Category: Insects

You may have already seen articles this year stating that the tick population here in Michigan has already increased beyond “average” levels. Experts seem to agree: there are far more ticks than usual this year, and there are a number of reasons for that. But first, what is a tick, and should you be concerned about them? General Tick Facts Ticks are actually arachnids, from the same class as spiders (they’re not proper insects). They have eight legs like spiders, and the ticks here in Michigan range in size from a pinhead to a pencil eraser. They cannot jump; instead, they use a process called “questing” that involves waiting for potential hosts to pass closely by where the tick is hiding and clinging to the first layer of skin. Ticks prefer to live in areas that are both warm and humid (hence why a Michigan summer is perfect for them), and particularly in…

There’s a good chance that in the past few weeks that you’ve heard mention somewhere of the 2021 Brood X cicadas. For the past 17 years, they’ve been content underground, but this is the year of their periodical resurgence; as soon as the soil warms to 64 degrees Fahrenheit, billions of cicadas will make their way through the ground in swarms.  Where is the reappearance supposed to occur? Should you be worried about Brood X?  Here’s everything you need to know about the Brood X cicada resurgence:  What is Brood X?  The Brood X (10) cicadas differ slightly from the usual cicada species that we may see annually. Orange-eyed and black bodied, these cicadas resurface in 17-year periods. Although there are about 15 other broods of periodically reappearing cicadas, Brood X has both the most significant concentration and range. The density of these cicada swarms is projected to be astronomical…

One insect homeowners fear most is the infamous bed bug. Despite the fact that bed bugs do not transmit diseases, they cause panic and trouble wherever they’re found. And they’ve been doing it for thousands of years! Let’s take a quick look at the history of bed bugs. Early records of bed bugs Archaeologists have found bed bug fossils at a 3,500 year old site in Egypt, suggesting that these obnoxious insects have been around for thousands of years! During that period, bed bugs were commonly cited as a valuable ingredient in potions against snakebites. The Greeks and Romans wrote about them frequently, citing their medicinal value.In Pliny’s Natural History (c. 77-79 AD), bed bugs are mentioned as cures for ear infections and lethargy: seven bed bugs in a cup of water for adults and four bugs for the children’s remedy! In ancient Rome they were referred to as “cimex…

  When we think of spiders, what do we usually think of? Webs! A sticky, dusty mess of webs always getting into corners. We don’t usually think of spider thread’s utility in the manufacture of clothing or band aids. But when we look into it, spider silks are an incredibly useful material that has extraordinary potential.  Why is spider silk such a useful material? Spider silk is unique. Spiders actually produce seven different types of silks; the silk of most interest to scientists is called dragline silk. This is the silk used to create the framework of a spider’s web. Its strength lies in the hundreds of protein fibers stacked and linked together like building blocks. This structure gives dragline silk a toughness and elasticity that is one of a kind—stronger than Kevlar, more flexible than nylon, and with a thinner diameter than a strand of human hair.  Potential utilization of…

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” How many times have we heard this phrase? Probably too many. But have you ever heard of bat bugs? In this article we will learn a little bit about the bat bug, the lesser-known cousin of the bed bug. What is a bat bug?  As a member of the Cimicidae family, bat bugs are closely related to bed bugs.  In fact, they are so similar in appearance that people with bat bugs often assume they have bed bugs without bothering to have a correct identification done. Bat bugs are blood sucking parasites that feed chiefly on bats. Because of this, it’s important to be on the lookout for bat bugs if you’ve recently had a bat problem. A bat bug problem is often discovered in the wake of a bat eviction. Although they primarily feed off of bat blood, they can also  feed off other…

The infamous year 2020 has finally drawn to a close and, for most people, it couldn’t end quickly enough. We’ll all look back on 2020 as a year of craziness. But when we do take a pleasant trip down memory lane, let’s not forget the Murder Hornets. What happened to them anyway? In the spring of 2020, the so-called “Murder Hornets” became the newest macabre fascination of the year. There seemed to be no end to the hysteria over the fearsome stinging insects: stories of hornets killing elephants just by buzzing nearby, anecdotes about their excruciatingly painful stings, and conspiracy theories over their origin—were they released in the U.S. intentionally as a new type of hideous biological weapon? But what is the truth behind the 2020 Murder Hornet scare? Though most people became aware of the giant Asian hornet (dubbed “Murder hornets” by the internet) with the Washington State Agriculture Department’s…