Are Termites Attracted to Light? Unveiling the Truth  

Before you can understand termite behaviors related to light, it may help to gain a basic understanding of light attraction in pests, in general. Scientists have long wondered why light attracts so many types of insects, particularly artificial light at night.  

To gain a better understanding of the phenomenon, researchers at the Imperial College London used infrared cameras and motion-capture technology to study moths, dragonflies, and six other insects, such as honeybees and fruit flies. Using the data they captured, they found that insects don’t fly directly toward the light. Instead, they circle the light and try to position themselves with their backs to it. This allows them to maintain their flight patterns in relation to the horizon. 

So, how does the phenomenon of light attraction in pests relate to termite behavior? Let’s explore whether termites are attracted to light and look at other termite facts you should know to help keep your property safe from these destructive pests.  

Introduction to Termite Behavior 

Termites are relentless in their quest for food. These tiny pests, which cause an average of $5 billion in damage every year, chew their way through wood virtually around the clock. Most termites are blind and rely on a mixture of scents, pheromones, and vibration to communicate, mark food trails, and recognize their nest mates. 

They are social insects that raise their families in colonies that contain kings, queens, workers, and other caste members. During their alate stage, termites can fly. They have two sets of wings and are often called “swarmers.” During this part of their lives, they are more visible to humans because they fly in the open as they search for their mates and start new colonies. 

Common Misconceptions About Termites 

Contrary to what some people may think, not all termites are the same. More than 2,000 termite species exist worldwide, many with differing characteristics and behaviors. In this region, the most common species is the subterranean termite, which prefers to remain close to or below ground level. These termites create “mud tubes” to travel from their nests to their food source without ever having to directly contact the light.  

Myth vs. Fact 

Now that you understand a bit more about termite behaviors, in general, let’s take a closer look at whether these pests are indeed attracted to light. In truth, the role light plays in termites’ lives is a bit of a gray area, as some common misconceptions prove.  

Let’s explore three of the top misconceptions to uncover the actual facts about termites related to their behavior surrounding light exposure.  

1. Sunlight Kills Termites 

This is mostly true because subterranean termites, which are the most common throughout this region, can be killed by sunlight. Essentially, non-winged termites dry out and die upon exposure to a combination of extreme heat and dry conditions. Sunlight and ultraviolet light can kill termites within minutes of exposure because it quickly evaporates the moisture they need to survive.  

However, winged termites use the light to their advantage. They not only survive in the light, but actually thrive as they use light to find their mates and start their own colonies. 

Research also shows that three species of termites (Reticulitermes tibialis Banks, R. flavipes, and R. virginicus) experience autophototoxicity after UV exposure. These termites contain an alkaloid that makes them very sensitive to the effects of light exposure. 

2. All Termites Avoid Light 

Winged termites, often referred to as swarming termites or “swarmers,” have eyes, and they use the light to help them find their mates. As a result, if you have an infestation, you might find discarded wings near windows or see these pests near porch lights and other light sources. In some areas, when there’s a colony of termites nearby, swarms of termites head out in search of mates and new homes. Because they often use light to guide them, keeping outdoor lights off during these times can help prevent them from choosing your property.  

3. Termites Need Light to Mate 

Is light necessary for termites to mate? It turns out, the answer is probably they do not. In 2022, Nobuaki Mizumoto of Auburn University and Thomas Bourguignon of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology conducted a joint study. Intended to assess the role of light in termite mating patterns, the duo’s research revealed that it doesn’t completely disrupt mating patterns.  

Based on experiments performed in both total darkness and with light, the termites were more active in the light but still able to locate their mate in the dark. In the end, the results suggest that light can affect termites’ movement patterns but not their ability to mate. Another study, published in 2021, suggests that termites use vibration patterns to communicate and possibly aid reproduction by helping them find their mates.  

Using Light to Manage Termite Populations 

Using light to eliminate termites sounds promising, but it isn’t very practical. Termites typically move quickly to escape light sources, making it challenging to really use light to your advantage for elimination. However, the way you use light around your property can make a difference in the odds that you attract swarming termites as they mate. 

Practical Tips for Termite Prevention and Control 

One of the best ways to prevent termites in and around your property is to create a home that is unattractive to them. Although research into their photosensitivity is relatively low, most termites clearly avoid light. Swarmers, on the other hand, are drawn to the light, and if they deem your home worthy of starting their colony — look out. You could end up with substantial damage before you know it.  

Environmental Modifications 

You can make some relatively simple changes to help protect your home. For example, you might use a lighting design that minimizes the use of outdoor lights. For instance, install sensor-activated lights that go on when they detect activity and automatically shut off after a set period. You might also add lights to recessed areas, away from doors and windows to avoid attracting alates or making it easy for them to enter your home. 

Monitoring and Early Detection 

Routine inspections can make a tremendous difference in the fight against termites. Consider inspecting your home monthly to look for signs of termites, which include the following:  

• Mud tunnels near foundations 
• Small holes in wood with sawdust-like material below it 
• A bubbled look to wood surfaces 
• Signs of swarming insects, such as live insects or discarded wings on windowsills and door frames 

When to Call a Professional 

At the first sign of termite activity, call a professional. Termites can be active for a long time before ever providing any indication that they are present. They thrive in moist, warm areas and wreak havoc on structures of all types. Worst of all, termite damage is rarely covered by homeowners’ insurance policies, leaving you with a potentially big repair bill.  

The good news is that partnering with a professional can help prevent termites and minimize the potential damage to your home. Catseye Pest Control has helped homeowners and businesses throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire prevent and eliminate termite infestations since 1987. Our highly trained and licensed technicians are standing by to help.  

Contact Catseye Pest Control today for a free inspection or to get started immediately.  

The post Are Termites Attracted to Light? Unveiling the Truth   appeared first on Catseye Pest Control.

This article appeared first on Catseye Pest

 

 

Three weeks ago, we visited fireflies that are enjoying a spectacular year here in the DMV and in other states in our region. One reason for this renaissance may be due to the benign winter and mild moist spring that may have boosted survival and development of soil-dwelling larval fireflies. Ah, but it appears that in addition to beneficial fireflies, there are other denizens of the soil which also enjoyed conditions favorable for their survival: plant-eating scarab beetles known as chafers.   

