina won’t be crying for you, there’s a good chance you might cry for (or curse) Argentina for sharing the Argentine ant with you. Native to Argentina, hence the super-creative name, Argentine ants stowed away on a cargo ship
If you have ever lost sleep at night because you have so many unanswered questions about ticks, well, we’ve got you covered. HowToPest.com has everything you wanted to know about ticks but were afraid to ask. Q & A How
If all crickets could give advice and dress like Jiminy Cricket from Disney’s Pinnochio, they’d be far more welcome than the house crickets that make their way into our homes or chirp the night away outside our bedroom windows Lifecycle
The nursery rhyme about the ants that go marching one by one and then two by two is very sweet and all, but if those ants happen to be Red Imported Fire Ants, you are in for a rude awakening.
While appropriately named due to their preference for living in seclusion or isolation, the arachnologist, a fancy name for someone who digs spiders in a big way, who was in charge of naming the brown recluse spider on spider-naming day
In his prime, NBA legend Michael Jordan had a vertical leap of 48 inches, which to this day is still considered one of the highest vertical leaps. Pound for pound though, he just might have met his match in the
Let’s see, they are strange-looking, they stink, and they crawl into your ears and eat your brains. But don’t worry, they won’t eat your brains until after they burrow in and lay their eggs in there. At least that is
Well, we know it went up the water spout, got washed out when the rain came, survived a watery death, and made its way back up the spout as soon as the sun came back out. This all seems innocent
Ahhh, who doesn’t love Maury Povich! While mosquitoes are known to father other bacteria and diseases, thankfully Covid-19 is not one of them. The Center for Disease Control has reported that it is not possible for Covid-19 to be spread
Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite. If you have bed bugs, you know that having a good night and sleeping tight aren’t going to happen. Sneaky little suckers, bed bugs make their way into your
What are Murder Hornets? It seems like something that you’d read about in the Book of Exodus in the Bible as one of the plagues that affected the Egyptians. But alas, murder hornets are alive and well and are just
If you think you’ve got termites, you probably do. So now what? Well, here’s everything you wanted to know about termites but were afraid to ask.While there are hundreds of termite species throughout the world, all species fall under one
do my own pest control So you’ve decided you have a pest problem but in this day and age of Covid 19, you don’t know whether or not you want to have an unknown person in your home. Doing your
Contrary to their name, fruit flies aren’t attracted only to fruit. In fact, they aren’t picky at all and are attracted to all decomposing foods, trash, dirty drains, and even spills that haven’t been cleaned. They should probably be called
So, let’s set the scene… It’s late afternoon, the sun is moving toward the west, and the temperature is perfect. You head outside with the book you have been dying to read, and you stretch yourself out on the lounge
What the….. It sounds like a joke but the fleas you are seeing on your dog are most likely the Ctenocephalides felis, or cat flea. This is the most common type of flea, and it doesn’t really care if it
I’m willing to guess Freddy Krueger likely wasn’t the only nightmare on Elm Street. It is said they were here long before us, and they will be here long after us. Cockroaches. Now, you need to get rid of the
Think you are safe from pests in the winter? Think again. Winter pests are far more common than you think. While there might not be mosquitos feeding on your limbs and ruining your backyard bar-b-cue, there are plenty of other
Bugs got you down when you’re trying to get your summertime grilling on? I don’t know about you, but for me, summertime means firing up that grill and getting busy with some serious bar-b-que action. No matter what is on
