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Every now and then Global Pest Services finds an article that shares interesting facts about pests. As you know they live in our yards and sometimes in our houses. The following are some fascinating things about insects you might want to know.

It’s September and most people have come home after a summer vacation, however did you bring some bed bugs home with you? The common bed bug aka Cimex Lectularius is a small bug only approximately 3/16 of an inch long and 1/8 of an inch wide and has an oval shape.  The bug is flat and the color is brown to reddish brown with a 3-segmented beak and 4-segmented antennae and vestigial wings.  They emit a distinctive” musty sweetish” odor that usually comes from undigested parts of their last blood meal.

Earwigs – we don’t hear that much about them however they do exist and live in the Las Vegas Valley. Did you know that there are three common species of earwigs – the European earwig, ring-legged earwig and the seaside earwig – we in Las Vegas need not worry about the seaside earwig since we are not near an ocean.

The Southern Nevada Health District reported three additional cases of West Nile virus in Clark County, bringing the total to 12. According to the Health District, all three cases were men over the age of 50. Ten of the 12 cases reported so far this year have involved the neuroinvasive form of West Nile. More than 35,000 mosquitoes have been tested so far this year, according to the Health District's data, with more than 6,100 testing positive for West Nile across 36 zip codes.

Unless you have been traveling outside the southwest area of the United States you have heard about the great grasshopper invasion of 2019.  Las Vegas and other parts of Southern Nevada had an unusually wet spring and that led to the hoards of pallid-winged grasshoppers have infesting the valley as they migrate as far north as central Nevada from Laughlin and northern Arizona, agriculture officials said last week.

As we all know it gets pretty hot in Las Vegas in the summer.  Ants are one of the pests that we see in the Las Vegas Valley during the summer months and they come in several varieties.  Ants are the most common insect that can be found in yards and gardens – most go unobserved living underground or out of sight.  However they find their way indoors through small cracks near utility pipes and the foundation of the home or damaged weather stripping round doors and windows. They come into the home looking for food and water.

This past spring was certainly a wet one for the Las Vegas area and we now are starting to have over 100 degree days – perfect for bugs and pests to come out to annoy us.  Expect to see a rise in the amount of Ants, Cockroaches and other insects this time of year.  With the increase of these insects predators like scorpions and spiders that feed upon them may also increase.   Flying insects like moths, gnats and flies will also be more noticeable.  You may even see more bats around your home as they will be out feeding on the increased number of flying insects. 

German cockroaches are light brown to tan in color with two dark, almost parallel stripes located on their backs, just behind their heads.  It is the most common cockroach species of cockroaches since they can breed at a rate of up to six generations per year.  They like to live in warm, humid places close to food and moisture source and are frequently found in kitchen environments and bathrooms and can really frighten you when you turn on the light.

Spring is one of the nicest times in the Las Vegas Valley. All around our wonderful area flowers are blooming and the bees will be drawn to the aroma of the flowering plants. Southern Nevada has many different types of bees and wasps that come out at this time of year and can be found all over the area.

Southern Nevada has had quite a lot of rain in the past couple of months. When there is rain there is standing water and that water attracts mosquitoes. The Southern Nevada Health District has reported its first human case of West Nile virus in Southern Nevada in 2019. The individual, a female over the age of 50, had the more serious neuroinvasive form of the illness and has recovered.

Las Vegas is warming up and in a couple of weeks we should see the temperature going into the low 100’s. With the warm conditions everything is starting to bloom and we start seeing scorpions in the yard and yes they might come into your home.