Each year, I strive to raise a crop of interesting sunflowers to attract pollinators and birds to photograph and enjoy. However, over the past few weeks, leaves of my sunflowers disappeared in bits and pieces down the gullets of small scarab beetles known as Oriental beetles and Asiatic garden beetles. We met other members of this destructive branch of the scarab clan in previous episodes on Japanese beetles and green June beetles. Oriental beetles are yet another exotic invasive pest introduced to the US sometime before 1920. Originally detected in Connecticut, Oriental beetle now ranges from Maine to the Carolinas and west to the Heartlands. Like Oriental beetles, Asiatic garden beetles are invaders from Asia first detected on the east coast in New Jersey. Their discovery in the Garden State in 1921 followed the earlier discovery of Japanese beetles in 1916. Asiatic garden beetles now range from Canada to Florida and west to the Mississippi. As adults, these scalawags are known to eat more than 100 species of ornamental plants, but they can also be important pests of vegetables, including corn.

The misery these beetles levy on our ornamental plants comes as they munch leaves and flowers of our trees and shrubs. Over the past week or so, great chunks of leaves and flowers vanished seemingly overnight from my sunflowers and butterfly bushes. Repetitive and thorough daytime plant inspections failed to reveal the perpetrators of this assault. However, a midnight’s visit to my butterfly bush revealed hordes of Asiatic garden beetles and Oriental beetles busily stripping away the foliage. Grubs of these little rascals, commonly known as white grubs, have been rooting about in my flower beds and lawn since their mothers deposited eggs in the soil early last summer. During the past year, conditions for survival of white grubs were spectacular. This heralded the possibility that the scarab clan would likely be problematic this year and unfortunately for our plants, the prediction seems to be coming true. By munching roots of grasses, annual, and perennial plants, white grubs can be important pests. Oriental beetle grub counts can approach as many as 60 per square foot of turf in heavy infestations. Here in Maryland by late spring larvae of chafers have completed development, pupated, and adults make their grand appearance in the first half of June. They will be present for the majority of the summer, devouring leaves and punishing blossoms in my landscape beds.

Leaves of my sunflowers have been disappearing over the past few weeks. Daytime inspections revealed nothing but a nocturnal recon nailed the perps, Oriental beetles like the patterned one on the left and brown Asiatic garden beetles like the one on the right. Watch as an Asiatic garden beetle devours a sunflower leaf. The handiwork of these rascals leaves me wondering if my poor sunflowers will bloom at all.

Managing Oriental beetles and other scarabs usually focuses on destruction of grubs in the turf and several products are available. One group of insecticides widely used for controlling white grubs including Japanese beetles and Oriental beetles are the neonicotinoids. These compounds have received much recent attention due to their impacts on pollinators, particularly bees. A fascinating study by Dan Potter and his colleagues at the University of Kentucky revealed that turf treated with the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin was not the best place for bumble bees to forage. White clover in plots treated with clothianidin expressed the insecticide in their blossoms, which in turn intoxicated the bees. However, once the clover blossoms had been removed by mowing, the exposure to bees was mitigated. A second white grub-killing insecticide evaluated in the study, chlorantraniliprole, presented no detectable adverse effect for the bumble bees.

In addition to synthetic insecticides, many folks recommend the use of nematodes to control white grubs in turf. Nematodes enter the grub and release a lethal bacterium. There are many different species and strains of nematodes. Dave Shetlar of the Ohio State University suggests that products containing strains of Steinernema carpocapsae are a bit less effective against beetle grubs than species in the clan named Heterorhabditis. You must wait until late July or August when grubs are in the soil, if you go the nematode route. Several species of parasitic wasps attack white grubs with paralyzing stings and deposit their eggs on the grub. Upon hatching, these parasitic wasp larvae consume their hapless victim. Flowering plants such as goldenrods and bee-balms are magnets for adult wasps, which require nectar and pollen sources. I always have these in my flower beds to attract these highly beneficial wasps, part of Mother Nature’s hit squad that help mitigate pests like white grubs. For me, plucking the beetles from the plants and either crushing their small bodies or giving them a swim in a cup of soapy water provides some retribution for their miscreant behaviors. There may be some good news on the horizon regarding these noisome grubs. Droughty conditions in June and July when female beetles deposit eggs in the soil generally disfavor survival of eggs and young larvae. While summer droughts may not benefit lawns and ornamental plants, they are a pariah to pesky chafers. 

One more thing about Asiatic garden beetle. They are notorious for being attracted to light. I don’t know about you, but part of my regular nighttime routine involves reading a good book at bedtime. During the past few weeks, these moments of mindfulness have been interrupted by a steady pelting of rather large scarab beetles attracted to the light from my bedroom window. So, if you hear something go bump in the night at your bedroom window and if your sunflower’s leaves are disappearing mysteriously, grab a flashlight and have a look for these midnight marauders.

Acknowledgements

Excellent references such as “Assessing Insecticide Hazard to Bumble Bees Foraging on Flowering Weeds in Treated Lawns” by Jonathan L. Larson, Carl T. Redmond, and Daniel A. Potter, “Destructive Turfgrass Insects” by Daniel Potter, and the publication found at the following link were used in preparing this episode:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0066375

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

Ants are among the most common household pests in New England, but not all ants are the same. Like their name implies, odorous house ants aren’t just a nuisance — they literally stink.  

Let’s explore what makes these insects a unique problem, including the danger they pose, their common behaviors, and how to get rid of odorous ants for good.  

What Are Odorous House Ants? 

Although they are often mistaken for pavement ants, odorous house ants are smaller, usually growing from 1/16 to 1/8 inch in size. Their bodies are uniform in color, typically in shades of brown or black. They have an uneven thorax and antenna with 12 segments.  

Perhaps their most notable identifier is the source of their name. If you crush them or they feel threatened, these ants emit a scent that is similar to rotten coconuts. However, that’s not the worst part about having an infestation of these ants.  

Why They Are a Problem 

Odorous house ants are small but can pose a big problem. Beyond their funky smell, these pests can also contaminate food in your pantry, silverware in drawers, and dishes on your counter. Additionally, this ant species is known for building large, extensive colonies, which makes them challenging to eliminate on your own.  

Common Behaviors and Habitats of Odorous House Ants 

Odorous ants are drawn to sweet, greasy foods. Outdoors, they are attracted to plant nectar and “honeydew,” or the excrement from aphids. Indoors, they are likely to be found closer to food sources. Understanding the habits and habitats of these common household pests can help you prevent and control them more successfully.   

Typical Habitats 

Odorous ants love nesting in warm, moist areas. You can often find them indoors in areas near leaky pipes, faucets, heaters, and damp wood. What draws them inside is the allure of food, including sweets and meats. Outdoors, they feed on insects and other materials and can be found in mulched landscaping beds, under wood piles, and beneath piles of clutter. They are known for building vast networks of interconnected nests.  

