The Amazonian Giant Centipede is our Wednesday featured bug of the day. This South American beauty is one of the largest species of centipedes at a length of up to 12” long; Yikes! With its large size and strong venom, it preys upon a variety of insects, lizards, frogs, birds and even snakes. These huge creepy arthropods will even hang from the tops of caves and snag a bat as it flies by, with just a few legs attached to the wall. This predator is almost blind, rely on their antennae, sense of touch and chemoreceptors to survive; and don’t breathe but rather absorb oxygen through holes in the segments of their body. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #NashvilleTN #nashville #TN #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #smashville #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #springfield #robertsoncounty #instagramtennessee #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Firefly is our Nashville featured insect of the week. They are famous for their bioluminescent blinking glow, that has fascinated us from childhood lightning bug lanterns onward. This light is produced from a chemical reaction in their abdomen. Things like oxygen, calcium, magnesium, and a naturally occurring chemical called luciferin are some of the chemicals inside that create this light. When oxygen enters the firefly abdomen, it gets an extra electron, making the chemical reaction possible. This is displayed as a magnificent show in the Great Smokey Mountains every year. This phenomenon is part of a mating ritual, with males and females gathering from all around. The males synchronize their flashing pattern; and the females synchronize their flashing pattern. This makes it obvious to each firefly which one is a male, and which one is a female so a mate can be chosen quickly. Got Pest Issues? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection.
The Malachite Butterfly is our Wednesday featured insect of the day. Named after the green mineral, it is hard to decide if the top or bottom of their wings are more beautiful. Showing black and bright green on the tops they have a different pattern on the underside of softer olive, tan and orange that almost resemble a palette of watercolors. What a gift nature supplies us, as living art. This large butterfly lives in citrus orchards of South and Central America but are also seen in Southern Texas and Florida. With a large wingspan of up to 4”, they have been observed feeding as high as 40’. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #NashvilleTN #nashville #TN #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #smashville #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #springfield #robertsoncounty #instagramtennessee #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Plasterer Bee is our Nashville featured insect of the week. They are also known as Polyester and Cellophane Bees, due to the nest they build. This Bee is in the Colletidae family and has a forked tongue to build their smooth lined and waterproof homes. Using fluids excreted from their abdomen and then applied with their mouth and tongue, they line the inside of their nest in the ground to a smooth shiny sac. They may build close to one another, however this bee is solitary. Got Pest Issues? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection. #pestcontrol #nashvilletn #nashville #tn #pestcontrolnashville #musicCity #spiders #ants #tennessee #instagramtennessee #thenations #eastnashville #wedgewoodhouston #localpestcontrol #nashvillemosquitocontrol
Ants 2020. This exaggerated picture sums up how many homeowners in Nashville have felt this year. Got an Ant Issue? Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for Local Family Owned and Operated pest prevention. Free quotes; Affordable and Quality service.
The Argiope argentata Spider is our Wednesday featured bug of the day. Also known as the Silver Garden Spider, it is rather large with a total leg span of up to five inches! They are a beautiful species with the front of their body being brilliant silver, coupled with a rear covered in golden yellow. This species comes from South America, but also inhabits Southern portions of California, Texas and Florida. They are your typical harmless garden spider, but can be an alarming site due to their overall size. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #NashvilleTN #nashville #TN #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #smashville #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #springfield #robertsoncounty #instagramtennessee #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The 22-Spot Ladybug is our Wednesday featured bug of the day. This small lady beetle (aka Ladybird Beetle) is only about 1/8” long, is bright yellow and has 22 black spots. Being more common in the UK, they are also found in North America. There are many color and pattern variations of lady beetles with 5,000 worldwide and about 150 here in the U.S. This bright yellow species live in gardens, woodlands and grasslands; residing in low growing vegetation. Whereas many of our species feed on aphids, this species feeds on mildew or fungus. It is unbelievable that their strange looking larva (in picture 2) actually mature into that tiny spotted shell. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #NashvilleTN #nashville #TN #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #smashville #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #springfield #robertsoncounty #instagramtennessee #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Green Lacewing is our Nashville featured insect of the week. These welcome visitors serve an important function as one of nature’s pest control. Gardeners and most of us with Hackberry trees suffer from the adverse effects of aphids. Therefore the voracious appetites of Green Lacewing larvae help control aphid populations by eating up 150 - 200 per week. This lasts only during a three week period of growth; however they spin a cocoon and emerge in 5-10 days as an adult to begin a whole new generation of up to 200 aphid eaters with each reproduction cycle. These babies are vicious and laid in separate groups to keep them from eating each other. They possess mandibles that pierce, then suck out the aphid’s inner body parts. Therefore this aggressive hunter with strong jaws are appropriately referred to as “aphid lions”. As adults they are rather delicate and beautiful with bright green bodies, translucent wings and gold / orange eyes. This insect is so beneficial that they can actually be purchased in adult or larvae form, to help control aphid populations. Got Pest Issues? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection.
