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There are several different types of carpenter ants in the United States and in Nevada the main carpenter ant is the Black Carpenter Ant.

Monsoon season is the time of year in the Las Vegas area when we see mosquitoes that test positive for the West Nile Virus.  Mosquitoes in the east section of the valley have tested positive for the West Nile virus, however there have been no reports of human cases so far this year according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

Roof rats first arrived in the “new world” in the late 1,400’s when the first explorers arrived. In the Las Vegas Valley roof rats have been documented since 1990. The first time they were identified was in the south/central part of the valley.  The arrival of roof rats in Las Vegas is associated with the importing of palm trees.

I know most people have some fear when they see insects or pest in their home however in reality many insects are beneficial to humans and the environment. Without insects, the environment would be quite different than it is now, and could not function the way it currently does.

I know I have blogged about bed bugs several times over the years, however when you go on vacation and come home you don’t want to bring home unwanted guests that can infest your home.  So here is more information about bed bugs and how to avoid them.

The Black Widow Spider also known in scientific jargon as Therididae is one of the most feared groups of spiders in the United States.  They can be located in every state of our country as well as most of the Western Hemisphere.

Midges are a type of fly that you may see in many areas of the country.  They typically breed in aquatic environments and when they emerge it can be in large quantities.  They are nighttime fliers and are attracted to lights and can literally have an immense amount of midges drawn to one light.

One of the scariest sights in your home is seeing a house mouse scurrying across the room.  These small rodents have been traced back to be originally from Central Asia, Pakistan and Northern Iran.  There is evidence that the house mouse also lived in what today is Israel 12,000 years ago.

There are three common species of earwigs – the European earwig, ring-legged earwig and the seaside earwig.  However the seaside earwig likes to be near the ocean so we in Las Vegas are not bothered by this species.  Earwigs are more active at night and that might have stirred the old wives tale that earwigs purposely crawl into people’s ears while they are sleeping and find their way to the brain – Totally Not True!

One of the types of cockroaches that live in the Las Vegas Valley is the American cockroach and known by other names like “Bombay canary and “water bug”.  One thing is for certain most people agree that seeing a cockroach scurrying across the floor in your home is frightening and revolting at the same time.

If you live in the Las Vegas area you will at some point come across a scorpion.  Did you know that scorpions are one of the oldest groups of anthropods -an exoskeleton animal or insect with a segmented body and paired jointed appendages?

Hornets and yellowjackets are considered part of the Vespidae family of wasps.  Both of these pests are known to build their nests in structures; however some yellowjackets have been known to build nests in the ground.  They live in colonies that can consist of up to thousands of individuals and would not be a threat to humans except for their proximity – building the nests where we live.