Foraging Patterns 

These ants are renowned for establishing trails to follow when foraging and sticking to them. Outside, they often stick to the edges of window and door frames, siding, and decking. Indoors, active workers quickly march in single file in kitchens and pantries.  

Nesting Behavior 

Odorous ants usually build large colonies, often with multiple queens and thousands of workers. They may build their nests near sources of moisture, voids, and termite-damaged wood, often coming indoors during warmer months, the fall, and rainy seasons. 

DIY Solutions for Controlling Odorous House Ants 

Getting rid of odorous ants on your own can be challenging, particularly given these pests’ inclination for building large nests. However, several DIY solutions may be worth a try.  

Identifying Entry Points 

Because of their small size, these tiny pests can slip in through miniscule openings. By tracking their movements and watching them travel along their established trails, you may be able to identify the areas where they enter the building. If so, you should be able to track their activity to find where these tiny black ants are getting in your house. By sealing up entry points and eliminating outdoor nests, you can effectively regain control of your home and property.  

Using Natural Repellents 

Although DIY remedies are rarely completely effective, when used in combination with identifying how and where these ants are entering, they can be helpful. Eliminate ants’ pheromone trails with a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar or try other natural repellents, such as: 

• Water, tea tree oil, and a few drops of dish soap  
• Chalk to disrupt odorous ants’ scent trails 
• Cinnamon or cinnamon oil and water in areas ants frequent 

Creating Homemade Ant Baits 

Although you might be tempted to buy baits that are designed for sugar-loving ants, you can also try making your own. A few examples include: 

• A mix of equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar sprinkled on windowsills, kitchen counters, and flooring 
• Borax mixed with syrup or jelly and placed in high-traffic areas 
• A mix of corn syrup and borax on wax paper 
• Neem oil and cayenne pepper 

Keeping a Clean Home 

Sanitation can help prevent many pests, including odorous ants. For example, eliminate clutter and trim all vegetation far enough away from the exterior of the building to eliminate ants’ easy access to your home. Inside, regularly vacuum and mop floors, wipe down kitchen counters, wash dishes, and keep all foods stored in airtight containers. 

Preventing Future Infestations 

When it comes to odorous ants — and most other pests, for that matter — prevention is the best line of defense. Check out the following tips to help minimize your risk of future invasions from these smelly nuisances. 

Sealing Entry Points 

Odorous ants are tiny. Sealing gaps, cracks, and crevices in your foundation, around utility lines and pipes, and other openings can keep them outside.  

Reducing Food Sources 

Regularly cleaning your home and maintaining a tidy yard can eliminate the sweet, starchy, and greasy food these pests crave. This will keep them moving in search of a food source, which they will be forced to find elsewhere.  

Regular Inspections 

The sooner you recognize the problem, the better you will be equipped to prevent it from becoming widespread. These ants are known for building large, widespread colonies that can be very challenging to eliminate. 

Professional Solutions for Controlling Odorous House Ants 

Like cockroaches and rodents, these pests often crawl across undesirable surfaces, like dumpsters and sewers. When they enter your home, they could be tracking all kinds of pathogens along with them. Professionals can get to the root of the problem for complete elimination. While it can be difficult to eradicate an entire colony on your own, professionals have the education and equipment necessary for the job.  

Contact Catseye Pest Control  

Don’t wait until an ant infestation grows larger. Lean on the professional expertise of Catseye’s highly trained technicians. We can properly identify the ants and how they are getting inside and create a customized treatment plan to ensure successful, lasting control.  

Schedule a free inspection today to get started. 

The post Effective Removal Strategies to Banish Odorous House Ants  appeared first on Catseye Pest Control.

This article appeared first on Catseye Pest

 

 

Earwigs almost always surprise me. Whether it’s when I inspect my flowers at night, look behind a tree face on my American elm, or open a hatch on my kayak, there they are, a kind of creepy scrum of wiggly, pincher-tailed insects. Earwigs belong to an order of insects called Dermaptera, derived from the Greek meaning “skin wing”. This derivation refers to the hind wings of the earwig that are not often seen, as they are folded beneath and hidden by the forewings. The common name of earwig is thought to refer to the shape of the hindwing which, when unfolded, resembles a human ear, according to Wikipedia.  An old urban legend has it that earwigs crawl into human ears to lay eggs. While this legend has been largely debunked, there are actually two documented accounts of earwigs entering people’s ears, much to the consternation of the human and presumably the earwig.

During a recent question and answer interlude following a presentation, one clever listener wanted to know a bit more about earwigs and what roles they played. Well, I can’t speak about all earwigs, but with our common non-native earwig, Forficula auricularia, I do have some relevant experience. Several years ago, I had a wonderful bed full of marigolds with glorious blossoms. Little by little I noticed ever increasing levels of defoliation on the leaves of many plants. I carefully inspected the plants each day to see who the culprit might be. This mysterious mandibulate leaf-muncher remained a mystery until one midnight I crept out to the garden and discovered legions of European earwigs feasting on my marigolds. Undoubtedly, earwigs are herbivores. Several years later while studying misery levied on azaleas by azalea lace bug, one of my students discovered European earwigs snacking on azalea lace bug nymphs. So, clearly European earwigs are omnivores leading a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde existence as beneficial predators of plant pests and pests in their own right when they eat our ornamental plants and vegetables. These strange insects do have some admirable traits shared even with ourselves. Mother earwigs tend their eggs in an egg nest, cleaning them and moving them about to keep them free of pathogens and in proper ranges of temperature and humidity. Following egg hatch, nymphs are guarded and fed by their mother. 

Earwigs almost always surprise me. Whether it’s a nighttime raid on my flowers, when I peek behind a tree face on my American elm, or when I open a hatch on my kayak, there they are, a kind of creepy scrum of wiggly, pincher-tailed insects.

As alluded to above, earwigs are most active at night and seek dark moist places to hide during daylight hours. Perhaps their most notable and unique attributes are the intimidating pinchers, aka cerci, found at the tips of the earwig’s abdomen. These formidable appendages are used in defense, mating, and prey capture. However, pinches delivered by the cerci tend to be more surprising than painful. In addition to scary pinchers, abdominal glands produce irritating benzoquinones that can be sprayed on attackers while held fast by its pinchers. So, hail the earwig for their beneficial activities as predators, but reserve a modicum of blame for their sneaky nocturnal attacks on plants.

