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Search Results for: White-shouldered house moth with its wings open

Mason bee

…even creates this nest of whatever materials are available, like old snail houses, old tree stumps, sand slopes and clay slopes in nature. However, they can also build nests in holes and cavities in masonry or board facing on houses. This is a creative bee; all this bee needs to make a nest is a hole that has access to the outdoors. The nests are built of sand, stone, clay, and various plant material. The female also store pollen inside the nest….

German cockroach

…cockroaches on the kitchen table is in- tensely unpleasant, but for those with an eye for such things these are elegant insects. Both sexes have very well-developed wings, which cover the whole of the abdomen, but these are used not for active flying, but for gliding when they jump, for instance, from the table to the floor. The female of the German cockroach carries on the egg capsule right until the chicks are ready to leave it The female lays…

Bed bug

…In the course of about 10 minutes an adult bed bug can suck up to 7 times its own weight in blood. It then retreats to its hiding place, where it digests, mates and lays eggs until it is hungry again. The eggs are laid in the hiding place, where they are attached to the substrate. A female lays a total of 200 eggs, 4-5 per day, but the actual number depends upon the temperature and other external factors. They do not reproduce at all at temperatu…

Mole

…med that it is possible for the mole to distinguish between light and dark with its eyes but other than that it cannot see very much. On the other hand, the mole has a formidable sense of smell and touch, which makes up for the poor eyesight. Its strong snout is distinct and pointed on the front of the head, opposite the eyes, which may give the impression that the mole has no eyes at all. Biology and behavior Moles live almost their entire lives…

Bark beetles

…e often seen when the bark is removed from dead branches or trunks. Some bark beetles keep exclusively to the bark, others work in the layer between the bark and the wood, and each species produces its special pat- tern. True bark beetles are only seen indoors when brought in with timber that still has the bark on, e.g. firewood, and they cannot attack worked timber…

Woodpeckers

…ius) and the great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus major). A woodpecker in its natural environment. Occasionally it can chop in woodwork on houses. Photo: Axel Kielland Normally woodpeckers hack timber, in order to reach food, but sometimes they will attack fresh timber, and nearly always do this in order to make a chamber to spend the night in. In some cases they apparently run amok and hack one hole after another. The most likely explanation is…

Geophilus carpophagus

…survive for a long time and become a nuisance. They are sometimes seen in houses with thatched roofs, where they may possibly establish themselves in moss cushions on the roof or in the thatch itself. Soil centipede on moist cloth These centipedes cause no damage in the house; they do not gnaw timber or anything else, but are naturally rather unpleasant when they occur in large numbers. This centipede sometimes produces a luminescent secretion, o…

Bumblebee

…not of a suitably large size, she expands it, after which she isolates it with moss, plant fibers or hair from mice. She also takes care of the decor. She builds a couple of small jars of wax, which she uses to put storage and eggs in, respectively. When the larvae hatch in the jars, she feeds them with nectar and pollen until they grow large. Then the larvae pupate, and after a few days the first worker bumblebees see the light of day. The first…

False scorpion

…om hook. If the hind body is rounded like an egg, you know you are dealing with a false scorpion or a book scorpion. Appearance You can recognize the false scorpion on its claws, which are located at the front of the body. These claws are on the outer joint of the lower jaw and do not work like on the ordinary scorpions. In total they have eight legs, four on each side of the body. The hind body is responsible larger than the front, and it is roun…

Stock mites

…loose from the grain (like dust) and they can be inhaled or get in contact with the eyes, which can lead to irritations. Some people develop allergies to stock mites if they deal with them on regular basis. Prevention and control The first problem that arises when one wants to prevent, and control stock mites is to detect them. Either you can get help from professionals, or you can try a slightly less accurate, but still cheaper and faster method….

Harvestmen

…horoughly chewed. Harvestman on cellar wall Naturally, harvestmen themselves also run the risk of being hunted, and if they cannot hide or run away will sometimes cast off a leg which remains, twitching on the ground long enough to distract the predator, while the harvestman runs off on its remaining legs. This is comparable with the tail-shedding of certain lizards, and it must happen quite frequently as many harvestmen are seen with fewer than e…

House centipede

…This animal has extremely long legs which are used as a kind of capture net when hunting insects and other invertebrates. It occurs naturally in central and southern Europe where it is frequently seen indoors, but is only found very occasionally in northern Europe, having been brought from further south…

Animals that merely live in the house

…re several which are interested neither in us personally nor in the stores of food and other commodities with which we surround ourselves. These include several animals that make use of the favourable conditions offered by houses. Some also use our houses as hunting grounds, feeding on the various invertebrate animals which they find there. As a rule these are animals which in the wild live in hollow trees, rock crevices or similar places….

