Archive for category: Pest Identification

5777  Walking in the forest here in French River Ontario,  I came across a bunch of weird looking webs that I had never seen before.  I didn’t see any spider although i did look as close as I dared to.  lol  I have attached a few pictures of the tree with the webs.  I would greatly appreciate if you could identify these for me.  Thanks so much for your time!   Joanne. 

This appears to be the work of a spider in the family Agelenidae. Often called funnel weavers, these spiders lay in wait within their lair until a potential meal wanders onto the web, whereupon the spider rushes out to deal with it. See http://tinyurl.com/zrsh7uc for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

 

Caught on my small mousetrap in my back yard in Pleasantiew  Edmonton

This looks like a young wood rat.  For more photos and information see:  http://pestcontrolcanada.com/wildlife-control/wood-rat-pack-rat

 

5774     Hello,  We seem to finding more and more of these critters in our house near Calgary.  They started in one area in the basement and in an area in the garage but they are becoming more prevalent and found in other areas of the house.  They are only a couple of mm long and they are extremely slow moving.  When bothered they stop moving altogether and you could assume that they are dead.  They have 6 legs and a hard shell body.  The body appears to have a mottled, and slightly rough appearance.   What are they and how can we get rid of them?   Thanks,   Jeff

This is a broad-nose/short-snouted weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; subfamily Entiminae). These weevils often enter buildings in search of shelter, but do no harm there. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5772   Hello.  I found this guy in a 5^th wheel in Slave Lake AB.  He had hitched a ride from somewhere either there in the vicinity or in the Rocky Mountain House and Jasper areas. He was big for an insect, I thought, about an inch long….   I caught him in a plastic glass and put him outside. Any ideas?  I did look at your other pictures.  Lorie

This is a long-horned wood-boring beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). It resembles some species in the genus Monochamus (‘sawyers’); see http://tinyurl.com/zrsknym for an example. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5770  Can you Please adv8ise what this is, photo taken in my sons backyard this evening , Aug 15, 2016, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada?  Thank You  Christine

It’s a thread-waisted wasp (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) in the subfamily Ammophilinae; it looks like Eremnophila aureonotata . These are caterpillar hunters – see http://tinyurl.com/hex5o5a for some images. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5768  The attached photo was taken in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota in August, on the bark of a birch tree. It appears to be a tight cluster of fifty or sixty black 1/4″ six-legged insects(?), being “herded” (so it appears) by six or eight large black ants moving around the perimeter of the cluster. (You can see a couple of the ants on the periphery if you look carefully.)  Any help? Thank you.  Dick

These are aphids (Hemiptera/Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae), also known as plant lice, being tended by ants. The ants provide the aphids some protection against predators and in turn feed off the sugary secretions (‘honeydew’) of the aphids. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5766  Beside the tweezers. Found in the corner of drywall. Summertime in Oshawa Ontario.  Jen

Unfortunately, this is a bed bug. See http://tinyurl.com/hwz5tea elsewhere on this site for more information and control recommendations. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

 

5764   Good evening,  I came upon your website when I was trying to identify an insect I found outside in my tomato garden. I scanned through some pictures on your website but I didn’t see my exact bug. I’ve attached 2 photos of it having some lunch. I took these today, August 7^th in Nova Scotia. It’s been fairly warm and dry here lately, if that matters. I have 3 raised garden beds inside a chain link dog kennel enclosure (to keep deer from eating my tomatoes) Anyhow, that’s where this sucker was at, on one of the posts.  Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to provide.  Kelly

This is a nymph of a stink bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in the genus Podisus. Bugs in this genus are known as soldier bugs, and as general predators on many other arthropods often are considered beneficial by gardeners. See no. 5744 for another example and http://tinyurl.com/hhywusm for more detailed information. Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

 

5762  I believe this to be an orb weaving spider – I don’t see one exactly like this on your site. This was found in Montreal, Quebec but may have hitched a ride back from the region north of Quebec City. Thank you for your help, we are fascinated by this amazing creature.  -Angus

This is an interesting colour variant of Araneus marmoreus, commonly known as the marbled orb weaver. It appears to be variety pyramidatus, which supposedly is found only in Europe; see http://tinyurl.com/zklhycz  Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

 

5760 Found in our yard  we live in Georgetown Ontario.  Peggy 

This is a nymph of a cicada (Hemiptera/Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae), likely in the genus Neotibicen. These usually are called either annual cicadas (some emerge every year after spending two to five years underground) or dog-day cicadas (because they usually emerge in late summer). Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV. 

 

5758  Hello,  I have been finding 2-3 of these a month in my (finished) basement in Calgary Alberta, year round.  They are often dead when I find them.  They move slowly and have a strong shell.  The largest was nearly 1 cm long but almost always they are around 7-8mm.  I think they are ‘Weevils’ but they don’t have the long snout that all other weevils seem to have.  If you could help me identify them I would be very grateful.  Tips for getting rid of them would also be good.  We don’t have any food downstairs, and I’ve never seen one anywhere near our kitchen.  Best, Rob

This is a broad-nose/short-snouted weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; subfamily Entiminae). It might be a black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus – see http://tinyurl.com/zjc5mfg for an image. These weevils often enter buildings in search of shelter, but do no harm there.  Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

 

5756   Randy from Alberta. Just noticed him hanging around my backyard and you can hear those 4 wings as it Flys. About 2.5-3″ long from head to stinger. 

This is wood wasp (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in the genus Urocerus, it looks like Urocerus flavicornis; see http://tinyurl.com/gptjc33 for an image. Their larvae tunnel in the wood of dead/dying/unhealthy trees. Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5754  These worms have been destroying my strawberries.  Found near Winnipeg, MB.  Dave

These ‘worms’ actually are millipedes, arthropods in the class Diplopoda. Some species will indeed damage tender plant parts (including soft fruits) that are close to or on the ground. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

 

 

5752  The attached photo is a bug that crawled out of a plum pit that my daughter was eating. They are from BC and I had just bought them today. Please tell me what this bug is. Thank you, Angela

This is an earwig (order Dermaptera). Earwigs are very common nuisance pests that usually do little if any actual harm; occasionally, they may cause damage to very tender vegetation. See http://tinyurl.com/h5m54vn for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5750  Thanks for the help,  we are being invaded in central Kelowna near the downtown core.  The bugs have been covering our buildings and it is hard to keep them out.  They look a little like a boxelder bug but lack the red marks, and they are about 1/8 inch long in the small version with a mostly red body,  and about a quarter inch long or more in the larger version. I really need to get them out of my home and off my door and walls,  please help. Armand

This appears to be a nymph of a bug in the superfamily Lygaeoidea, such as a dirt-coloured seed bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae). These tend to be nuisance pests that do very little actual harm. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

5748  Hi. My name is Sarita.I live in Surrey, BC,. We have a lot of bees (picture attached) in our house. I need your help how we can remove them and their nest. Thanks. Sarita.  Enclosed: indoor pictures of bee.

 This is not a bee.  It is a Yellowjacket wasp.  If you can find the nest and it is easily accessible there are aerosol pesticides that can be sprayed into the nest, but use caution and plan an escape route.  You could also call an experienced pest professional and avoid the risks.   http://pestcontrolcanada.com/british-columbia/surrey