Acknowledgements

Bug of the Week thanks an avid listener to a presentation on climate change who inquired about earwigs and provided the inspiration for this episode. The short communication “Earwig in the ear” by J. R. Fisher, the fact-filled Featured Creature bulletin “Common name: European earwig scientific name: Forficula auricularia Linnaeus (Insecta: Dermaptera: Forficulidae)” by John Capinera, and the wonderful “Secret weapons” by Thomas Eisner, Maria Eisner, and Melody Siegler were used as references for this episode.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

 

 

Two weeks ago we met the sneaky raspberry pyrausta, a pretty moth whose very hungry caterpillars love to pillage bee balm and other members of the monarda clan. To preserve the nectar rich blossoms of monardas for pollinators, we discussed ways to mitigate injury caused by ravaging caterpillars like removing them by hand or using interventions with OMRI listed insecticides. Well, in my garden last week, good old Mother Nature interceded with another solution to these blossom busters in the form of biological control provided by a nifty wasp known as four-toothed mason wasp.

Recently we saw leaves and buds of bee balm ravaged by caterpillars of the raspberry pyrausta. But this week, Mother Nature sent a member of her caterpillar hit-squad. Watch as the four-toothed mason wasp searches the foliage for a caterpillar. Score! The tiny caterpillar will be stung, paralyzed, and sealed in a brood cell to provide fresh meat for the wasp’s developing youngster.

We met this caterpillar-hunter as a busy pollinator last winter and learned about its dual ecosystem services of pollination and biological control. As adults, mason wasps are often seen visiting flowers, where they provide the important ecosystem service of pollination as they seek nectar to power their hunt for prey and pollen as a protein source to be transformed into eggs.

Mountain mint looks like a super food for mason wasps as they carbo-load in preparation to search for caterpillars. Watch as a female sips nectar from several blossoms before the hunt. Natural holes made in wood by other insects and human-made holes drilled in logs for mason bees make great nurseries for mason wasps. A little tickle with a wisp of wood brings a female out of her nursery. A quick look around reveals nothing amiss and back she goes into the gallery to resume her work. To my surprise, a weep-hole made in the vinyl frame of my living room window makes a great nursery for a mason wasp. After provisioning galleries with paralyzed caterpillars to feed their young, mothers gather balls of mud which will be used to seal the nursery chambers. Using jaws and patience, a female makes a beautiful mudball. With the mudball complete and cradled beneath her legs, she flies back to her nursery. It takes several loads of mud to seal the gallery completely. Here a mother puts the final touches on her handiwork. A solid coat of mud plaster helps prevent enemies from attacking and killing her developing brood.

After finding a suitable gallery, which could be the drain hole in a window frame or an unused gallery of a mason bee or carpenter bee, the female mason wasp deposits an egg within the gallery. She then exits the gallery to hunt small caterpillars, many of which are garden pests. Upon encountering a caterpillar, the female mason wasp uses a potent venom to paralyze the prey. Sometimes as many as 19 caterpillars are captured, paralyzed, and used to provision the cell where an egg awaits. Ah, but these caterpillars are not truly dead. Like Westley, the Dread Pirate Roberts of Princess Bride fame, these caterpillars are only mostly dead. Paralyzed but still living, they provide fresh meat to be consumed after the spawn of the female wasp hatches from an egg deposited in small cell within the gallery. Upon hatching, the wasp larva drops onto the hapless caterpillar to feast.

When a sufficient number of prey have been captured, the female seals the gallery with a plug of mud or sand particles, hence the name mason wasp. In a remarkable display of gender control, the female wasp is able to lay either a male or a female egg. Due to the shorter developmental time of the male offspring, male eggs are usually placed near the opening of the gallery and female eggs are placed deeper within. If you see these magnificent black and white wasps entering drain holes on your window frames, fear not, your home is not under attack. You have provided a nesting site for these black and white beauties. In return, they will pollinate your plants and help eliminate pests like the caterpillars on monardas and other garden plants.

Acknowledgements

The wonderful references “Trap nesting wasps and bees: Life histories, nests, and associates” by Karl Krombein and “The cocooning habit of the wasp, Monobia quadridens” by Phil Rau were consulted to prepare this episode. 

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

Pest infestations pose a significant problem in any home, but they can be particularly challenging to handle in multi-unit buildings. As an industry leader since opening our doors in 1987, Catseye Pest Control has gained valuable expertise in providing effective multi-unit pest control. Decades of experience have taught us about the challenges associated with these buildings and the ins and outs of regulations property owners must comply with and manage.  

Explore why pest control is such a critical service in multi-unit buildings and discover tips for preventing infestations before they begin.  

Introduction to Multi-Unit Pest Control 

Multi-unit buildings are unique properties that accommodate more than one family. From duplexes and townhomes to condos and high-rise apartments, these properties provide each tenant with separate living spaces. However, shared walls, communal spaces, and people with varying habits all living under one roof make pest prevention and control more complex. 

Common Pests in Apartments and Condos 

Like any home, these buildings are vulnerable to any type of pests. Some of the most common offenders include:  

• Flies 
• Bed bugs 
• Cockroaches 
• Rodents, including house mice, deer mice, roof rats, and Norway rats 
• Ants 
• Carpet beetles 
• Spiders 

Challenges of Pest Control in Multi-Unit Dwellings 

In a single-family home, pest prevention and management are challenging, but the unique design of multi-unit dwellings amps up the challenge of pest control, making complete elimination more difficult in many circumstances. That’s why professional multi-unit pest control and preventative services are so essential for these types of properties.  

Shared Walls and Spaces 

Multi-unit dwellings feature hallways, lobbies, laundry rooms, and common areas where tenants and pests can travel from unit to unit. Additionally, many pests, including bed bugs and rodents, can spread to adjacent units or those above and below with relative ease. All it takes is a small gap or crack for pests to easily move throughout the entire building. 

High Density of Residents 

More people mean more potential for pests. The high-density population of many multi-unit dwellings can create a significant challenge, particularly when it comes to ineffective trash management and disposal. Flies, rodents, cockroaches, and many other pests will scavenge through garbage for food and find nearby areas to nest. Additionally, the turnover in multi-unit buildings can introduce additional problems as new tenants could inadvertently bring uninvited roommates like bed bugs along with them.  

Differing Levels of Cleanliness 

The tenants in unit A could keep their home spotlessly clean, regularly take out their trash, and store all food in airtight containers. Meanwhile, those living in unit G could leave dishes in the sink, crumbs on the counter, and garbage piled high. Both units could end up infested, along with every unit in between. 

Open Access Points 

Lobbies, backdoors, and other access points welcome tenants home and could also let creepy-crawlies and skittering critters in along with them. Multiple access points increase the risk of pest problems, as doors opening and closing through all hours of the day and night could unintentionally let in any number of pests.   

