“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese proverb When it comes to integrated pest management, we talk, a lot, about prevention. Keeping mice and brown marmorated stink bugs out is preferable to dealing with them once they’re in your house. So remember those…Continue Reading What’s Bugging You? – Missed Opportunities
“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” ― Willie Nelson On a recent call with my mother, I learned she’d found holes in bags of rice, and so she’d put out traps. She expressed her hope that after catching four mice, she’d dealt with all of them. “Well, probably…Continue Reading What’s Bugging You? – Mice
Originally published on March 24, 2018 – Courtesy of Paul Hetzler, CCE St. Lawrence County Pest management used to be a lot simpler, and more effective. For those bothersome vampire problems you had your basic wooden stakes, cheap and readily available. The well-to-do could afford silver bullets, an elegant and tidier solution. And of course,…Continue Reading Managing monsters: Ladybugs problematic for many this winter
PUBLISHED ON November 11, 2017 | Courtesy Paul Hetzler, CCE St. Lawrence County “Squirrels have been criticized for hiding nuts in various places for future use and then forgetting the places. Well, squirrels do not bother with minor details like that. They have other things on their mind, such as hiding more nuts where they…Continue Reading Gray squirrels skittering around to keep up — their pantry or yours?
Insects exhibit a variety of behaviors or adaptations that help them to survive the harsh conditions of winter. One that can be quite frustrating to homeowners belongs to the the group of insects we call “overwintering pests.” These organisms survive winter by taking refuge in South or West facing cracks and crevices, which maximizes exposure to the…Continue Reading Are you ready for fall invaders?
The shield-shaped adult brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) are between ½ to ¾ inch long with grayish-brown speckling on the top and bottom. “Marmorated” refers to the light and dark bands along the edges of the body. Now (April – May) is the time that they emerge from their overwintering places in our houses to…Continue Reading An Unwelcome House Guest: the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug