| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| Moles in my home | 11/18/2009 | Stephen Vantassel |
Q: How do I get rid of moles? I have caught two in mice traps but I know there is more.
A: If you caught the creatures with mouse traps, I seriously doubt you have moles. Sounds like voles or ...
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| Pepper plants and catipillars | 11/18/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I have brought my pepper plants inside again this year but on some of the leaves there are black ...
A: Guy, Post a picture if you can because there are many things that fit this general description. The ...
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| tiny holes in yard | 11/15/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I have tiny holes all over my yard. It looks like someone came an aerated my yard while I was ...
A: Kim, Do the holes have small mounds of dirt next to them or are they just holes? About how big are ...
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| Tiny brown house bugs - vancouver | 11/1/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Please tell me what this bug is! Live in Vancouver, Canada and have found many tiny brown ...
A: Steven, This is a good description of a dermestid carpet beetle larva. Dermestid beetles feed on a ...
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| Mulch Digger | 10/29/2009 | Stephen Vantassel |
Q: I live in Dallas, Texas. I have several mulched areas in my backyard that are used for landscaping ...
A: I suspect the culprit would be skunks or an armadillo. Controlling for grubs after wildlife find ...
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| Biting Insects | 10/25/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Both my wife and I, and now our kids seem to be getting these little bites along our waist lines. ...
A: Alan, Whenever bites occur where clothing is constricted (waist, socks, undergarments) the first ...
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| Millipedes | 10/25/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I have some questions regarding the millipedes i am seeing in my living room, foyer and basement ...
A: Shilpa, Millipedes live in the leaf litter layer (dead plant material that accumulates on top of ...
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| Scale on my Fig Tree | 10/25/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I don't know if you can help, but I'd appreciate any feedback. I've got an indoor garden with a ...
A: Katie, As you know scale insects can be very difficult to control. Infestations develop slowly so ...
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| oak worms | 10/20/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: In mid October we had thousands of tiny green worms coming down on webs or strands out of our giant ...
A: Jo, These are probably caterpillars of one of the oak looper moths. Oak loopers can do considerable ...
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| Voles and moles | 10/20/2009 | Stephen Vantassel |
Q: I am relatively new to gardening and have recently planted many bulbs and plants and want to ...
A: Controlling Vole Damage ...
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| identification of insects in residential apartment | 10/19/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Jack, I live in Lagos (Nigeria) and have a growing insect problem. I see small black insects ...
A: Another possibility would be drain flies or fungus gnats. Both insects are tiny, dark flies. Fungus ...
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| Aphids on Pepper plants. | 10/19/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: I saw an earlier question where you recommended someone use lemon dish soap mixed with water to get ...
A: Yes you could, but just make sure it is non-concentrated. As I probably mentioned in the email you ...
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| identification of insects in residential apartment | 10/12/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Jack, I live in Lagos (Nigeria) and have a growing insect problem. I see small black insects ...
A: Haresh, I have to apologize, I completely missed the part of your question about how these critters ...
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| Pine Beetles (I think) | 10/11/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Jack, I have reclaimed pine (short leaf) in my home for flooring (not the best, but that is another ...
A: Wood begins to season as soon as the tree is cut. The wood fibers lose water and the starch content ...
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| Prolific insects - boxelder bugs | 10/11/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I have a large number of a gray insect, 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long in my garden. they have red sides ...
A: Frank, These are called boxelder bugs (sometimes maple bugs). They won't damage your garden but can ...
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| Pine Beetles (I think) | 10/10/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Jack, I have reclaimed pine (short leaf) in my home for flooring (not the best, but that is another ...
A: Mark, If you are finding fine boring dust around the exit holes it is probably a powderpost beetle ...
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| identification of insects in residential apartment | 10/9/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Jack, I live in Lagos (Nigeria) and have a growing insect problem. I see small black insects ...
A: Haresh, Your description fits many different insects but one that commonly occurs in homes is the ...
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| What the? | 10/2/2009 | Stephen Vantassel |
Q: We have been fighting moles...finding the usual mound of dirt and then putting the gas bombs in the ...
A: You still have moles. Dirt mounds are from deep tunnels, veins are from shallow tunnels. Gas bombs ...
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| Hickory Horned Devil Catapillar | 9/30/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Once the caterpillar starts to burrow in the dirt to pupate, how long does it take for him to get ...
A: Angie, I'm not sure what you mean by "complete state of pupation". Pupation is more of a process ...
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| answer on 8/5/2007 pertaining to "Pests -- Massive-huge Spider webs in trees" | 9/29/2009 | Jim Hyland |
Q: HELEN _________________ 7031 SW 97th Lane Gainesville, FL U. S. A. 32608-6302 e-mail: telephone: ...
A: What they said was " what looked like netting wrapped around the tips of tree branches" They did not ...
