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Pest Files: page 19

One reference page per pest: identification, the damage it does, what treatment involves and how long it realistically takes.

Articles

Dark gap behind a base cabinet in an old apartment kitchen at night under hard torch lightCockroaches

German Cockroaches: Why Spraying Stopped Working

Field populations survive pyrethroids at 202 times the lab dose, and four consumer sprays killed under 20 per cent. What the bait studies show instead.

September 29, 2026Open kitchen cupboard with plain glass jars and paper bags of dry goods on the shelvesFlies, moths and pantry pests

Pantry Pests: Which Ones Chew Into Sealed Packets

Warehouse and drugstore beetles chew through boxes, bags and foil; sawtoothed grain beetles use openings that already exist; weevils arrive sealed inside the grain. Finding the...

September 19, 2026Dim unfinished basement corner with exposed joists, a cardboard box and a damp concrete floorAutumn invaders

House Cricket or Camel Cricket? The Silent One Explained

Camel crickets are wingless, humpbacked and silent, and in a continental survey 88 per cent of households sending in a specimen had the Asian species rather...

September 19, 2026Burrow entrance in a lawn beside a concrete patio edge with fresh soil pushed out around itWildlife

Chipmunk, Groundhog or Ground Squirrel? Read the Burrow

A groundhog entrance is 10 to 12 inches across with a mound of soil; a chipmunk entrance is 2 inches with none at all. Plus the...

September 19, 2026Dark inside corner of a kitchen cabinet with a small plain white bait disc against the back edgeCockroaches

Gel Bait or Spray for Roaches: Why Delivery Decides It

The same laboratory tested both against the same cockroaches. Every bait killed at least 80 per cent in 14 days; every consumer spray killed under 20...

September 19, 2026Kitchen worktop with a plain amber glass spray bottle, a dish of white powder and fresh mintFor Property Owners

Do Natural Pest Control Products Work? What the Testing Shows

EPA does not review minimum risk products for efficacy. CDC testing put cedarwood tick sprays at 5 to 6 per cent and a registered product at...

September 19, 2026Damp concrete basement floor meeting a painted block wall with a dark water stain along the baseDamp-loving pests

Woodlice, Sowbugs and Pillbugs: What They Are Telling You

Woodlice are crustaceans with seven pairs of legs, they die indoors within days, and a steady trickle of them is a moisture report on the ground...

September 19, 2026Potted houseplants on a bright windowsill, one with yellowing speckled leavesLawn and garden

Houseplant Pests: Fungus Gnats, Spider Mites, Scale and Mealybugs

Fungus gnats at 1.5 to 3 mm, spider mites at 1.3 mm and scale from 1 to 6.4 mm, with the watering and removal fixes that...

September 19, 2026Unmade bed with rumpled white sheets in morning light with curtains half drawnFleas and biting bugs

What Bit Me? Why Bite Patterns Are Weak Evidence

About 30% of people never react to bed bug bites and reactions can take up to 14 days to appear. What bite patterns can narrow down,...

September 18, 2026Dog lying on a patterned rug in a sunlit living roomFleas and biting bugs

Why Fleas Come Back Two Weeks After Treatment

The pupa waits inside a cocoon that insecticide does not penetrate, typically one to four weeks and up to 12 months in cool conditions. The full...

September 18, 2026Exposed timber floor joist and subfloor seen from a crawl space under torchlightTermites

Reading Wood Damage: Termite, Carpenter Ant, Beetle or Rot

Soil in the tunnel means termites, smooth clean galleries mean carpenter ants, round holes with powder mean beetles, and no tunnels at all means decay.

September 18, 2026Hiking boots and socks on a trail where mown path meets tall grass and brushMosquitoes and ticks

Tick Identification: Which Tick, and When It Is Out

Blacklegged nymphs are active April through July and carry the most human risk. A month-by-month activity chart by species and life stage, and what each transmits.

September 18, 2026