From the Bug of the Week mailbag: Song of the Bess beetle, Odontotaenius disjunctus

A week or so ago, a friend sent me a short video of a beautiful bess beetle (aka, horned passalus beetle, betsy beetle, bess bug) and I marveled at the wonderful sound it made. A quick dive into the literature revealed that the sound is produced when the beetle flexes its abdomen, which causes a file-like structure on the upper surface of the abdomen to rub against a toothed structure, called the scraper, on its hind wings. This remarkable song has been described as chirping or screeking. It is called stridulation and is seen in many members of the insect clan. We met large stridulating beetles in Borneo in a previous episode. More than a dozen distinct types of stridulation have been identified in bess beetles.

Bess beetles sing by rubbing their abdomen on their hindwings. This sound, called stridulation, is used for defense and communication among adults and their offspring.

 Other than amusing humans, does sound production via stridulation serve other purposes for bess beetles? One possibility is that vibrations and sounds made by bess beetles may be a defense against predation. A fascinating study by Dr. Buchler et al. found that stridulation by bess beetles disrupted attacks by crows. Other studies by Dr. Robinson and colleagues found that defense stridulation by one bess beetle caused other bess beetles to have a “freeze” response rather than a “fight or flight” response. In addition to serving as a defense, stridulation in bess beetles is thought to serve other functions including social interactions among other bess beetle adults and larvae. Bess beetles belong to a select group of insects known as subsocial insects. Beneath the bark of trees, they live in closely related groups of adults that cooperate in parental care including feeding, communication, and defense of larvae. And it is not only adult beetles that produce sound. Bess beetle larvae have highly modified hind legs on their thorax that produce sound when rubbed against the middle pair of legs. Stridulation by larvae is used to solicit food from adult beetles.

Dilemma for a bess beetle at a picnic, “Do I go for the hamburger bun or find a dead tree to eat?” Image credit: Ashley May

These powerful beetles are important participants in the great circle of life. No, they do not occupy an exalted place at the top of the food chain like Mufasa, the Lion King. They sit near the bottom of the heap along with fungi and bacteria, where they help decompose fibrous wood. Adult bess beetles use strong jaws to gnaw and ingest wood. After being processed in the beetle’s digestive system and deposited back in the wood, the microbe-packed droppings, aka frass, are consumed by bess beetle larvae. The microbes contained in the leavings of the adult beetles are particularly important for young larvae that require parental microorganisms to help them digest wood. Tough plant tissues such as lignin and cellulose are indigestible to us, but the gut microbiome of the bess beetle and resident microbes found in decaying wood enable bess beetles to capture nutrients as they recycle tough plant polymers. Now is a great time to observe bess beetles as they scramble across the forest floor or recycle wood beneath the bark of fallen trees.

Bess beetles are among the champion recyclers of the insect world. A remarkable microbiome in their gut enables bess beetles to break down tough polymers found in wood and extract nutrients locked up inside. Now is a great time to observe bess beetles as they scramble across the forest floor or recycle wood beneath the bark of fallen trees.

Acknowledgements

We thank Peihan Orestes for providing the cool video of her singing bess beetle that provided the inspiration for this episode. Thanks also to Ashley May for sharing the picture of the bess beetle that joined her picnic. These remarkable references were consulted to prepare this episode: “Super-Protective Child-Rearing by Japanese Bess Beetles, Cylindrocaulus patalis: Adults Provide Their Larvae with Chewed and Predigested Wood” by Tatsuya Mishima, Noriko Wada, Ryûtarô Iwata, Hirosi Anzai, Tadatsugu Hosoya, and Kunio Araya; “Is disturbance stridulation in the passalid beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus a form of social communication?” by K. M. Robinson, Z. C. Mabry, H. Schonekas, K. Y. Robles López, A. N. Johnson, G. Cipriani, A. Nguyen, C. H. Ziemke and K. M. Baudier; “On the functions of stridulation by the passalid beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus (Coleoptera: Passalidae)” by E.R. Buchler, T.B. Wright, and E.D. Brown; and “Disturbance Sounds of Adult Passalid Beetles (Coleoptera: Passalidae): Structural and Functional Aspects” by Pedro Reyes-Castillo and M. Jarman.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

If pests keep reappearing in the same areas in your home, the answer may not be on the surface — literally. Moisture building up inside the walls creates hidden conditions that attract and sustain pest populations long before any visible damage appears. For homeowners across the New England area, understanding that connection is the difference between treating a symptom and solving the actual problem.

Why Hidden Moisture Is a Major Pest Trigger

Pests don’t move into homes randomly. They seek out environments that meet specific biological needs, and moisture ranks near the top of that list. Rodents, cockroaches, termites, carpenter ants, and silverfish all require water or humidity to survive and reproduce. Wall voids already give them everything else they need: darkness, stable temperatures, and protection from predators. When moisture is added to that environment, it accelerates nesting and reproduction in a space that remains completely hidden from view.

The EPA’s integrated pest management guidelines identify moisture reduction as one of the most effective and foundational pest prevention steps. It is a principle that Catseye applies directly. Before recommending any treatment plan, Catseye technicians evaluate the environmental conditions that are driving pest activity, not just the pests themselves.

Common Causes of Moisture Intrusion in New England Homes

Plumbing Leaks and Pipe Condensation

Older homes throughout New England were built with copper or galvanized pipes that are prone to slow leaks at joints and fittings. Even without a visible leak, cold supply pipes produce condensation during warm months that drips steadily into wall cavities and insulation.

Ice Dams and Roof Leaks

Ice dams are among the most damaging moisture sources in northern New England. Heat escaping through the roof melts snow along the ridge, which runs toward colder eaves, refreezes, and forces meltwater back under shingles and into wall assemblies. The Building Science Corporations often identify freeze-thaw cycles as a primary structural moisture threat throughout Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

Poor Ventilation and High Indoor Humidity

Homes that have been tightened for energy efficiency trap interior moisture that older, drafty construction vented naturally. Bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry areas without adequate exhaust systems push warm, humid air into wall cavities where it condenses on cooler surfaces.

Basement and Crawlspace Moisture

Fieldstone foundations that are common in older New England construction are not designed to be watertight. Groundwater intrusion during spring snowmelt is routine, and without vapor barriers or active drainage systems, that moisture migrates upward into lower wall assemblies throughout the home.

