10 Common Pest Questions Answered!

10 Common Pest Questions Answered!

With the overwhelming number of pests that we come across in any given year, it’s no wonder we have so many unanswered questions about them. The inner workings of a pest’s life can be easily answered with some observation: where a wasp’s nest is located, what ants eat, why bees gather pollen. But there are many questions and random thoughts that come about only when the situation is actually happening. Let’s look at ten different inquiries that you may have had at some point and the long-awaited answers to them.

1. Why Do Mosquitoes Love Me?

For those of us who can’t step outside in warm weather without being repeatedly bitten by mosquitos, this is often a rhetorical question we ask every summer. But, believe it or not, there is actually an answer! First of all, female mosquitoes are the culprits of these bites and only when they need protein for their eggs. But there still seems to be too many bloodthirsty mosquitoes for our taste. Mosquitoes are attracted to several different factors in a blood source, including carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and ammonia. People who naturally breathe heavier or more frequently, especially while exercising, emit more carbon dioxide for mosquitoes to find. Lactic acid and ammonia content, among other skin chemicals, are determined largely by genetics. So, unfortunately, the main reasons why mosquitoes prefer certain people is out of our control. But one factor that we can control is the color of clothing we wear; mosquitoes seem to prefer dark colors over light. If you are going for a walk or spending a lot of time outside, try wearing lighter colors and using bug spray to see if that cuts down on the number of mosquito bites you return home with. 

One other note for those of us whose mosquito bites immediately swell up without us touching them: it is highly possible that you are allergic. This doesn’t mean you are allergic to mosquitoes in general, but rather, to their saliva. They inject their saliva into us with every bite, and this is what causes the swelling and redness if we happen to be allergic. They do not inject a previous victim’s blood, like scientists used to believe. The heat and water vapor that we generate while being active is irresistible to hungry mosquitoes, and that unfortunately means that we are even more susceptible when we decide to be healthy outdoors. Anti-itch cream will be your best friend this summer if you experience a lot of massive, itchy bites, so don’t be afraid to slather that on as soon as you get home!

2. Why Do Bugs Love Lights?

If you have been outside when the sun goes down and the porch light is the only source of illumination the yard gets in the summer, you have likely seen the swarm of random insects that gather in a fascinating yet disgusting way. There are a million better places for insects to go; why in the world would they choose to bounce against our patio lights? Technically, not every insect is drawn to artificial light. Insects are phototactic, but the type of phototactic that they are is the deciding factor on whether they love lights or not. Positive phototactic means they are attracted to lights, and negative phototactic means they flee from lights. Think of a moth as opposed to a cockroach, who scuttles away at the first sign of light. The specific reason why insects swarm lightbulbs is still relatively unknown. There isn’t a clear-cut reason why our lightbulbs are irresistible to insects as soon as they are flipped on. 

There are a few theories as to why certain insects love the light, however. One is that nocturnal insects use the moon for guidance and navigation, and get confused when a “smaller moon” in the form of a lightbulb is suddenly there. Considering the minuscule size of many positive phototactic insects, a normal porch light would seem massive like the moon. Another theory is that insects use the light for an escape method from predators. They can easily see if something is after them for a midnight snack, as opposed to when they are in a bush or field and maybe can’t see through the darkness to search for potential predators. And a third theory for this lightbulb-love is that their eyes take a long time to adjust to the darkness, so they would rather stick to the light. This is the case with our eyes, as it takes several seconds for our eyes to adjust after the lights are turned out, so it could be the same with these porch pests. Whatever the specific reason, insects seem to favor UV and white lightbulbs overall, so you might consider switching to a different kind of lightbulb if you have a million insects all over your porch at night. 

3. Why Do Mice Hide Inside Cars?

This is not a problem for everyone, since it seems to mainly happen in more rural areas. The main reason why they crawl inside cars and the space around the engine is because they need heat and shelter to survive. A frigid winter is easier survived inside a car than out in the elements when you’re a mouse. Also, an abundance of trash and crumbs in a car is an enticing invitation for a hungry and cold mouse. Having a mouse family in the inner mechanisms of your car is a bigger problem than you may think. They can chew through all kinds of wires and damage the interior, which means an expensive trip to the mechanic. They also leave droppings everywhere, which is a gross mess to clean up. Other signs of a mouse infestation are damaged seats, a bad smell through the vents, seemingly random engine troubles, and droppings anywhere in the car. 

If you do happen to find mice in the interior of your car, you are likely perplexed. How on earth can they get into a car with locked doors? The answer (usually) is through the engine compartment. Mice are so small that they can crawl through the front compartment, go through the vents, and end up inside your car. This is usually done when there is a lot of trash on the seats and floor, since the mice are searching for the food sources they can smell. There are several easy ways to prevent or eliminate a mouse problem in your car if it’s not an overwhelming problem. Using the heater and honking the horn should get rid of any mice hiding in the engine compartment. They won’t want to stick around a noisy place that is too hot for their liking. Just driving the car often in general is a major help. An idle car that isn’t used every few days is very easy for a mouse to get too comfortable inside. Finally, keeping the car relatively clean is the easiest way to prevent a mice infestation. You don’t have to vacuum or scrub the interior every day, but taking any trash and empty cups out will greatly help. 

4. Why are Bed Bugs Found in Hotels?

There are an alarming amount of horror stories about people finding bed bugs in their otherwise-nice hotel room. You would think that the nicer the hotel, the least likely you are of finding a bed bug infestation. But this problem may not be the hotel’s fault, in some cases at least. Bed bugs are notorious for traveling on all kinds of surfaces and materials. This not only means that bed bugs can travel into a hotel room on a guest’s shirt or suitcase, they can also come home with you by hitching a ride in the same way. It is also easy for them to go from room to room, as they are tiny and can chew through different kinds of materials, like wallpaper. While bed bugs can live relatively any where in a bedroom, they tend to stick to the bed. This is where they receive the most reliable food source, a sleeping person’s blood, especially in a busy hotel that continuously has guests checking in and out.

Bed bugs can annoyingly fit through the microscopic holes in bedsheets, which is how they can sneak into a bed in the room next door to their original home. They can also hide within folds in both clothes and bedding, providing them with a surefire way to travel for free to a new place with fresh blood. Another frustrating fact is that bed bugs are more resistant to many different pesticides than they were decades ago. This is why they can’t be eradicated by a store-bought solution, no matter how much the advertising tries to sway you otherwise. Pest control services are essential for taking care of a bed bug problem, especially in a hotel where they could be anywhere. The best way to make sure that you aren’t taking some hitchhiking bugs home with you is to check your clothes and suitcases before leaving. Keeping your clothes actually in the sealed suitcase may be safer than unpacking them into a dresser or other hotel-provided container. Also, try keeping your “dirty” or worn clothes in a plastic bag as opposed to just thrown in the suitcase or in a hole-y bag. The plastic will throw off the human scent that bed bugs are attracted to. Plus, it gives another purpose to the multitude of plastic bags you get every time you shop at a big box store!

5. Are Cicadas Blind?

Cicadas are not an everyday pest, especially since we just had an influx of cicadas last year. They wait underground for anywhere from 13 to 17 years, mainly to avoid predators, then emerge in a terrifying quantity in certain areas of the world. But anyone who has seen these insects in action has reason to believe that they are blind. The clumsy way that cicadas fly and land seems pretty obvious, plus it’s not that unreasonable to believe that an insect that stays underground for years would be blind. But cicadas can actually see! Their muscles cannot sustain long flights like some other insects, which is why they seem to land so abruptly. They just run out of flight energy so quickly that they need to stop immediately before they pass out. They are also not picky about what they land on, so they will touch down literally anywhere to rest up for more flying. For cicadas that recently molted, their body isn’t hardened yet, so they are more exposed to the outdoor elements. This could also be why they don’t fly very far when their hard exterior is not fully formed yet. 

In addition to these factors, cicadas use sound in order to function. They rely on various sounds to navigate their environment, as well as finding mates. So they could be following the sound of a potential love or a temporary home when we see them flying so erratically. They actually have two kinds of eyes, so their eyesight is better than many kinds of insects. Cicadas have two big compound eyes and three smaller simple eyes in the middle of their heads. These eyes are called ocelli. You would think that this many eyes would cause the cicadas to fly perfectly and always go exactly where they want to go. But for all of the reasons we discussed, it makes sense why these strange insects are some of the most random and inconsistent fliers of the insect world. 

6. Why Can’t I Squish a Cockroach?

There’s a reason why cockroaches are believed to be the last surviving living organism in the event of a nuclear attack. They seem impenetrable and invincible against all kinds of common pest solutions that work on other stubborn pests. One of the easiest and most instinctual ways to get rid of any other kind of pest is simply to squish them. Shoes, magazines, fly swatters, books, and water bottles are some of the favorite materials used to smack an insect into oblivion. So why don’t they work on roaches? The answer to this one is very simple, albeit annoying: cockroaches are positive thigmotactic organisms. These kinds of creatures have the ability to intentionally flatten everything in and on their body at a moment’s notice. Even their internal organs, like their hearts, can be flattened in order to get as low as possible. Roaches actually like to be in between objects, which is why we often find them within tight spaces that would make any typical creature claustrophobic. 

Since roaches like to be in between things and feel safer there, they have no worries when we try to squish them with our shoes or rolled-up magazines. They can flatten and “re-inflate” without breaking a sweat, so our attempts are futile. This is why pest control services are almost always needed in order to solve a roach problem. They are resistant to squishing and typical pesticides, so the bug guns are needed in order to fully solve the problem. On a related note, bed bugs are also positive thigmotactic organisms. This is how they can stay wedged between the layers of a mattress or bed sheets and not be smashed when we lay down on the bed. One thing is for sure: positive thigmotactic organisms are not anything we want in our homes or under our shoes!