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| bugs in the bed...are they.... | 9/28/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: "I am seeing these all over my bedroom, Killed about 20 yesterday..Very gross. Am in NY, and the ...
A: Your "thank you" is enough, thanks. These beetles are not being "attracted" to the bed but rather ...
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| bugs in the bed...are they.... | 9/28/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: "I am seeing these all over my bedroom, Killed about 20 yesterday..Very gross. Am in NY, and the ...
A: Martha, These are not bed bugs. These are some kind of weevil (beetle) and my guess would be a ...
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| Strange tiny bugs. | 9/25/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Recently I was sitting in my room when I found these very tiny brown bugs. They don't fly and when ...
A: Kenny, There are lots of insects that fit this description. If you post a picture I may be able to ...
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| Draecena and worms | 9/25/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: I have an old draecena tree with very woody bark. The nursery told me it was about 25-30 yrs old ...
A: I can't say for sure how the worms got into the house except that a moth may have laid eggs near the ...
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| Croatian Almond Bark Beetle | 9/22/2009 | Jim Hyland |
Q: I traveled to Croatia and brought home a lavender sachet that turned out to be infested with what I ...
A: Based on the biology of scolytus amygdali I do not think that is what you have. They feed on trees ...
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| smallest ant | 9/22/2009 | Jim Hyland |
Q: I live in palmdale, california. I am 61, so i,ve been around a long time. Yet I have never seen an ...
A: There are several small ants. Thief ants are tiny ants less than 1/16inch (1.3 to 1.8 mm) in ...
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| Bugs | 9/18/2009 | Jim Hyland |
Q: We live in the middle of lower Michigan. And every year around the middle of August until we get a ...
A: Adult boxelder bugs will enter structures in the fall, seeking winter shelter. They seek shelter ...
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| Devil Hickory Horned Worm | 9/18/2009 | Jim Hyland |
Q: I Was Wondering If You Know if a Devil Hickory Horned Worm Is Poisonous and if it Bites.
A: The hickory horned devil is the largest caterpillar in the United States. Although it has a ...
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| damage to cusions outside | 9/15/2009 | Stephen Vantassel |
Q: I live in Allen, TX in a dense neighborhood. Some animal or animals are destroying all of our ...
A: From your brief description, my money would be on squirrels. I would need more details and possibly ...
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| inhouse bed bugs | 9/14/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I'm having bugs that look like small cockroaches. They bite you on the legs and arms. Are they ...
A: Ray, These could be bed bugs but bed bugs are generally confined on or near the bed. If you are ...
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| House Flies or Cluster Flies | 9/11/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: We recently bought a new construction house. Last night we noticed about 20 house flies "piled" ...
A: Rachael, These are probably cluster flies rather than house flies. Cluster flies look a lot like ...
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| getting rid of scales | 9/8/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: how do i get rid of scales? they appered on my sheffleras and monstera.
A: Mohammad, Scale insects occur in two different stages - the crawler and adult. The small crawlers ...
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| HORNWORMS? | 9/4/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I THINK I MAY HAVE DISCOVERED A FAMILY OF HORNWORMS (GUESSING) IN MY TOMATO PLANTS. WORM IS HUGE ...
A: Kelly, Tomato hornworms are not dangerous unless you are a tomato plant. They can be plucked off ...
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| broccoli pest | 9/3/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I have grown broccoli for many years, and the only pest I've ever dealth with is the cabbage looper ...
A: Insecticidal soap is a good choice. A good way to use it is first wash off as much debris as ...
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| Tiny brown bugs in bed | 9/3/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I was recently changing my sheets when i found about 3 tiny brown bugs, i'm not sure if they're bed ...
A: Lailan, These were not bed bugs but rather dermestid beetles, probably carpet beetles. I'd need to ...
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| broccoli pest | 9/1/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: I have grown broccoli for many years, and the only pest I've ever dealth with is the cabbage looper ...
A: Jane, I have two guesses. If they are soft-bodied and easy to squish they are probably aphids. ...
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| Wasp/hornets | 8/31/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: We have a bazillion wasps or hornets flying around the our ground-level deck and they appear to be ...
A: David, The nest is obviously under the canoe and possibly inside the bag. The best way to treat ...
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| granular residue | 8/31/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Six months ago I found a small fine grey granular pile behind my washer and dryer along the ...
A: The only thing I can suggest is to clean up the piles (save some of the material) and see how long ...
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| granular residue | 8/30/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: Six months ago I found a small fine grey granular pile behind my washer and dryer along the ...
A: There's only one termite that makes these kinds of debris piles (drywood termites) and it does not ...
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| Worms | 8/29/2009 | Jack DeAngelis |
Q: We are in SC and this year we are finding little worms in the house. If you step on them they ...
A: Send a picture if you can but I think you are describing millipedes. Millipedes feed on organic ...
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