Exterior Water Intrusion

Along the coast in eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, wind-driven rain places sustained pressure on building entrances, such as roofs, windows, walls, foundations, and doors. Failing caulk, deteriorated flashing, and damaged siding allow water to penetrate behind exterior finishes and into wall cavities, often without any visible sign on interior surfaces.

Pests Attracted to Moisture Behind Walls

Rodents

Mice and rats use wall voids as travel corridors and nesting sites year-round, not only during the fall harborage-seeking period. A wall cavity with persistent moisture provides a nearby water source that makes the space more consistently attractive. Once established, rodent activity inside walls is difficult to eliminate without addressing both the population and the structural conditions sustaining it.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are one of the most common structural pests in New England, and moisture-damaged wood is their preferred nesting material. They don’t eat wood, they excavate it, and they strongly prefer wood that is already softened by water. Carpenter ants prefer moist wood, and a slow plumbing leak or repeated ice dam saturation creates exactly moist conditions inside wall framing. Catseye technicians regularly trace carpenter ant activity back to a moisture source that the homeowner did not know existed.

Termites

Subterranean termites are expanding their range into southern and coastal New England. Moisture is essential to their survival and colony activity. Wall cavities with moisture-damaged wood give termites both the materials they need and a protected environment to work in undisturbed.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches thrive in warm, humid wall voids near plumbing and are particularly associated with multi-family housing and older construction. Their reproductive rates in favorable conditions make moisture-driven infestations hard to resolve without correcting the environment itself.

Moisture Indicator Pests

The presence of silverfish, springtails, and earwigs is a reliable early warning sign. These moisture indicator pests signal high humidity rather than structural damage, but consistent sightings in one area of the home almost always point to a moisture problem behind a nearby wall.

Warning Signs of Hidden Moisture and Pest Activity

Most moisture-driven infestations develop inside wall cavities well before producing obvious signs. Watch for musty or damp odors that don’t seem to have a clear source, peeling paint or bubbling drywall in areas not exposed to direct moisture, and warped or soft baseboards. Recurring pest sightings concentrated along the same wall, scratching or movement sounds inside walls at night, and unexplained allergy or respiratory symptoms, which can indicate mold growth along with pest debris, are all worth investigating. When multiple signs appear in the same location, moisture intrusion is almost always the common thread.

Why Moisture Problems Lead to Bigger Infestations

Moisture-damaged wood is physically easier for pests to tunnel into, which allows carpenter ants and termites to establish and spread through framing faster than they could in dry materials. Mold growth that accompanies chronic moisture can attract secondary pest species that compound the infestation. Over time, structural materials weaken, and wall cavities that once housed a small pest population become larger, interconnected nesting networks. Because these cavities are sealed environments, infestations grow undetected far longer than surface-level problems, giving populations time to expand before treatment begins.

Inspection: Finding Moisture Before Treating Pests

Treating the infestation without locating the moisture source virtually guarantees the problem will return. Catseye technicians may use moisture meters to measure water content in wall materials and thermal imaging to identify temperature variations that reveal hidden water accumulation, all without destructive access. 

Key inspection zones include walls behind bathrooms and kitchens, exterior walls beneath windows and flashing transitions, and attic and basement spaces where moisture typically originates before migrating into living-area walls. Crawlspace vulnerability deserves particular attention in New England homes. Protecting your crawl space from wildlife intrusion and moisture eliminates two of the most common drivers of pest pressure in a single step.

Prevention Strategies for New England Homeowners

• Use a dehumidifier in basements through the summer months and maintain indoor humidity below roughly 50%, per EPA guidance.
• Inspect rooflines, window perimeters, and exterior penetrations after winter for ice dam and freeze-thaw damage.
• Extend downspouts at least four to six feet from the foundation and maintain positive grading away from the house to manage snowmelt runoff.
• Seal gaps around utility penetrations in exterior walls and the foundation.
• Ensure bathroom, kitchen, and laundry exhaust fans vent directly to the exterior, and inspect attic ventilation to prevent condensation buildup.

Why This Problem Is So Common Across New England

Aging housing stock, heavy snow loads, high seasonal humidity, coastal moisture exposure, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles create compounding stress on building envelopes throughout the region. Most homes in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut were built before modern moisture management standards and incorporated materials that were never designed to handle today’s combination of tight construction and extreme seasonal swings. This isn’t an isolated maintenance problem. It is a structural and climatic reality that makes moisture intrusion and the associated pest infestations persistently common across the region.

When to Call a Professional Pest Control Company

Persistent pest activity, despite DIY treatment, signs of moisture damage inside walls, suspected carpenter ant or termite activity, or rodents active in walls or the attic all warrant a professional inspection. Effective resolution requires a solution based on pest treatment, structural exclusion, and moisture control.

Comprehensive home protection from pests through Catseye’s Platinum program combines year-round monitoring, treatment, and structural protections to address infestations at the source rather than the surface. If moisture and pests are sharing your walls, contact Catseye today to schedule an inspection.

The post How Moisture Intrusion Behind Walls Drives Pest Infestations appeared first on Catseye Pest Control.

This article appeared first on Catseye Pest

A mere five years ago, in the spring of 2021, cicada lovers exulted in the arrival of billions of periodical cicadas in the eastern United States. By mid-June as the party wound down, they bemoaned the fact that in most of the DMV these strange and magnificent creatures would not return until the spring of 2038. But guess what, last week I received some amazing images of periodical cicadas emerging in droves just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia.

This sighting mirrors more than 400 reports of cicadas in more than a dozen states in the eastern half of the US. These off-cycle sightings of periodical cicadas are part of the ongoing mystery surrounding one of Nature’s most magical creatures. Before local cicadaphiles get their hopes up too high and cicadaphobes start packing to leave town, please know that this is not the full-blown cicadapalooza of 2021 (Brood X) or 2024 (Broods XIX and XIII). According to CicadaMania, early rising cicadas of Brood II may be seen in parts of Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Virginia. And in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Ohio, some one-year-early Brood XXII cicadas may be seen. In all of these off-cycle appearances, densities usually are orders of magnitude less than those seen when cicadas emerge with the full complement of their broodmates.  

