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Since the summer in Las Vegas is literally just around the corner it is important to know about bees, wasps, yellow jackets and hornets so you can avoid being stung.  So here is some information about wasps that may help you to recognize them and other interesting facts.

Its spring in the Las Vegas Valley – flowers are blooming and the bees will start buzzing.  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.

If you love seeing butterflies and live in Southern Nevada this is the perfect time to look for them.  They start flying now and will be around until late April or beginning of May.

Springtails are very small insects in the order collembolan even though they are in the insect class, being wingless having poor vision and that they are more primitive than most insect, leading some entomologists to believe they should have their own class-collembolan.

Many people go away at this time of year for spring break – the kids are off from school and it is a good time for a family vacation.  Have fun and be aware that Bed Bugs might like to come back with you to Las Vegas.

The brown recluse spider is one of the spiders that reside in southern parts of the country and is one of two spiders with significant venom in North America. This variety of spider has six eyes that are situated in three pairs arranged in a semi circle pattern -most other spiders have eight eyes.  There color ranges from light brown to dark brown.

Dust mites come in two varieties – the American dust mite and the European dust mite and can be found living in most homes across the country.  Both of these dust mites are the most important group of pests that produce allergens in the house dust of your home. The dust mite is nearly impossible to see without magnification. A typical mattress can contain tens of thousands of dust mites.  Plus nearly 100,000 mites can live in a single square yard of carpet!

Each type of insect has their own mating ritual that is quite different from the human species.  Here are a few of the less than romantic, quirky, and sometimes fatal ways certain pests woo their mates, proving that ‘love’ doesn’t need to cost a thing. Just be glad you’re not an insect – a lot of insect rituals may seem more than a little weird to us however insects have evolved into skilled breeders, they are wired to procreate quickly and produce large quantities of off spring.

As the name states the little black ant is little – 1.5 to 2mm in length, and found all over the country as well as Nevada. They are dark brown to black and shiny in appearance.

The Las Vegas Valley has had a very mild winter this year so don’t be surprised if we start to see scorpions and other pests earlier than usual. Did you know that scorpions are one of the oldest know groups of arthropods and have not changed their appearance in millions of years.  The most common scorpions in our area are the bark scorpion and the desert scorpion. The bark scorpion is the main problem around Las Vegas because their stings can be deadly if not treated.

Carpet beetles are fairly common pests in homes and businesses - these insects will do damage to fabrics and they are known to be a pest in food products as well.  Carpet beetles occur naturally outdoors and then make their way into buildings.  They may enter through improperly sealed or improperly screened doors and windows or through other cracks.

Seeing rats and mice anywhere especially in your home can cause fear to many people.   It seems that during the fall and winter months the amount of rodent issues in the home increases to 45 percent. It is that time of year that mice and rats tend to move indoors in search of food, water and shelter, it’s important to be aware of the signs of a rodent infestation.