Effective Pest Control Strategies 

Multi-unit dwellings’ pest problems can be complex and challenging, but they aren’t impossible to handle. With routine inspections, preventative measures, and professional pest control, residents of apartments, condos, and other housing units can rest easy.  

Preventative Measures 

Stopping pests before they ever have a chance to start is the best form of protection. Taking precautions can make a significant difference in a property’s risk level. For example, proper garbage management, including using pest-proof receptacles and routine removal can help reduce the risk of cockroaches and rodents, among others. Regular inspections can catch potential problems early before pests have a chance to spread.  

Other helpful steps to consider include: 

• Seal potential entry points, like gaps and cracks in walls, foundations, around doors and windows, and around utility lines. 
• Sanitize communal spaces, including hallways and lobbies. 
• Perform outdoor maintenance, like trimming shrubbery away from the exterior of the building and ensuring the building has ample drainage away from its foundation. 
• Install self-closing doors at all access points and install door sweeps and weather stripping. 
• Eliminate clutter to reduce potential hideouts for pests. 
• Fix moisture issues, like clogged gutters and leaky pipes, promptly. 

Tenant Education and Cooperation 

One person’s actions can impact the entire building. Tenants should be made aware of their responsibilities from the moment they move into their homes. Routinely offering reminders or refreshers can also help. Residents should be educated about the importance of disposing of trash regularly, reporting problems promptly, and maintaining clean spaces as part of pest prevention.  

Professional Pest Control Services 

Professional pest control isn’t an optional service for multi-unit dwellings — it’s a must. Property owners are required to maintain clean, safe, livable conditions. If left unchecked, a single infestation could end up costing a lot in time and resources. Fines, legal fees, loss of reputation, turnover, low occupancy rates — the costs add up quickly. When you work with professionals, you can rest easy knowing you have expert eyes on the property. Routine inspections and preventative treatments keep pests at bay and eliminate your worries. 

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) 

Partnering with the right pest control professionals is the key. Look for a trusted, reputable company that takes an IPM approach. This strategic framework helps achieve long-term success with a focus on prevention and maintenance. It minimizes potentially negative impacts on people and the planet. Interviewing tenants and conducting a full-scale inspection is an excellent starting point. This allows technicians to understand the history, the damage, the infestation level, and the type of pests they must be prepared to handle. 

That paves the way for fully customized treatments designed for each unique property. Robust monitoring and taking tenants’ schedules and potential allergies into account before using pest control products is also important. 

That’s just the beginning of the level of service and care you can expect from Catseye. Providing exceptional service and supporting our clients in maintaining a healthy living environment is our passion. 

Contact Catseye today to learn more about our multi-family pest control services or to schedule a free inspection and get started.  

The post Pest Management Solutions for Multi-Unit Buildings  appeared first on Catseye Pest Control.

This article appeared first on Catseye Pest

 

 

This week’s episode comes to you from Dr. Paula Shrewsbury, Entomologist at the University of Maryland, College Park, who created this great article for her “Beneficial of the Week” in the IPM Alerts – Landscape & Nursery.

 “Fireflies have been lighting up my neighborhood (Howard Co. MD) since the first week of June. It looks like a good year for fireflies based on the amazing display of flashing lights I see every night. Usually around 8:00 p.m., just before my 3-year-old grandson’s bedtime, the flashing begins. It has become a ritual that before bed, we go outside and catch fireflies. Most of us have fond memories of catching fireflies as a kid and putting them in glass jars, which were kept by the bed to watch during the night.

Watch fireflies light up a small patch of landscape in front of my bed of perennials. Firefly larvae hunt soil-dwelling pests in that flower bed. Video compressed three times actual speed.

 Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are really neither bugs nor flies. They are characterized as soft-winged beetles in the order Coleoptera and the family Lampyridae. There are over 2,200 known species of fireflies, of which about 165 species have been reported in the U.S. and Canada. Fireflies are found in temperate and tropical regions and in the humid regions of the Americas, Asia, and Europe. In the U.S., the abundance of fireflies is greater east of the Great Plains than in western states. Interestingly, fireflies that produce light are uncommon in western North America. Some firefly species are diurnal, and therefor have no need to create light. These species are known as daytime dark fireflies and they use chemical pheromones for mate attraction. Although the adults do not light, the larvae do glow at night, similar to eastern species.

 Most flashing species occur east of the Mississippi River, are about ¾” in length and are active at dusk and night. Adults and larvae of many firefly species exhibit bioluminescent – they glow in the dark! Many organisms such as bacteria, fungi, jellyfish, algae, fish, clams, snails, crustaceans, and of course insects, exhibit bioluminescence. Firefly species have special light organs that make the underside of their abdomens light up. How do fireflies make light? The light emitted by a firefly is actually a chemical reaction in the beetle’s abdomen. The light organ has special cells that contain a chemical called luciferin. An enzyme called luciferase combines oxygen with luciferin in these cells to create light. Scientists actually do not know how fireflies regulate their lights to turn them on and off. You might have also noticed how “cold” the light looks. This is because no infrared (or heat) or ultraviolet frequencies of light are emitted. Among the light-producing fireflies, lights are yellow, green, or pale red.

 The purpose of this bioluminescence varies. It is believed that the flashes are part of a signaling system for attracting mates. Both males and females emit light intermittently or in specific flash patterns. The rhythmic flash patterns produced are specific for each species of firefly and vary by sex within a species. The flashes that we see are from the males that are attempting to attract a mate. For example, males of the common eastern firefly (Photinus pyralis) flash every six seconds. Females watch the light “show” and if a display from a specific male is particularly attractive, she will flash a response but only if it is from the male of the same species. The male descends to that location to mate with her. In addition to transferring sperm to the female during copulation, the male offers a nuptial gift of rich protein, which the female uses to provision the eggs that will soon start to develop in her ovaries. Interestingly, in one species of firefly, Photuris pensylvanica, the female mimics the flash pattern of another species, Photinis pyralis, to attract the male of the other species to her. When the male of the other species arrives, thinking he has found his mate – she eats it to obtain defensive compounds used to protect her eggs. A bad surprise for that male!

During daylight hours fireflies can be found patrolling leaves. By night, a flashing male firefly searches for a female. After locating his mate on an overhanging leaf, the courtship deal is sealed and the flashers turn off the lights for an intimate interlude. Watching insect behavior is really fascinating.