Cicada stragglers are cicadas that emerge off-cycle from the rest of their massive brood. This poor guy emerged in 2022 and missed the big party in 2021 with billions of his Brood X broodmates that emerged in the Eastern United States that year. Here is what I saw on a spring morning in 2022. Against the background calls of Canada geese and mallard ducks, a male Brood X cicada scales an ancient maple tree in the early morning light. Watch as this lonesome bachelor avoids entanglement in a spider’s web. Instinct drives his quest to find a mate. Little does he know that his chances of passing along his genes to the next generation are between slim and none.

Cicada experts call sightings of cicadas in “off” years, cicada “stragglers.” Stragglers are periodical cicadas that emerge in years prior to or after the year that massive numbers of their broodmates emerge. Often, cicada stragglers emerge four years prior to or after their expected emergence date; however, it is possible for periodical cicadas to emerge between 8 years earlier or 4 years later than expected. Based on historical data, researchers can associate stragglers with their massive parent brood. The map accompanying this episode from iNaturalist provides accounts of actual sightings of periodical cicadas in our region this spring. This wonderful event has entomologists eager to add new information to our knowledge of these inimitable creatures. Recent studies conclude that the remarkable life cycles of periodical Magicicada are the interplay of genetic internal clocks and developmental growth thresholds that synchronize the emergence in 13- and 17-year cicadas. Experts suggest that part of the straggling phenomenon may be related to environmental factors such as variation in thermal regimes or the quality of the host trees immature cicadas dine on while underground. Sadly, densities of stragglers in an area may not achieve a quorum great enough to overwhelm hungry predators and other foes, and their unfortunate off-cycle appearance leads to oblivion for their progeny.

So, cicadaphiles, don’t despair, as this spring provides yet another chance to enjoy cicadas and to help scientists learn more about these creatures. You can participate in the highly successful community science project that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of data points by joining the Cicada Safari. To be part of the action, go to the app store on your cellular phone and download the Cicada Safari app. It is free and very easy to use. Download, register, and start snapping pictures of cicadas. Easy as pie. Cicada geniuses will vet your images and add them to a growing database designed to demystify the seasonal phenology and distribution of these charismatic creatures. Over the next several weeks as you enjoy parades, cookouts, and adventures in the great outdoors, keep your cell phones handy, eyes open and ears on the ready, and snap some shots of straggling Brood II and Brood XXII cicadas.

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Julie Byrd Gene Herbert for providing images and commentary of recent cicada sightings that were the inspiration for this episode. To learn more about magical periodical cicadas, please visit the fabulous repository for all things cicada at Cicada Mania and search the archives at Bug of the Week for “cicada’”. The fascinating articles “Advances in the Evolution and Ecology of 13- and 17-Year Periodical Cicadas” by Chris Simon, John R. Cooley, Richard Karban, and Teiji Sota, and “Decoding the periodical cicada clock: field evidence and genomic insights” by Zhenyong Du and Hu Li provided great insights for this episode.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

Here in the DMV Mother Nature can’t make up her mind whether it is late winter or early summer, as temperatures fluctuate between the 90s and 20s this spring. To escape this all-to-often chilly weather, let’s travel to sunny San Antonio, Texas, to visit some cool bees on a warm spring day. While wandering along the Texas Native Trail in the amazing San Antonio Botanic Garden, we encountered spectacular patches of Opuntia cactus. Several of these prickly pears were in glorious bloom and pollinators were taking full advantage of nectar and pollen rewards provided by the prickly pears. Among the most entertaining of the pollinators were rambunctious bees in the family Megachilidae, whose members go by many names including leafcutter bees and mason bees, which we visited in previous episodes.

Peering into a prickly pear blossom, I was surprised to see a roiling sea of pollen-laden anthers encircled by flower petals. After a short suspense, two very cute megachilids surfaced from the anthers and took flight. Nearly every prickly pear blossom was attended by these busy pollinators. Lacking the knowledge of exactly who these beauties might be, I dove into the literature and found a fascinating publication on the nesting behavior of one species of megachilid that frequents Opuntia in the southern US. Lithurgopsis apicalis goes by the common name of orange-tipped woodborer. Other megachilids called mason bees take advantage of existing galleries in wood to raise their young. Their cousins the leafcutters cut circular slices of leaves to create cigar-like rolls which they fill with pollen to raise their brood.

Springtime in Southwestern states brings breathtaking blossoms to a variety of native plants including Opuntia, the prickly pear cactus. Nutritious pollen and sweet nectar attract a wide variety of pollinators, including members of the megachilid. Pollen from pricky pears is gathered by bees on hairs called scopa that cloak their undersurface. Bees in the genus Lithurgopsis build linear galleries in the soft interior stems of the Agave plant and provision the galleries with prickly pear pollen to feed their young. Collecting pollen is serious business and tussles among the rambunctious bees are regular events. 

By contrast, the orange-tipped wood borer builds its brood chambers in the soft tissue of dying flower stalks and stems of the Agave plant. After entering through gaps in the outer layer of the stem, they bore though the inner tissue creating elongate galleries. These galleries are provisioned with prickly pear pollen that serves as food for their developing larvae. Unfortunately, even though prickly pear cacti can be found throughout much of North America, including here in the DMV, entertaining and energetic Lithurgopsis bees occur most frequently in the south and in states west of the Mississippi River. According to iNaturalist, no members of the genus Lithurgopsis are found in Maryland, DC, or Virginia.

 If your travels find you in southern and western states, and you happen upon a prickly pear cactus (don’t laugh, it could happen), take a moment to try and spot one of these beautiful and amusing native pollinators.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Dr. Shrewsbury for contributing video for this week’s episode. Thanks also to the San Antonio Botanic Garden for creating a wonderful space to enjoy plants from Texas and around the world. The fascinating article “Nest Site Selection and Nesting Behavior of the Bee Lithurgopsis apicalis (Megachilidae: Lithurginae)” by Jerome G. Rozen, Jr. and H. Glenn Hall was used as a reference for this episode.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

A few weeks ago we visited the annual exodus of brown marmorated stink bugs from our homes.  This week we turn our attention to reports of another home invader, boxelder bugs, festooning a suburban home. Boxelder bugs are members of the order Hemiptera, a.k.a. the “true bug” clan. Hemiptera are characterized by their sucking mouthparts and gradual metamorphosis. Some bug-friendly neighbors inquired about vast numbers of boxelder bugs aggregating on their patio and the sunny side of their house. As our friends opened and closed doors, these rascals snuck inside for reasons known only to the bugs and Mother Nature.

Seeds from the old maple tree in the background support an ongoing population of boxelder bugs that sun themselves on the side of a home on warm spring days. Wanderers sometimes enter homes, creating a nuisance. Others battle as they feed on maple seeds on the ground. Some have fun with playground equipment like swings. Males and females pair off, and after mating, females deposit eggs in many places, including sides of buildings. Wingless nymphs that hatch from eggs feed on a wide variety of plants.

How did this horde arrive and why are they now active? Here’s the story. Depending on geographic location, boxelder bugs complete one to three generations each year. They survive winter’s ravages hiding in cracks and crevices beneath shutters, under siding, and by entering other access points in structures. In natural settings outdoors, winter refuges include loose bark or hollows of trees, tangles of brush, and voids under rocks. During the last few weeks as temperatures soared into the upper 70s and 80s here in the DMV, boxelder bugs emerged from these redoubts and made their presence known inside homes as they sought a way out. On the exterior of homes, they aggregated in large numbers to soak up thermal energy from the sun.

You think you have problems with boxelder bugs? Check out the bugs on the side of this home.

Spring and summer are times for foraging on a wide variety of plants, including seeds of their namesake tree, boxelder, and other members of the maple clan. Both adults and nymphs feed on propagules of many kinds of seed-bearing trees and on juicy tissues of many other landscape plants. After gaining sufficient nutrients, mated females deposit eggs on a wide variety of substrates on the ground and on human-made structures. In autumn, large clusters of boxelder bugs gather on trees and buildings, where they become a nuisance. In the waning days of autumn, they seek winter shelter. On cold winter days they are inactive, but as winter retreats and temperatures warm, restless boxelder bugs move about and make their presence known inside and out.

Boxelder bugs are not harmful to humans or pets. They do not bite, sting, or reproduce indoors, however, if you squash them on your drapes or walls, they will stain. So, don’t do that. To limit the number of boxelder bugs taking up residence in your residence, eliminate overwintering places such as piles of lumber, fallen branches, or other refuges close to the house. Some folks go as far as removing boxelders, other maples, and ash trees from their landscapes to reduce food sources for nymphs and adults. Weatherproofing your home can also help keep these invaders out. Caulk and seal openings where utilities enter the home. Repair or replace door sweeps and seal any openings around windows, doors, or window air conditioners. If you find them inside your home, you might try this: simply get out the hand-held vacuum, suck them up, and release them back into the wild. It is wise to choose a liberation point some distance away from your home.  

Did you always want to know what the boxelder bug’s proboscis is and what it does? Well, watch this.

Acknowledgements

We thank Anne Marie and Dennis for sharing their boxelder bugs. Jackie, who enjoyed boxelder bugs at the playground, provided the inspiration for this episode. The wonderful reference “Urban Insects and Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology” by William Robinson was used as a reference.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

Reactive pest treatment often fails to stop recurring infestations. On the other hand, preventive pest control focuses on exclusion, monitoring, and early intervention, reducing long-term costs and pest pressure for homeowners in the Northeast U.S.

Why One-Time Pest Treatments Often Fail

Most homeowners call a pest control company when they see signs of a problem, such as a mouse in the kitchen, a trail of ants along the baseboard, or cockroaches in the bathroom. A technician comes out, applies a treatment, and the problem appears to go away. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, the problem is back.

This cycle represents the defining failure of reactive pest control, which only addresses the problem of what is visible instead of addressing the problem of what is driving the infestation. Entry points stay open. Food and moisture sources stay accessible. Breeding conditions go undisturbed. 

The EPA’s guidance on Integrated Pest Management is clear on this point: Effective pest control focuses on long-term prevention through habitat modification and exclusion, not just pesticide application. Killing what you can see is not the same as stopping an infestation from spiraling out of control.

What Is Reactive Pest Control?

Definition and Typical Approach

Reactive pest control treats an infestation after it becomes visible. Exterminators apply pesticides or set traps, which only addresses the immediate problem, and the visit ends. They do not inspect contributing conditions, seal entry points, or schedule follow-up monitoring.

Why It’s Common

The appeal of reactive pest control is obvious. It features lower upfront costs and immediate results. To be fair, for isolated, low-severity issues, a reactive approach can be appropriate. The problem occurs when it becomes the default response to recurring pest pressure, where it consistently falls short.

What Is Preventative Pest Control?

Definition and the IPM Framework

Preventive pest control is built on the principles of Integrated Pest Management, the science-based framework endorsed by the EPA. Rather than waiting for an infestation to appear, IPM combines regular inspection, ongoing monitoring, physical exclusion, and targeted treatment into a continuous system designed to prevent the conditions that allow infestations to take hold.

Key Components

A well-designed preventive program starts with a thorough inspection that identifies entry points, implements exclusion work, and continues monitoring between service visits. This is the structure behind Catseye’s Complete Pest Control Plan, which integrates all of these elements into year-round protection.

Why Reactive Treatments Have High Failure Rates

1. They Don’t Address Entry Points

A reactive treatment eliminates pests inside the structure but does nothing to address how they got inside. The CDC notes that mice can enter through openings as small as a quarter inch. If you don’t seal those tiny entry points, a new mouse population will follow the same paths, resulting in a new infestation.

2. They Don’t Eliminate the Source of Infestation

Pests invade a structure because it offers food, water, or shelter. The EPA’s IPM framework emphasizes that lasting pest control requires eliminating those conditions, not simply applying chemicals. A cockroach treatment that ignores a moisture problem under the sink temporarily solves the symptom while leaving the cause of the problem intact.

3. Pest Populations Rebound Quickly

Rodent populations recover rapidly when conditions remain favorable. The CDC notes that mice populations rebound quickly when food and shelter remain accessible. Cockroaches present a similar problem because they harbor in cracks and crevices that pesticides can’t reach, and a monitoring-free approach almost always leaves a portion of the population untouched, giving the infestation a foundation for rebuilding.

