Clik here to view.
Yellowjacket Wasps
Late summer is the time of year when populations of yellowjackets (commonly called "bees") and other social wasps become large and noticeable. The wasps have been present since spring, but because...
View ArticleBlack Flies -- Springtime's Biting Gnats
Black flies are not very common in most of Iowa, though a few samples and calls are received every year. Some years, however, we experience a marked increase in the number of calls about "those !@#$%*...
View ArticleChiggers
The term chigger is a common name used to describe the larval stage of mites that are parasitic on warm-blooded animals, including people. Chigger bites characteristically cause intense itching and the...
View ArticleFlea Control
Through the late 1980's we saw increasingly severe flea problems almost annually in Iowa. Fortunately, that trend did not continue in the early 1990's and flea populations have been highly variable...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Minute Pirate Bugs
During the late summer, small, obscure insects known as insidious flower bugs and their rarer cousins, the minute pirate bugs, make their presence known in a very convincing manner by biting with an...
View ArticleMosquitoes
Regardless of whether record numbers of mosquitoes are produced this year, many people are now asking how to control these pests in and around their homes. The first and most important thing to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lone Star Tick
The lone star tick, named for the prominent white dot on the back of the adult female, is very abundant in south central and south east U.S.read more
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grass-carrier Wasp
An unusual insect that few people get to see in Iowa is the "grass-carrier" wasp of the genus Isodontia. The name refers to the nesting habits of the female wasp. The wasps fill nest cavities with...
View ArticleYellowjacket Wasps in the House in the Fall
Yellowjacket wasps are common insects in Iowa that build annual colonies in the ground, or in holes in building walls and foundations.read more
View Article
