by Ken Ahlstrom | Dec 22, 2015 | Expert Advice
About this time of year, especially after Thanksgiving when people start buying their Christmas trees, some will invariably be inundated with critters falling out of their tree. When this happens, they will call their pest control service provider or their county... by Ken Ahlstrom | Sep 15, 2015 | Expert Advice
Introduction This is the third installment regarding insects that take up residence in our homes and offices, finding a warm place to pass the winter. This one is about the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (MALB), Harmonia axyridis. This beetle was intentionally... by Ken Ahlstrom | Sep 15, 2015 | Expert Advice
This is the second installment on insects that we can expect to find in our homes and businesses during the winter. This culprit is the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Hyalomorpha halys. As the name implies, this is a true stink bug. If mishandled,... by Ken Ahlstrom | Aug 27, 2015 | Expert Advice
s the days shorten and autumn approaches, it’s the time to start thinking about the insects that select our homes and businesses as their overwintering vacation spots. The first one I’ll mention is the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria, a small, somewhat hemispherical... by Ken Ahlstrom | Aug 25, 2015 | Expert Advice
In a few short weeks the Monarch butterfly will begin its annual migration to overwintering sites in Mexico. This is one of our most recognizable species of butterflies with bright orange wings with black veins and white spots along the wing margins. It is similar... by Ken Ahlstrom | Aug 25, 2015 | Expert Advice
About a week after I took the picture of the yellow morph of the Eastern Tiger Swallow-tail butterfly, a dark morph (form) of the female appeared at the butterfly weed growing at my home in Raleigh. Fortunately I was able to get a picture of it. I have had butterfly... by Ken Ahlstrom | Aug 20, 2015 | Expert Advice
This beauty was visiting the butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa in my front yard about 2 weeks ago. It is known as the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus, and is easily recognized by its large size and bright yellow and black coloration. It ranges... by Ken Ahlstrom | Aug 13, 2015 | Expert Advice
Have you seen this moth? It is the Giant Leopard Moth, Hypercompe scribonia (Stoll, 1790) and is one of our largest moths with a wingspread ranging from 2¼ inches to slightly over 3½ inches. It belongs to the moth subfamily Arctiinae or Tiger Moths which contains... by Ken Ahlstrom | Aug 13, 2015 | Expert Advice
Get ready! In the next couple of months, we are going to start seeing evidence of the caterpillars of this moth, the orangestriped oakworm. During mid-June to mid-July, the adults (Figure 1) emerge from their underground pupal cells. Mating occurs during the day and... by Ken Ahlstrom | Aug 10, 2015 | Expert Advice
It is known as the Rosy Maple Moth and is a native moth in the same family as the Luna Moth and the Polyphemus Moth (some of the largest moths in North Carolina). As the name implies, the caterpillars mainly feed on maple trees, especially red, silver, and sugar...