4. Misapplied Treatments Can Make Things Worse

Some ant species respond to chemical disruption through budding, where a stressed colony splits into multiple satellite colonies, each establishing a new nest. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension research, budding is a documented response in several common household ant species. A homeowner who treats colonies without understanding the species involved can turn a single ant colony problem into several, spreading the infestation further into the structure.

Why Preventative Programs Work Better

1. They Reduce Pest Access to the Home

The EPA identifies exclusion as one of the most effective long-term pest management strategies. Sealing the entry points that give pests access to a structure reduces the structural vulnerability that makes repeat infestations possible. That approach continues between service visits in a way that a pesticide application cannot.

2. They Monitor and Catch Problems Early

A reactive approach involves responding after an infestation is already established. The EPA’s IPM framework is built around monitoring because catching pest activity early, before populations grow and before damage accumulates, is far more effective than responding to a mature infestation.

3. They Reduce Reliance on Pesticides

Because preventive programs address root conditions rather than just visible pests, they typically require far fewer chemical interventions over time. The EPA notes that well-implemented IPM programs reduce pesticide use while maintaining effective control.

4. They Deliver Long-Term Cost Savings

The National Pest Management Association estimates termites cause more than $5 billion in U.S. property damage annually, mostly in structures without active monitoring. The CDC notes that rodents can damage wiring and structural components in ways that compound over time and create fire risk. Working to prevent an infestation is consistently less expensive than treating one that is spiraling out of control.

Reactive vs. Preventive Pest Control: A Direct Comparison

Factor	Reactive Treatment	Preventative Program
Focus	Eliminate visible pests	Stop infestations before they start
Root cause addressed	No	Yes (EPA IPM framework)
Recurrence risk	High	Lower
Monitoring	None	Ongoing
Entry point management	No	Yes (exclusion)
Long-term cost	Higher	Lower

Regional Insight: Why Prevention Matters in New England

Seasonal Pest Pressure

New England’s winters create predictable, recurring pest pressure that reactive treatments can’t handle structurally. As temperatures drop, rodents actively seek shelter indoors, a pattern the CDC documents consistently across the Northeast. A reactive response means treating an infestation after it is already established inside the structure. A preventive program addresses exterior entry points before the seasonal migration begins.

Tick and Mosquito Risk

Homeowners across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire also face significant outdoor pest pressure with real public health consequences. The CDC identifies the Northeast as having the highest Lyme disease transmission rates in the country. Managing Outdoor Pest Problems requires the same preventive logic — scheduled monitoring and treatment before populations peak, not reactive spraying after the fact.

When Reactive Treatment Still Makes Sense

Reactive treatment has a legitimate role. A sudden, severe infestation that needs immediate intervention before a preventive program can be implemented is exactly the right situation for curative treatment. The issue is what happens next. A one-time treatment that resolves an acute problem but leads nowhere leaves the home in the same vulnerable position it was in before the infestation. 

However, when it is used as the first step in a transition to prevention, reactive treatment makes sense. As a key part of the strategy, it tends to produce the same result it always has.

The Smarter Approach: Combining Treatment and Prevention

The most effective strategy isn’t a choice between reactive and preventive; it’s a sequence. First, inspect and address any active infestation with targeted treatment. Implement exclusion to close structural vulnerabilities. Then transition into ongoing monitoring and preventive care that holds across seasons and years.

Catseye’s Complete Pest Control Plan integrates inspection, exclusion, and Integrated Pest Management principles into a year-round program built for the pest pressures that homeowners in the Northeast face. For homes dealing with recurring infestations, or for homeowners who want to get ahead of seasonal pressure before it becomes a problem, the shift from reactive to preventive isn’t just a better approach. It’s the one that actually works.

The post Failure Rates of Reactive Pest Treatments vs. Preventive Pest Control Programs appeared first on Catseye Pest Control.

This article appeared first on Catseye Pest

In last week’s episode, we met fierce six-spotted green tiger beetles roaming the trail along the C & O canal in western Maryland. While catching glimpses of these predators, a steady stream of gorgeous zebra swallowtails cruised the bike trail and muddy riverbank. The parade of zebras along the Potomac and other rivers in the DMV is linked to the presence of pawpaws lining these tributaries. Like so many members of the butterfly clan, zebras depend on a rather limited menu of plants that serve as food for their progeny. Zebra butterflies specialize on members of the genus Asimina, the pawpaws.     

On a warm, early spring day along the banks of the mighty Potomac River, zebra swallowtails “mudpuddle” to obtain sodium and other minerals necessary for life. Watch as the zebra probes the soil with her proboscis. Later on as spring turns to summer, eggs laid by the female zebra hatch and caterpillars feed on pawpaw leaves. Caterpillars of the zebra swallowtail are elusive. After searching hundreds of pawpaws, I finally discovered an almost fully developed larva taking a stroll along a pawpaw branch. Lucky me.

Along the banks of the Potomac and other tributaries of the Chesapeake grow small forests of beautiful native pawpaw trees. A walk amongst these winsome understory trees sets one to wondering why their luxuriant green leaves often go virtually unmolested by leaf-eating insects and vertebrates during the growing season. Even rapacious white-tailed deer shun these plants. Pawpaw has evolved a clever defense, a noxious group of chemicals called annonaceous acetogenins. These bioactive compounds, found in both leaves and bark, likely make them unpalatable to a diverse array of hungry herbivores.

In addition to nasty metabolic effects, acetogenins are known to produce a potent emetic response in vertebrates. Ah, but herbivorous insects often discover ways to deal with defenses thrown at them by plants. In previous episodes we learned how monarch caterpillars turned the tables on milkweeds and used defensive compounds produced by milkweeds for their own defense against predators. A similar story holds for the zebra swallowtail butterfly. Sophisticated chemical analysis revealed that zebra swallowtail caterpillars and adult butterflies contained annonaceous acetogenins similar to those found in pawpaws. Scientists believe that these compounds originate in the leaves of pawpaw, are stored in the tissues of caterpillars as they eat leaves, and are passed along to the adult butterfly. The presence of acetogenins likely helps protect both the beautiful butterflies and their larvae from the beaks and teeth of hungry predators.

During the next month or so, find a moment for a walk along the Potomac or other nearby rivers where pawpaws abound. Be sure to keep an eye open for zebra swallowtails and spend a few moments searching pawpaw leaves for magnificent zebra caterpillars. And in autumn, don’t miss the chance to savor the delicious fruits of the pawpaw tree.