 For the common eastern firefly, eggs are laid in moist soil and hatch about a month later. All immature fireflies (or larvae) are called glow-worms (see image). The larvae emit light too, though it is a low intensity glow rather than flashing like adults. The larvae of our eastern firefly develop over two summers, so they overwinter twice, before pupating and emerging as adults this time of the year. Most fireflies are reported to pupate in rotting logs or the furrows in the bark of tree trunks. Although the larvae of fireflies are referred to as glow-worms, technically this is not quite correct. Glow-worms are a type of firefly where the adult female is flightless and maintains the appearance of a larva and she emits a long-lasting glow, similar to larvae. The males have the appearance of an adult firefly. To make it more confusing, other insect larvae that glow are sometimes called glow-worms too.

 Why are fireflies considered beneficials? Well, the soil active firefly larvae, or glow worms, are voracious predators of soft-bodied invertebrates and known to feed on slugs, snails, worms, and other soil-dwelling insects. Glow worms use their mandibles to inject prey with a paralyzing neurotoxin, making it defenseless, and then secrete digestive enzymes that liquify the prey making it easier to consume. Firefly larvae or glow-worms are believed to glow as a warning signal telling predators not to eat them, as they are mildly toxic and taste nasty. It is not well known what all adult fireflies feed on but some feed on pollen and nectar and some are reported not to feed at all. 

 Since most fireflies that produce light are in the Eastern U.S., it makes the nightly light shows we encounter here something special to behold for a few weeks during spring and early summer. Be sure to help young people you know, and others, enjoy the experience of observing and collecting fireflies. Be certain to release the little lights when you are done!”

 Acknowledgements

 Bug of the Week thanks Jackie for providing the inspiration for this episode. The interesting articles “Experimental tests of light-pollution impacts on nocturnal insect courtship and dispersal” by Drs. Aerial Firebaugh and Kyle Haynes, “Flash Signal Evolution, Mate Choice, and Predation in Fireflies” by Sara M. Lewis and Christopher K. Cratsley, and fascinating studies of Dr. Sara Lewis and Dr. Thomas Eisner and their colleagues, served as resources for this Bug of the Week.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

Introduction to Cockroach Identification 

Cockroaches are feared and loathed by many. These fascinating pests survived for millions of years, earning their reputation as one of the most resilient insects on the planet. They can live for up to two weeks without water and hold their breath for longer than 30 minutes. As a result, cockroaches remain a prevalent problem, infesting more than 120 million homes in the United States every year.  

Thousands of different cockroach species exist worldwide, with only approximately 70 of those species found in the U.S. Only four are common in our region, and you can differentiate between them by looking at their physical characteristics and behaviors. Although it’s tempting to group all cockroaches together, understanding the differences between various species can help improve the success rate of cockroach control measures. 

Why It’s Important to Identify Cockroach Species 

Cockroaches are more than just an icky bug. These pests can pose a real health hazard. Cockroaches contaminate surfaces to spread vectors of disease, including bacteria and parasites. Not only can they make you sick, but they can also set off allergies and cause asthma attacks. Identifying that you have a cockroach problem is only one step toward eliminating them and restoring healthy conditions.  

Determining the species invading your property is critical, as each one has unique habits you need to understand to properly eliminate them.  

Common Myths About Cockroaches 

Nobody wants to have cockroaches in their home or business. Many of the things that people believe about these skittering nightmares aren’t true and can prevent them from understanding the real risks that lead to an infestation.  

1. Cockroaches Only Infest Dirty Places: Although sanitation can play a big role in preventing cockroach infestations, these critters are drawn to places that offer access to food and moisture. Not keeping up with cleaning can offer more temptation and increase the risk. However, you can have an immaculate home and still attract cockroaches if food sources and water are plentiful.  
2. Cockroaches Are Always Active: Cockroaches are mostly active at night, which makes them challenging to spot early on when combined with their preference for hiding in dark places. Understanding their behavior can help you identify the issue sooner. 
3. All Cockroaches Are the Same: Each species has unique characteristics and behaviors. Also, of the 4,000 species crawling worldwide, only about 30 have been deemed pests. In the wild, cockroaches eat decaying matter, providing key nutrients for plants through their waste materials. They are also a good source of food for predators, including spiders, mice, birds, and frogs. 

Common Cockroach Species and Their Physical Characteristics 

Across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, you might encounter one or more of the following cockroach species. All have flat, oval bodies and long, thread-like antennae that they use to smell and feel their way around in the dark.  

Explore some other physical characteristics, which you can use to help identify what type of cockroach you’re dealing with on your property.  

American Cockroach 

American cockroaches hide in dark, damp spots with ample shelter, including under roof shingles, foundations, basements, and woodpiles. You may find them in kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms, and other areas with easy access to food and water. They come out at night to seek food, including everything from garbage to the glue that binds books. 

• Size: American cockroaches are among the largest species, averaging 1 to 1.5 inches in size. 
• Color: Bodies are reddish-brown, with yellow-hued bands on their heads.  
• Wings: Both males and females have wings. 

German Cockroach  

These may be the single most common cockroaches found in American homes. German cockroaches often emit a musty odor that can signal an infestation.  

• Size: Considerably smaller than American cockroaches, this species averages 5/8 to 2/3 inch in size. 
• Color: Colors range from tan to light brown with two dark strips down their backs. 
• Wings: These cockroaches have wings but rarely fly, preferring to run instead. 

Oriental Cockroach 

These cockroaches are also sometimes called waterbugs and black beetles. They are on the smaller side, with females growing larger than males. These cockroaches love dwelling in areas like sewers, making them common vectors of disease-causing contamination.  

• Size: These roaches grow up to 1 inch long. 
• Color: Bodies are reddish brown to dark black with a shiny appearance. 
• Wings: Although these cockroaches have wings, they do not fly.  

Brown-Banded Cockroach 

Although the other common cockroaches found throughout the region prefer humidity, brown-banded cockroaches thrive in warm, dry spots. They scavenge for food and will eat just about anything, including starchy materials like paper. 

• Size: On the smaller side, these insects average about 1/2 inch long. 
• Color: Bodies feature varying shades of brown with distinct banding on their wings. 
• Wings: Both males and females have wings, but females’ wings are smaller. 

Behavioral Characteristics for Identification 

In addition to their size and other physical characteristics, some of the behaviors of various species can aid in cockroach identification. Specifically, consider their habitats and feeding habits to help narrow it down. 

Habitat Preferences 

American cockroaches are more common in commercial settings, warehouses, garbage dumps, and sewers, but they may invade homes, as well. They can often be found in and around drains and pipes, making them common in areas like laundry rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, and basements.  

