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Head Lice? Oh No!

Panic, terror and horror!

Head lice are a common school year problem.

Head lice are a common problem in schools.The call comes from school that your child has head lice. What to do, what to do?

You could panic, scream, wail and curse the gods.  After all, head lice prove that you and your family are no-good, rotten, filthy low class people, sure to be shunned by society.  Right? Well, not exactly.

Head lice are one of the most common school age problems, afflicting over 12 million kids each year.  Fortunately, head lice are harmless and  fairly simple to eradicate.

So take a deep breath, calm down and follow a few simple steps to be covered in the next few posts.

A Bit About Silverfish

Silverfish really aren’t fish at all.

Silverfish are insects, related to cockroaches and ants.

Creepy and crawly silverfishColored blueish-silver to greenish-silver, these slippery creatures carry the moniker “fish”because their movements mimic small fish.

Silverfish are ½ to 1 inch long scaly pests that thrive in damp environments.  They feast on starch and carbohydrates, eating everything from cereals and bread to cardboard boxes and wallpaper (they love the starchy glue).

Very little harm is caused by silverfish and they post no health risk or threat of pain or stinging.  Silverfish just want to quietly go about their life living in the damp crevices of your home whilst munching on your books, walls and photos.

The most important thing to remember when encountering a silverfish is to remain completely still and avoid direct eye contact.  An irritated silverfish has the ability to bite the head off a normal sized human.

Actually, that last bit was just a bit of posh.

How to Identify a Brown Recluse Spider

Distinctive violin shaped marking on its back.

Brown recluse spiders can also be colored gray.

Distinctive violin shape on it back

Very distinct features identify the brown recluse.  Brown to gray in color, it has a distinctive violin marking on its back.

The marking is seen on the portion of the body attached to the legs.   The well defined violin shape explains why the brown recluse is also called a fiddleback  spider, a brown fiddler and a violin spider.

The brown recluse is a bit larger than a quarter with long legs.  The legs are covered in light hair and have no adhering spines.

Unlike most spiders, the brown recluse has only six eyes, two forward looking and four side looking.  Go figure!

The University of California Riverside has performed a great deal of spider research.  Check out their site http://spiders.ucr.edu/recluseid.html if you are looking for great information about the brown recluse spider.

Do Not Squish Stink Bugs

Crushed stink bugs emit an odor quite foul.

Don’t “go hatin” on the stink bug, or you’ll be sorry!

now you've got a stink bug problem!

Do not under any circumstances squish, squash, stomp,  crush or snuff out stink bugs. Any squishing, squashing, stomping, crushing and snuffing will result in the release of a malodorous chemical. You will be sorry.

Vacuuming is an effective strategy to get rid of stink bugs but you must be very careful when handling the vacuum bag or cannister.  Vacuuming will not kill the insects, but it will disturb them enough that they may emit their smell.  Work quickly to remove the vacuum bag, place in an airtight plastic garbage sack and throw it out far away from your home or any other inhabitable area.

The only sure fire way to get rid of stink bugs is to conduct a thorough inspection of your home and seal up any entry points you may see.  Check your outside foundation, water spigots, siding, windows and window sills, doors, basement and attic.  You will find openings and you should caulk them shut.

Stink Bugs Guide educates us all about the brown marmorated stink bug.  The site uses words like pentatomoidea and heteroptera suborder, so you know it’s got to be good!

Good luck getting rid of stink bugs!

Welcome Back Stink Bugs!

Stink bugs are beginning to come indoors.

Searching for warmer temperatures, pests come through doors and windows.

brown marmorated stink bugTemperatures are beginning to dip down into the range of what meteorologist call “chilly.”  The change in temperature makes our friend, the brown marmorated stink bug look for warmth.

Stink bugs come into our homes because they are looking for a place to hibernate over autumn and winter.  This means that we are witnessing the first of an ever mounting ascension of these pesky bugs around our doors and windows.

Remember, stink bugs do more damage outside than they do inside.  Crops and foliage pierced by their pincers are susceptible to fungus and disease.  Stink bugs, however, do very little damage to homes, furniture or clothing.

Great stink bug information can be found at stinkbug411.com.  Highly recommended site.

They simply bother humans when they are inside our homes.  Maybe it’s because we know that a disturbed stink bug will live up to its name.

Let’s home this year’s crop of stink bugs is imperturbable!

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