Acknowledgements

Bug of the Week thanks Pete Seeger whose rendition of “Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch” inspired this episode. The great read, “Chemical Defense in the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly, Eurytides marcellus, Involving Annonaceous Acetogenins” by John M. Martin, Stephen R. Madigosky, Zhe-ming Gu, Dawei Zhou, Jinn Wu, and Jerry L. McLaughlin was consulted in preparation for this episode. 

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

Temperature-controlled storage units regulate heat and humidity, but they don’t keep pests out. Rodents, cockroaches, and silverfish can still find their way in and damage stored belongings. Here’s what renters and facility managers need to know about pest control for storage units.

What “Temperature-Controlled” Actually Means (And What It Doesn’t)

When you rent a climate-controlled storage unit, you’re paying for regulated interior temperatures and humidity control. These features are genuinely valuable, especially when storing furniture, electronics, artwork, and documents that can warp, crack, deteriorate, or mold in extreme conditions.

What climate control doesn’t do is seal your unit from the outside world. HVAC systems require vents and ductwork that penetrate walls and ceilings. Loading dock doors open dozens of times a day. Floor drains, pipe gaps, and small structural imperfections exist in every building. None of that goes away because the thermostat is regulated.

In fact, the stable, moderate temperatures that make climate-controlled units so appealing for your belongings also make them attractive to pests seeking shelter, especially during colder months when outdoor areas become inhospitable. A warm, dark, undisturbed space with minimal foot traffic is close to ideal harborage for rodents and insects alike.

The misconception that climate-controlled means pest-proof is exactly why so many renters skip protective measures and why so many infestations go undetected until significant damage has already occurred.

Common Pests Found in Storage Units

Storage units are uniquely vulnerable environments. They are dark, rarely disturbed, and typically filled with the exact materials pests use for food, shelter, and nesting. Let’s take a look at the most common offenders.

Rodents (Mice and Rats)

Mice can squeeze through a gap the size of a dime, and rats need only a quarter-sized opening. Once inside, they chew through cardboard boxes, plastic bags, wood furniture, and electrical wiring. They shred stored clothing, paper, and insulation to build nests and contaminate everything they contact with droppings and urine. Rodents are among the most destructive and most common pests in storage facilities of all types.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches thrive in dark, undisturbed spaces with minimal foot traffic, and storage units check every box. They lay egg cases inside cardboard boxes and behind furniture and can survive for months without food, making long-term storage a near-ideal environment. One infested unit quickly becomes many as cockroaches travel through shared wall voids and utility chases to enter neighboring units.

Silverfish

Silverfish feed on paper, cardboard, book bindings, photographs, and starched fabrics. Climate control does little to deter them because they thrive across a wide range of humidity levels. The damage they cause is often discovered long after it begins because units go unvisited for weeks or months at a time.

Moths and Fabric Pests

Stored clothing, rugs, upholstered furniture, and wool or silk items are all at risk from fabric-destroying moths. It’s the larvae that do the actual damage, feeding on natural fibers in dark, undisturbed folds. Items stored long-term without a protective covering are especially vulnerable.

Spiders

Spiders follow their prey. Their presence in a storage unit is usually a sign that a broader insect infestation is already underway. Although most spiders are more of a nuisance than a threat, finding webs in corners, behind boxes, or inside furniture should prompt a closer look at what else may be living in the unit.

How Pests Get Into Temperature-Controlled Facilities

Understanding how pests enter is the first step to keeping them out, and the entry points are more varied than most renters and facility managers realize. HVAC penetrations are among the most common culprits, as gaps around ductwork, vents, and condenser connections give rodents and insects a direct route into even newer, well-maintained buildings. Loading dock and unit doors present a similar problem, as the brief periods they remain open during move-ins and move-outs are more than enough time for pests to slip inside undetected.

Below the surface, floor drains and pipe gaps allow cockroaches and rodents to travel through plumbing infrastructure and emerge inside the facility. Pests don’t always enter through the building itself, however. They frequently hitchhike inside boxes, furniture, appliances, and stored goods brought in by renters from homes or other spaces already dealing with an infestation. Once a single unit is compromised, shared wall voids, ceiling spaces, and utility chases make it easy for pests to spread to neighboring units without anyone opening a door.

Perimeter conditions around the building play a significant role as well. Overgrown landscaping, standing water, and dumpsters positioned near entrances attract pests before they ever reach the interior. Poor exterior maintenance is a major contributing factor in facility-wide infestations that are far harder and more expensive to resolve than a contained one.

How to Pest-Proof Your Storage Unit

Although no storage unit can be made completely impenetrable, renters can take meaningful steps to make their units a far less attractive target.

• Use hard-sided plastic bins with tight-fitting lids instead of cardboard boxes. Cardboard is both food and nesting material for pests. Plastic bins eliminate that invitation entirely.
• Never store food of any kind. Even sealed pantry goods, pet food, and birdseed emit enough scent to attract rodents. Food has no place in a storage unit.
• Wrap upholstered furniture, mattresses, and fabric items in plastic sheeting before storing. This protects against moths, rodents, and moisture alike.
• Leave a few inches of space between stored items and the unit walls. This allows you to inspect the perimeter during visits and removes the hidden nesting spots pests rely on.
• Inspect all items thoroughly before placing them in the unit. Check box seams, furniture cushions, and appliance interiors for signs of pest activity before placing anything in storage.
• Visit the unit periodically, not just at move-in and move-out. Regular presence disrupts nesting behavior and makes early detection far more likely.
• Choose a facility that has a documented pest management program. A facility that takes pest control seriously is a fundamentally safer place to store your belongings.

Signs You May Have a Pest Problem in Your Storage Unit

Because storage units go unvisited for long stretches, pest problems can develop significantly before they are discovered. Knowing what to look for during each visit can make the difference between catching a minor issue early and dealing with a full-scale infestation that spreads to neighboring units or, worse, follows your belongings home.

Droppings are often the first visible sign. Small rice-shaped pellets indicate mice, larger droppings suggest rats, and dark smeared marks along walls point to cockroaches. Gnaw marks on boxes, wooden furniture, or electrical cords are another clear indicator. Shredded paper or fabric material piled in a corner often signals active nesting and should be treated as urgent. A musty or ammonia-like odor as well as greasy smear marks running along the base of walls are signs of regular rodent activity in the unit.