The German cockroach is a common home invader frequently found in kitchens, basements, and bathrooms. Oriental cockroaches frequent sewers, often entering homes and buildings through drains and door thresholds. They can often be found in crawlspaces, basements, and outdoor piles of leaves and firewood. 

With their preference for dry conditions, brown-banded cockroaches are often found in areas like closets. They may also hide in other dark spots like inside radios, televisions, furniture, and appliances and behind drawers. 

Feeding Habits 

American cockroaches eat plants, other insects, and nearly everything else they can. German cockroaches prefer sweets but will also eat items like books and toothpaste. Brown-banded cockroaches thrive on starchy foods, including the bindings of books and paste used for wallpaper. Although the previously mentioned species may occasionally eat non-organic materials, oriental cockroaches typically stick to organic matter, including garbage. 

What to Do If You Find Cockroaches 

If you spot a cockroach — or signs of an infestation like droppings or finding egg casings — the first thing to do is remain calm. Heat waves, readily available sources of food, and easy access to moisture from leaky plumbing can attract these pests. Also, remember that they are among the most common insects in the world, and you are not alone.  

Figuring out how you got cockroaches (i.e., leaving food out, leaking faucets, or a crack in the foundation) can help.  

DIY Control Measures 

Although there are pesticides on the market that you can try, DIY roach control can be very challenging. Crushing cockroaches can release oleic acid, a substance that can attract others to the area. Additionally, because these pests are so adaptable, getting to the root of the infestation to eliminate it entirely is often beyond the scope of what you can do on your own.  

Preventing Cockroaches 

Prevention is the most effective way to deal with cockroaches on your own. Keeping pet dishes covered, promptly repairing any plumbing leaks, and storing food in air-tight contains can help. Additionally, sealing holes and gaps in the foundation, around pipes and utility lines that run indoors from outside, and caulking around doors and windows can help seal entry points. 

When to Call a Professional 

As soon as you suspect you have a cockroach infestation, call for professional cockroach control. There are usually many more insects hiding in and around your property than you can see, which is why it’s critical to rely on the pros. At Catseye Pest Control, our highly trained technicians have extensive education and state-of-the-art equipment to address the problem. The Catseye team can identify the species and tailor the approach to both the unique needs of the property and the species infesting it.  

Contact Catseye today to learn more about our services or schedule a free inspection to get started.  

The post Spotting Cockroaches: A Quick Guide to Identification  appeared first on Catseye Pest Control.

This article appeared first on Catseye Pest

 

 

After a few seasons of respite for my monardas, the raspberry pyrausta has returned with a vengeance to my perennial flower beds. For readers that love spotted beebalm, scarlet beebalm, and wild bergamot, this week we visit a pesky small caterpillar and learn some ways to help safeguard the blossoms of these wonderful perennial plants.

Why should we protect the blossoms of monardas? By providing rich nectar rewards, these delightful natives are magnets for an astounding array of beneficial animals ranging from hummingbirds and gold finches to butterflies, bumble bees, hover flies, and myriad predatory and parasitic wasps. I have watched the summer parade of interesting and beautiful insects visiting monardas for hours over a cup of coffee on sunny summer mornings. But every year, there is foul-play afoot in my flower beds. Sometime in the latter days of May and early days of June just as the bergamot was prepping to bloom, developing flower buds, attendant sepals, and supporting leaves became shredded and riddled with holes. Close examination of the buds revealed tiny black pellets lodged in the nooks and crannies of the flower heads. Now, to bug geeks, tiny black pellets usually are a sign of insect activity. Said pellets are actually the excrement, a.k.a. frass, of caterpillars feeding within the flower buds. Some further poking around the nascent blossoms revealed small creamy colored caterpillars hiding in the axils of sepals and at the bases of florets.

While identification of small caterpillars presents a challenge even to seasoned entomologists, identification of adult moths and butterflies is way easier. A more extensive search of the bergamot patch revealed a rather pretty raspberry pyrausta moth, a member of the crambid moth clan. Crambid moths, also known as snout moths, are named for the elongated mouthparts protruding from the front of their head. Many bore into the stems of grasses and other monocots and some, such as the European corn borer and sod webworm, are serious agricultural and lawn pests. Just one or a few of these caterpillars feeding within a developing flower bud are sufficient to all but ruin its floral display.

While some blossoms on my bergamot look fine many are ravaged. This culprit is a small caterpillar feeding in the flower head. Chewed florets, holes in leaves, silk and pellets of frass are telltale signs of the caterpillar. Regular inspections and crushing caterpillars when you find them will help keep your blossoms looking fine.            

Here is the dilemma. For many herbivores in my landscape, the death sentence is commuted under a live-and-let-live policy with the belief that even pests will become food for other insects or birds higher in the food web. However, in the case of the raspberry pyrausta, lack of intervention translates into few or no blossoms on monardas and few or no resources for pollinators, predators, and parasitoids dependent on nectar and pollen for their activity and survival. So, in this case the caterpillars gotta go to make way for the beneficial insects. Ridding the blossoms of caterpillars is fairly easy to do. As flower heads begin to form in late spring and early summer watch out for holes in leaves, feeding damage to developing florets, and small black frass pellets accumulating in the axils of leaves and sepals. Carefully search the flower head and when you locate the caterpillar, simply crush it. If you don’t like touching insects, don a pair of rubber gloves and do the deed. Mechanical destruction of the pest is foolproof and works well in small patches. For larger patches, you could consider using an insecticide listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for controlling caterpillars. These insecticides have been reviewed by scientists and approved for use in the production of organic food crops. Two of my favorites contain the active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) or spinosad. Btk is derived from a common soil microbe and it works well on many species of caterpillars. If you grow milkweeds as a source of food for monarch caterpillars in your flower beds, take care not to spray Btk on your milkweed lest you poison any resident monarch larvae.

Some brands of spinosad will also carry the OMRI stamp of approval and they work well on caterpillars. Spinosad is also a product of a soil microbe. This molecule attacks the nervous system of insects. But be careful with spinosad, as it is highly toxic to bees. If other plants in your garden are in bloom or are about to bloom, avoid drift that might contact and harm charismatic pollinators. Use the same caution with monarda. The pyrausta will be present in the early formation of flower buds but as florets form and mature, avoid using spinosad as bloom time approaches and certainly when flowers are in bloom. Many snout moths have multiple generations and in my experience the raspberry pyrausta is no exception. I have crushed several crops of caterpillars in the flower buds and just the other day, a few more adult moths dared to flit around my flower bed. For a bug geek, watching the sunrise on a warm summer morning while sipping some coffee and squashing some caterpillars is not a bad way to start the day.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

 

 

Last week a team of scientists from Southern Adventist University, University of Florida Lake Alfred, University of Texas El Paso, Clemson University, and an unaffiliated researcher really captured the interest of the media with predictions that a large orb-weaving spider, the Jorō spider, was poised to expand its range from its southern stronghold to states further north. Jorō is native to eastern Asia, Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. Although it likely arrived in Georgia around 2010 it is now found in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio. Jorō joins its cousin the golden silk spider, Trichonephila clavipes, as a spider from afar that has established residence in our land.