7. Why Do Flies Buzz?

As if flies weren’t annoying enough when they land on our dinner plates or get too close to our faces for our comfort, they just have to have an annoying sound accompanying their already exasperating existence. A fly’s buzz is immediately recognizable in an even slightly-quiet office or home. The main cause of a housefly’s buzz is the sound of their wings flapping together so quickly. Flies look like they simply float through the air to their next target, but their wings are actually moving incredibly fast when they’re in flight. It’s estimated that a fly flaps its wings at 200 cycles per second! This is how they’re able to dart around so easily, since their wings provide enough power to get them anywhere they want without too much exertion.

Flies can actually detect the buzzing of other flies through the hairs on their bodies, which is how they can find other flies easily. Their compound eyes make matters easier as well, giving them a major overview of just about all of their surroundings. A fly’s speed is not isolated, as it affects how they are located and perceived by other insects. The speed of the wings determines the sound waves and pitch of the buzzing. So a higher pitch means that the fly is likely smaller and flapping faster, and vice versa. The fact that flies can flap their wings so quickly is pretty impressive, but it doesn’t make their incessant buzzing any less infuriating. 

8. Why Do Yellow Jackets Love Pet Food?

If you have a dog or cat that you feed outside, you have likely experienced the following scenario. You noticed that your pet is wandering around, which is the sign that they are finished with their meal of weird-smelling dried food. You go to retrieve their dish and put it back in the garage, or just to check how much they ate, only to be met by a swarm of excited yellow jackets! It seems impossible with the short amount of time between your pet enjoying their food and the appearance of these stinging pests, but it is true. The main reason for this intrusion is the same as why your pet loves this food: the protein content. Wasps in general are drawn to protein since it is the most fulfilling nutritional content for their colony. Yellow jackets are scavengers, and they are drawn to strange nourishments like pet food when their normal food is scarce. 

Yellow jackets keep their nest underground, which is how they are able to avoid predators more easily than other kinds of wasps. They will even stay in rat burrows, which is a doubly-destructive pest combination. The good news is that the yellow jacket population is pretty small in early summer, so we have some time before the annual problem pops up again. One way to make sure your pet isn’t sharing its food with some uninvited guests is to remove the dish immediately after they’re done. Basically, as soon as your pet starts to amble away while licking their chops, grab the dish and move it inside the garage or other part of the home. It also helps to feed your pet in a different location once in a while. If you normally feed them by the side gate, try feeding them on the patio. Your pet may be a little confused at first, but they will catch on much quicker than the lost yellow jackets will. 

9. Why Do Spiders Like Bathrooms?

There’s nothing more startling than opening your shower curtain or door to find an eight-legged spider hanging out in the tub. After getting rid of the spider in whatever way you can, your relaxing shower is now bombarded with random jolts of fear by asking yourself, “What if there are more spiders in here that I can’t see?” It seems strange that spiders choose to stay in the least exciting room of the home, but this is actually the most strategic move they can make. Bathrooms have two resources that spiders (and other pests) need for survival: food and water. The reliable moisture from the shower and sink is perfect, not to mention the appearance of other pests that the spiders enjoy for their meals. 

Spiders are able to fit through small gaps in the walls and doorways, which is how they can get in to the bathroom so easily. Many species also like to stay hidden in darkness as much as possible, which is easier in a bathroom than a more open room like a bedroom. Even though daddy longlegs aren’t technically spiders, they still employ many spider-like habits, and this is one of them. The best way to prevent spiders from having a party in your bathroom is to remove excess moisture from the area. This means fixing any leaks in the pipes and faucets, and making sure that the drains are working properly. It’s nice that spiders eat the smaller insects that also annoy us, but that doesn’t mean we want to share our shower with an arachnid. 

10. Why Do Praying Mantids Eat Their Mates?

You may have heard in science class that praying mantids eat their mates once the mating is over, kind of like black widows. A couple of slight corrections are that not every mantis species participates in this practice, and it doesn’t happen during every single mating season. The exact reasoning behind it when it does happen is still pretty unknown, so there’s not even a clear answer on why this cannibalistic practice occurs. It could simply be because of hunger, which seems too easy of an answer but it might just be it. Any studies completed on this mating practice that saw the female eating the male usually only happened because the female hadn’t eaten in a long time. The female praying mantis is larger than the male, so it’s not an impossible task. 

Another potential reason is that males can continue to mate even after losing their heads! So if the female is a little too famished and decides to take a bite of her mate’s head, they can still continue expanding the mantis population. The eggs can still be fertilized with a headless father, so there’s no harm done there. As a morbid bonus, the father’s leftover body is also food for the offspring when they hatch. So this doesn’t happen every day in the mantis world, but it does happen enough to where we know that the most nutritious meal for female and baby praying mantids is closer to home than we are comfortable with. 

Pest Control is the Answer to Your Questions

No matter what pest questions are circling your head like a band of annoying gnats, pest control services can provide you with a pest-free home to find the answers in peace. Our team is completely dedicated to addressing every pest problem with our EPA-approved treatments and professional inspections. Contact us to learn more about how we can answer your questions and provide the ultimate solution to your pest issues. 

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