For insect infestations, look for egg cases or shed skins from cockroaches and silverfish. These are typically found behind or beneath stored items. Check clothing, books, rugs, and upholstered furniture for holes or irregular damage, especially in items that haven’t been touched in months. If you notice any of these signs, don’t wait to act. Early action prevents a localized problem from spreading into something far more difficult and costly to resolve. Our professional pest control services can help assess the situation and determine the right course of action.

Don’t Let Pests Damage What You’re Trying to Protect

You put items into storage to keep them safe. Whether it’s furniture between moves, family heirlooms, seasonal equipment, or business inventory, the whole point is preservation. Pests work against that purpose entirely, and as we’ve noted, climate control alone won’t stop them.

For renters, the best defense is a combination of smart packing habits and choosing a facility that takes pest management seriously. If you ever notice signs of pest activity in your unit, notify facility management immediately and resist the urge to move items home before they have been carefully inspected. Bringing an infestation home is an all-too-common and entirely avoidable outcome.

For facility managers, pest management isn’t optional. It’s a core part of what tenants pay for and expect to receive. A single pest complaint can damage your reputation and accelerate tenant turnover. Proactive, documented pest management is both a tenant expectation and a business necessity.

Catseye Pest Control works with both homeowners and commercial clients to deliver thorough, reliable pest management that storage facilities demand. From routine inspections and ongoing monitoring to targeted treatment programs, our team has the experience to protect your facility and the belongings inside it. Ready to get started? Schedule a pest inspection with Catseye today and let us help you protect what matters. You can also contact Catseye with any questions about your pest control needs.

You put items into storage to keep them safe. Whether it’s furniture between moves, family heirlooms, seasonal equipment, or business inventory, the whole point is preservation. Pests work against that purpose entirely, and as we’ve noted, climate control alone won’t stop them.

For renters, the best defense is a combination of smart packing habits and choosing a facility that takes pest management seriously. If you ever notice signs of pest activity in your unit, notify facility management immediately and resist the urge to move items home before they have been carefully inspected. Bringing an infestation home is an all-too-common and entirely avoidable outcome.

For facility managers, pest management isn’t optional. It’s a core part of what tenants pay for and expect to receive. A single pest complaint can damage your reputation and accelerate tenant turnover. Proactive, documented pest management is both a tenant expectation and a business necessity.

Catseye Pest Control works with both homeowners and commercial clients to deliver thorough, reliable pest management that storage facilities demand. From routine inspections and ongoing monitoring to targeted treatment programs, our team has the experience to protect your facility and the belongings inside it. Ready to get started? Schedule a pest inspection with Catseye today and let us help you protect what matters. You can also contact Catseye with any questions about your pest control needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The post How Temperature-Controlled Storage Can Still Attract Pests appeared first on Catseye Pest Control.

This article appeared first on Catseye Pest

Over the past two weeks several parts of our country experienced record warmth for the month of April. Here in the DMV one of the sure signs that spring has truly arrived is the appearance of one of the most beautiful insects in Mother Nature’s panoply of six-legged wonders, gorgeous six-spotted green tiger beetles. One of our eagle-eyed extension agents in Queen Anne’s County, MD, sent me an image of a pretty tiger beetle hunkered down amongst the vegetation in her flower bed. Last week, while peddling along the C & O canal in Washington County, MD, busy green tiger beetles scattered away from my oncoming bike.

A while ago I saw this little beauty prowling around my garden. Look at the way those jaws snap open and closed. I surely wouldn’t want to be a little bug in the way of this hungry predator. To see these guys in action in the wild, I went to a sunny bike trail in western Maryland. Tiger beetles were all over the place.  Watch what happens when a bicycle approaches the beetle. That’s what I call a rapid escape. Let’s slow it down by 95% and see how that tiger beetle gets out of the way. Wow, that was fast. I guess all tiger beetles aren’t so quick on their feet. Look what happened to this one that couldn’t get out of the way of a bicycle. These bicycle trails can be dangerous places for tiger beetles to hang out. Maybe we need signs to warn cyclists of tiger beetles crossing.

Six-spotted green tiger beetles range from southern Canada to Texas and are commonly observed in the eastern half of the US. Predators as both larvae and adults, the name “tiger” suits them well. They are awesome hunters. The exceptionally long legs of adults provide lots of ground clearance and enable bursts of speed as they dash across trails and forest floors. Large eyes enable them to peruse their surroundings for signs of movement and potential meals. Unlike praying mantids that are “sit and wait” predators, tiger beetles actively stalk, pursue, and capture their victims. One amusing trick to play with these hunters is to spot one at a distance and toss a pebble or a small twig near the beetle. This often triggers an inquisitive charge as the beetle scrambles to see if a potential meal has entered its ambit.

Several years ago, I invited a handsome tiger beetle called Tommy into my kitchen to have a caterpillar snack. At first, Tommy seemed startled by a tent caterpillar that ventured just a little too close. A few moments later, I discovered Tommy behaving more like his “tiger” namesake as he snacked on the rear-end of the caterpillar. Watch as his sharp paired mandibles (jaws) and the second pair of mouthparts called maxillae move back and forth to ingest his tasty treat.

Like their feline namesake, the tiger beetle has powerful jaws used to capture, subdue, and consume its victim. Each jaw is armed with several stout teeth. The jaws grasp, pierce, slice, and crush. Just behind the jaws, a second pair of mouthparts called maxillae help shove pieces of flesh into the maw of the beetle’s digestive tract. Tiger beetles are carnivores as both adults and juveniles. The female tiger beetle lays eggs singly on the ground. Upon hatching, the immature stage, the larva, constructs an underground burrow. From this lair, the larva stealthily awaits dinner. As a hapless insect or spider strolls by, the larva springs from the hole like a jack-in-the-box and impales its victim with stiletto-like jaws. The prey is drawn into the burrow and eaten. Strange hook-like structures found on its abdomen help anchor the beetle larva in its burrow.

As generalist predators and members of Mother Nature’s hit squad, tiger beetles consume pests in our gardens and landscapes and provide the important ecological service of biological control. Tiger beetles are tough to capture without a net, but if you catch one, be careful; they have powerful jaws and can give you a little nip. These diminutive tigers will be common along sunny bike trails and paths over the next few months. If you have some free time, take a walk in the forest or ride along one of the many beautiful bike paths here in the DMV to catch a glimpse of these tiny awesome predators.