The golden silk spider has been in the US for more than a century, where it occupies parts of Florida, several other southeastern states, and even rarely makes an appearance elsewhere, sometimes as far north as Pennsylvania. The golden silk spider, a native of Central and South America, has remained mostly bottled up in the south likely due to its inability to tolerate cooler temperatures further north. However, a recent study by Dr. Nelsen and colleagues found evidence for abundant suitable habitats in eastern North America and some in western North America that could support the Jorō spider. In southern states, populations of the Jorō expand rapidly once they become established in an area. Jorō also has remarkable talents when it comes to moving great distances. In nature, the typical mode of dispersal of many spiders, including Jorō, is by aerial dispersal of spiderlings. They balloon on strands of silk like Charlotte’s babies in the book of the same name. By the way, ballooning likely has given rise to the more spectacular moniker for Jorō, the “parachute spider.” No, they really will not rain down on you from airplanes. Long distance transit by Jorō probably depends on human assistance, as both adults and their spawn are good hitchhikers. Jorō may have entered this country as an inseminated and gravid female or as an egg-case stowaway in a cargo container from Asia. Rapid population growth coupled with its ability to be transported inadvertently by humans and naturally by ballooning make range expansion likely. Previous research by scientists Davis and Frick found that Jorō spiders have a higher metabolism, supported by a faster heart rate, and a better ability to tolerate freezing temperatures than their warmth-loving cousin the golden silk spider. These traits, combined with more rapid development, enable Jorō to complete its life cycle rapidly before chilly temperatures bring its seasonal development to an end. This suite of adaptations may enable Jorō to escape the relative warmth of the south and expand its range northward along the eastern seaboard.

The bite of the “venomous” Jorō will be terrible and painful, right? Nah, according to expert Rick Hoebeke, the risks to humans and pets are small due to the puny size of Jorō’s fangs, which are unlikely to pierce our skin. I have visited Jorō’s cousin, the golden silk spider up close and personal in the rainforest of Costa Rica and found the large females to be completely non-aggressive. These spiders are passive hunters that build enormous webs, larger than a meter in diameter, to capture prey snared by silk. For arachnophobes these may be scary, but for arachnophiles these are beautiful spiders which may provide important ecosystem services including biological control of crop pests such as brown marmorated stink bugs or spotted lanternflies, with which they have an ancient association in their native range in Asia. Jorō spiders may be like Hannibal Lecter “having an old friend over for dinner” when they reunite with the stink bug or lanternfly here in the US. Large spiders like these may also become juicy prey items for feathered and non-feathered reptiles.

The large and beautiful Jorō spider poses no known direct threat to humans or pets. Like its cousin from Central and South America, the golden silk, Jorō is here to stay in the United States.  Jorō often becomes the dominant orb weaver in colonized locations. Here is the mystery.  How will Jorō affect indigenous orb weevers like the pretty marbled orb weaver, spotted orb weaver, and my favorite, the black and yellow garden spider, destroyer of stink bugs?  If you spot Jorō in your neighborhood, please report it to iNaturalist.

As with all non-native species that arrive on our shores, it is difficult to predict what impact they will have on our ecosystems but experts suggest that beyond their somewhat scary mien, and maybe giving our indigenous large orb weavers like the black and yellow garden spider, marbled orb weaver, and spotted orb weaver a run for their money. In locations in other parts of the world where Jorō is established, it often becomes the most abundant and dominant orb weaver. What will it mean for our resident spiders and their ecosystems? Only time will tell.

In 2022 when Bug of the Week first talked about the Jorō spider, its presence in the DMV was speculative. But in 2023, several sightings of the Jorō spider were confirmed by iNaturalist in Howard County Maryland. The fascinating part of this story stems from the fact that images clearly show both male and female Jorōs present in the landscape. How did they arrive in Maryland hundreds of miles distant from their southern redoubts? While ballooning is possible, the likelihood of both male and female spiderlings dropping from the sky into the same location and hooking up seems somewhat unlikely. Perhaps a gravid female spider or an egg case hitched a ride from down south and inadvertently arrived in eastern Howard County. The million-dollar questions are, of course, did the Jorō survive the mild winter of 2023-2024 in Maryland and will we see even more of this gorgeous spider this year? Clearly, a road trip to eastern Howard County is in order for the Bug Guy. One final tidbit about Jorō comes from Japanese folklore. Jorō is a shapeshifter known as Jorō-gumo. Jorō-gumo turns into a beautiful woman, seduces men, binds them with silk, and devours them. Yikes! Sounds like a bad date to me.

Acknowledgements

Bug of the Week thanks Rick Hoebeke for identifying Jorō as it arrived in the US and for providing insights into the ways of these large beautiful spiders. We also thank David Coyle and Bob Bellinger for sharing great images and knowledge of Jorō. Fascinating studies entitled “Veni, vidi, vici? Future spread and ecological impacts of a rapidly expanding invasive predator population by David R. Nelsen, Aaron G. Corbit, Angela Chuang, John F. Deitsch, Michael I. Sitvarin and David R. Coyle,  “Physiological evaluation of newly invasive Jorō spiders (Trichonephila clavata) in the southeastern USA compared to their naturalized cousin, Trichonephila clavipes” by Andrew K. Davis and Benjamin L. Frick, “Nephila clavata L Koch, the Joro Spider of East Asia, newly recorded from North America (Araneae: Nephilidae)” by E. Richard Hoebeke, Wesley Huffmaster, and Byron J Freeman, and “The Life Cycle, Habitat and Variation in Selected Web Parameters in the Spider, Nephila clavipes Koch (Araneidae)” by Clovis W. Moore ND provided the inspiration for this story and details surrounding the stars of this episode.

To see other large orb weavers and differentiate them from the Jorō spider, please click on this link: https://resources.ipmcenters.org/view/resource.cfm?rid=27877

To hear more about the Jorō spider and calm your fears about Jorō, please click on this link to watch Jorō guru David Coyle’s take on this spider: https://youtu.be/zhO_bwwg-E4?si=nhd9au-t-HRCmw6b

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week