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Pest Files: page 4

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

Articles

Sunlit wooden porch and brick foundation at the edge of a wooded backyard in late springWildlife

Rat Snakes: Identification, Bites and Why They Climb Houses

Rat snakes are harmless rodent eaters and expert climbers. How to tell a blotched young one from a copperhead, where they get in, and how to...

October 30, 2026Sunny late summer vegetable garden edged by dry roadside grassLawn and garden

Grasshoppers in the Garden: Identification and Control

Only a handful of the 400 North American grasshopper species wreck gardens. How to identify them, when they hatch, what eats them and which controls work.

October 30, 2026Sunlit spring garden with a flowering fruit tree, a wooden fence and a patio table seen across the lawnWasps and bees

Bee Swarm on Your House or Tree: What It Means and Who to Call

A hanging ball of honey bees is a colony reproducing, not an attack. Why swarms are usually gentle, how long they stay, the Africanized caveat, and...

October 30, 2026Dim tidy basement storage corner with cardboard boxes on wooden shelves and daylight from a small windowSpiders and scorpions

Brown Recluse Spiders: Identification, Bites and Real Range

A brown recluse has six eyes, plain legs and a body under half an inch. Where it really lives, what a bite usually does, and how...

October 30, 2026Bright Florida kitchen with a white counter and a bowl of fruit by an open windowAnts

Ghost Ants: Identification and Why Sprays Make Them Worse

Ghost ants are tiny two-tone tropical ants with many queens across many nests. How to identify them, which states have them, whether they are harmful, and...

October 29, 2026Clean kitchen at night with the under-sink cabinet open and the range hood light onCockroaches

Boric Acid for Roaches: How It Works and Where It Fails

Boric acid kills cockroaches slowly and roaches avoid visible piles of it. What the published trials show on speed, dose, sugar mixes and safety, and when...

October 29, 2026Quiet kitchen in daylight with an open window and a small fan on the counterRats and mice

Dead Mouse Smell: How Long It Lasts and How to Find It

Why a dead mouse smells, how long it lasts according to forensic carcass studies, how to find the body without wrecking a wall, and whether the...

October 29, 2026Rocky fast-flowing creek in a wooded valley at duskFor Property Owners

Dobsonflies and Hellgrammites: Bites, Size and Life Cycle

The eastern dobsonfly looks fierce but is harmless unless handled: only females and hellgrammite larvae can pinch. Size, life cycle, range by state and what to...

October 29, 2026Shaded backyard under oak trees in autumn light with a picnic table and fallen leavesLawn and garden

Puss Caterpillars: Why the Sting Hurts and Where They Live

The furry puss caterpillar hides venomous spines under its hair. How to recognise it and other stinging caterpillars, what Texas poison centre data says about stings,...

October 29, 2026Rain-darkened desert patio at dusk with puddles on flagstones and clearing storm cloudsSpiders and scorpions

Vinegaroons: The Harmless Whip Scorpion That Sprays Acid

The vinegaroon, or giant whip scorpion, is harmless: no venom, no stinger, just a mild pinch and an acetic acid spray. Where the three US species...

October 29, 2026Wooden backyard deck and stacked firewood beside a large tree at duskWildlife

Raccoon Poop: How to Spot a Latrine and Clean It Safely

Raccoon droppings are dark, blunt-ended tubes piled in latrines on roofs, decks and woodpiles. How to identify them, the roundworm risk to people and dogs, and...

October 29, 2026Sunny kitchen worktop with a glass of water and a small closed jar beside the sinkAnts

Borax for Ants: Does It Work and How to Mix It Safely

Borax kills ants as a slow stomach poison carried home in sugar bait, but only at low strength. The concentrations that work, the common mistakes and...

October 29, 2026