Acknowledgements

“An Introduction to the Study of Insects” by Borrer, De Long, and Tripplehorn, and iNaturalist were used as resources for this episode. Thanks to Rachel Rhodes for sharing her image of a tiger beetle that inspired this episode.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week

Each year as winter’s chill retreats and springlike temperatures climb into the 60s and 70s, many insects including stink bugs make their presence known both outdoors and inside our homes. Why all the activity at this time of year? The answer lies in age-old patterns of life crafted by insects in temperate zones to survive the ravages of winter. As we learned in previous episodes of Bug of the Week, many insects evolved clever adaptations such as antifreeze proteins and cryoprotectants that enable them to survive temperatures far below freezing. No such luck for other insects such as brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB). BMSBs are classified as chill-susceptible, meaning they are intolerant of cold temperatures. Their survival in unprotected locations declines dramatically as temperatures drop near and below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit), as they did with the unrelenting polar vortex last winter. To survive in urban and suburban settings stink bugs depend on human-made structures for winter survival.

Millions of folks throughout the nation were treated to invasions of stink bugs last autumn as the horde sought refuge in homes, schools, and office buildings. Some people mistakenly believe that stink bugs enter buildings in winter to get warm, but this is not the case. In the natural world where stink bugs evolved over millions of years, there were no McMansions. Stink bugs sought winter refuge in sheltered spots beneath the bark of trees or in rocky crags. Protected from the onslaught of winter, stink bugs chilled out and entered a state akin to hibernation where their activity declined as they awaited the return of favorable temperatures and springtime food. Lengthening days and warm temperatures signal the return of leaves, flowers, and fruit. With the return of warmth and food sources, stink bugs answered Mother Nature’s wake-up call and moved from their refuges to the greening landscape. Ah, but humans build structures and provide other places for stink bugs to survive. Inside attics or beneath the siding of homes where stink bugs sheltered for the winter, warm days convince stink bugs that spring has arrived and that it is time to return to the wild to seek food and pursue the biological imperative of finding mates and reproducing. With many stink bugs wandering about, it appears that my home, like many others, proved to be an excellent choice for surviving the rigors of winter.

With the arrival of warm spring days, brown marmorated stink bugs that invaded homes in autumn try to escape to the world outdoors. Their appearance on computer screens, appliances, furniture, and calendars attest to their luck in choosing the thermal refuge of my home for overwintering. Stink bugs that invaded my unheated tool shed chose poorly. Prolonged periods of subfreezing temperatures resulted in high levels of mortality in the shed. Could severe cold in many parts of our country last winter translate into fewer stinkbugs this summer? 

But not all choices of human-made structures are equal when it comes to surviving winter for BMSB. Choosing the right overwintering shelter is a matter of life and death for a stink bug. The business of shelter-choice by stink bugs reminds me of the famous line in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Hero Indy and villain Donovon must choose a potential Holy Grail cup from which to drink. The surviving Grail Knight warns Jones “Choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.” Stink bugs face a similar choice. Based on the hordes of stink bugs running about, it appears that my home provided a thermal refuge from the winter of 2025 – 2026, classified as “severe” due to extended periods of nights and days below freezing. Well, what other choices were available to my neighborhood stink bugs? They had the option of overwintering in my unheated shed. And how did they fare? Maybe not as well. I visited several hundred stink bugs in my tool shed recently. Of hundreds I found littering the shed, less than 8% were still alive. In the words uttered by the Grail Knight, these stink bugs apparently “chose poorly”. These results are not surprising as several previous studies highlight the importance of different types of human-made shelters in providing suitable overwintering refuges for brown marmorated stink bugs.  

As you deal with stink bugs this spring, here are some things to consider. Some folks have asked if “stink bugs can breed in my home?” To the best of our knowledge, the answer to this question is no. In the normal course of events, stink bugs move from winter refuges to plants outdoors where they feed for several weeks before they become competent to lay eggs. In your attic or an unused bedroom there is simply no food to provide the sustenance needed by stink bugs to produce eggs. Even if a stink bug could lay eggs indoors on a windowsill or wall, there would be nothing to sustain the young bugs, which require plant food for growth and development. Having made this claim, I might back-peddle just a little, as we have received reports of stink bugs feeding on house plants such as orchids and potted ponytail palms. Will stink bugs lay eggs on houseplants indoors? One homeowner discovered a batch of stink bug eggs on a houseplant in the spring a few years ago. So, the final answer to this jeopardy question is yes, they might breed in your home. The chances of stink bugs sustaining a population in your home probably lie somewhere between zero and nil, unless you have bountiful fruit bearing plants in your home and do everything to ignore stink bugs dashing about on those plants.

Another question that always comes up: What should I do about stink bugs that appear in my home this spring?  Sweeping, vacuuming, or simply picking them up and disposing of them is still our recommendation for control indoors. Because they will be active for a relatively long period of time, we are not recommending the application of insecticides to indoor living spaces to control stink bugs as they appear. Exposure of children and pets to pesticides could be worse than exposure to stink bugs. In fact, many pets and some children will be amused by a few stink bugs wandering about. My daughter’s cat loves them and, not surprisingly, my grandkids don’t fear the stink bug.  

To learn more about the brown marmorated stink bug, please visit the following website: http://www.stopbmsb.org/  

 To learn what to do when stink bugs get inside, and how to keep them out, watch the following video: https://youtu.be/0kG-2fetbZA

Acknowledgements

Thanks to stink bug hunter Dr. Shrewsbury for providing inspiration for this episode. Great references including “Cold tolerance, water balance, energetics, gas exchange, and diapause in overwintering brown marmorated stink bugs” by John J. Ciancio, Kurtis F. Turnbull, Tara D. Gariepy, and Brent J. Sinclair and “Cold Tolerance of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Across Geographic and Temporal Scales” by Theresa M. Cira, Robert C. Venette, John Aigner, Thomas Kuhar, Donald E. Mullins, Sandra E. Gabbert, and W. D. Hutchison provided insights into the cold tolerance of BMSB.

This post appeared first on Bug of the Week