Cis boleti

…ubt about where they come from. It is however particularly annoying when a house or flat is suddenly found to be teeming with these small, dark beetles. The larvae live in fungi of the type that grows on stumps and fallen trees, and that may be taken home for decorative purposes. The beetles emerge from the fungi through round holes, often long after the decoration has been put aside and forgotten, and one wonders where they have come from. Some o…

Controlling pests in kitchens and food factories

…factory the control of pests will usually require expert assistance. In a house, on the other hand, one can sometimes do it oneself and the following lines of action are suggested. How do I prevent and control mice in my house? Empty cupboards Empty the cupboards and perhaps throw away any lining paper. Cleaning rooms Thoroughly clean all cupboards and shelves, preferably with a vacuum cleaner which can remove insects and dirt from cracks and cre…

Flour mites

…ites, Stings and Itches” “Food Pests” “Husets dyreliv” (Insects Around the House – Only danish) “Skadedyr i træ” (Timber Pests – Only danish) “Stuefluen” (Common Housefly – Only danish) Latest posts by Henri Mourier (see all) Last review of this article was on 11. June 2022 by: About Latest Posts David Renault Professor at University of Rennes 1 My research activities fall in the disciplines of stress ecophysiology and biological invasions. More p…

Ernobius mollis

…beetle is very common and can be found practically everywhere that timber with the bark still on is used in house construction. The damage done is purely superficial and will not affect the mechanical strength. On the other hand, if such timber is covered with sheets of any kind the emerging beetles will gnaw their way out and leave unsightly holes. The position is more serious when the timber is covered directly with roofing felt or lead sheets….

Animal names and systematics

…tudy known as systematics is concerned with naming animals and plants, and with arranging them in groups which indicate their relationships with one another. Modern systematics is based on the work of the Swedish naturalist Carl von Linne (1707-1778), also known as Linnaeus. He gave all the then known plants and animals a Latin name and arranged them in groups according to their physical appearance. He chose Latin because at that time this was the…

Cockroaches

…cockroaches are primarily tropical insects. The cockroaches which now live with us in houses probably came here a few hundred years ago. Cockroaches are rather large insects with biting mouth parts and long, very movable legs. When they have wings, the forewings are large and leathery, while the rear wings are folded, fan-shaped wings underneath them. The development takes place through a number of juvenile stages, the so-called nymphal phases tha…

The flour mite

…never been major amounts of mites present, but more often there have been moth larvae and moth web in the feed. Flour mite 4. Frequent or massive inhalation of flour mites can cause reactions of hypersensitivity. Some scientists today believe that the former debilitating baker’s asthma was not actually due to the flour, but that flour mites may have caused it. The flour mite is part of a complex of species. People who are allergic to flour mites…

Water vole

…rom moles and vice versa, which does not make it easier. If there are many open holes in between the mole holes, and it is during the summertime, it is typically the water vole. Moles usually close their holes when they dig down again, but water vole leaves them open every now and then. The water vole’s holes can vary in size, but they are typically between 5 and 8 cm in diameter. In the ground, the water vole can also do great damage to undergrou…

Flies

…ehind the wings of flies and mosquitoes are during escape very active. The wings are similar in function to the rear pair of wings of the other insects. This means that they have no elytrons. The flies that play a role in food have soft probosces. Flies have complete metamorphosis (see Fig. 3.5). The larvae, known as maggots have no legs. Nor is the maggot’s head visible. The head is very small and averted into the body. Pupation occurs in a capsu…

Bugs

…e. In broad outline, it consists of a long, thin straw which, when not in use, is located in a sheath formed by the extended lower lip. Some bugs do not have wings; however, most ticks have two pairs. The rear wings are clear flying wings, while the front pair is leathery elytrons. Bugs lay eggs and young bugs, called nymphs resemble adults except for size and that their wings are not yet functional….

Bathroom fly

…nd lavatories. They belong to a group known generally as owl midges. Their wings are hairy and relatively large, but they do not fly particularly well. They move by a kind of hopping flight, or simply walk around. The eggs are laid in the slime that accumulates in water-traps and outlets of basins. The larvae live in this coating of slime, which is continually damp but not covered with water the whole time, and they feed on any organic matter pres…

Gnats and mosquitoes

…enter houses in autumn to spend the winter. They may also come in through open windows during summer and if this causes a serious problem, as it does in the tropics, it may be necessary to fit mosquito netting or at least to treat the curtains with an insect deterrent. As a rule the female must have a blood meal before she can lay eggs, and after mating she will go in search of a mammal, human or otherwise, or a bird. Blood-sucking mosquito, Aede…

Saw-toothed grain beetle

…toring food stuff as cool as possible in tightly closed containers. If the household or warehouse is attacked by the beetle anyway, the best control method is to inspect cupboards and shelves thoroughly. All attacked items must be treated or discarded. Items can be treated by storing them for a week in -6 degrees. This will kill the sawtoothed grain beetle in all stages, both eggs, larvae, as well as the adult beetles. Another method is -18 degree…

Carabus nemoralis

…d some species have been released in American forests to control injurious moth larvae. These beetles handle their prey in a characteristic manner, for much of the digestive process takes place outside the animal. They regurgitate dark brown digestive juices on to the prey, which is thus paralyzed. Its tissues gradually become liquefied and this liquid is then sucked up. Carabids or ground beetles spend the day hidden among vegetation, under stone…

Index

…kowiensis Tegenaria domestica Tentacles Thaumetopoea pinivora The American house dust mite The blue jellyfish The crab louse The Eastern Pine Processionary The European adder The European house dust mite The European viper The Greater weever The lesser weever The pigeon mite The red jellyfish The velvet mite The water scorpion Thrips Thunderblights Thunderbugs Thunderflies Thysanoptera Tick-para1ysis Ticks To feel lousy Tovinger Trachinus draco Tr…

Wasps

…n late summer, it can sometimes pay better just to wait for nature to take its course. If you want to get rid of a wasp’s nest, you should wait until the evening, when they will be calmer, and everyone will be in the nest. Depending on where the estate is located, there are different approaches. Free-hanging nest can be sprayed with insect spray. One simply sprays right up the entrance hole, which will typically be found at the bottom of the nest….