The Cobalt Milkweed Beetle is our Wednesday featured bug of the day. With an iridescent cobalt blue exoskeleton this insect in the leaf beetle family is beautiful, as it reflects its colors in the sunlight. They primarily inhabit the Western states; live, mate and feed on milkweed. Although from larvae to adult they feed to the point of leaves remaining as stem skeletons, apparently the plants can survive this voracious eater. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #NashvilleTN #nashville #TN #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #smashville #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #springfield #robertsoncounty #instagramtennessee #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Huntsman Spider is our Nashville featured bug of the week. Although rare, this import has been spotted in Tennessee. With a very large leg span of up to six inches, they can be alarming to discover. As their name suggests, they hunt for their prey rather than trapping with webs. So, they are very fast runners that help them be effective hunters of other insects, frogs and lizards. They will tend to shelter in outside wood piles, mulch, or storage sheds and try to avoid human contact. If you do see this monster, stay away as they they can inflict a painful venomous bite. They are a rare import that has made its way to North America in fruit shipments, so they are more prevalent near port cities and southern states such as Florida and Texas. Thank goodness it’s not the “Giant” species of this arachnid that has the largest leg span in the world at up to 12”😳 (they live in caves of Laos). Got Pest Issues? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection. #pestcontrol #nashvilletn #nashville #tn #pestcontrolnashville #musicCity #spiders #ants #tennessee #instagramtennessee #thenations #eastnashville #wedgewoodhouston #localpestcontrol #nashvillemosquitocontrol
Mosquito season is not over and we just had fresh batches test positive for West Nile Virus in Davidson County. As a matter of fact they are still busy multiplying and biting despite the cooler weather in the past few days. These pests still multiply above 50 degrees, and cold weather does not kill their eggs. Stay vigilant with your treatments and keep all standing water emptied or recycled until Middle Tennessee is cold enough to put down these biters for winter. Got Mosquito Issues? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection. #pestcontrol #nashvilletn #nashville #tn #pestcontrolnashville #musicCity #spiders #ants #tennessee #instagramtennessee #thenations #eastnashville #wedgewoodhouston #localpestcontrol #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Nursery Web Spider is our Nashville featured bug of the week. This arachnid is most commonly mistaken for a wolf spider, due to their similar color pattern. The main difference is their eye arrangement (all are the same size -Wolf have 2 prominent) and Wolf Spiders spend their time on the ground, but the Nursery Web Spider stays higher in branches, tall grass and brush. They are a hunting spider as well, and can jump up to 6 inches with their quick legs that can span up to three inches in diameter when splayed. An interesting behavior trait of this species is that they mate while hanging from a dragline; quite the acrobats. Also the female carries her eggs until time for them to hatch. At that point she spins a tent out of silk, like a nursery, and stays close by for protection until they hatch. Got Pests Invading Your Home? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection.
The Owly Sulphur Fly is our Wednesday featured bug of the day. This rare native of Southern Europe has clubbed antennae, a hairy head and bulging eyes. But it is the bright yellow flashes on their small 2” wings that catch your attention. They spread their wings when at rest like a dragonfly, maybe to use mimicry for self defense. These flies are very adept aerial hunters, even eating in mid flight. However their very keen eyesight is also an ultraviolet type of vision, that limits hunting to only hours of sunlight. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #NashvilleTN #nashville #TN #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #smashville #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #springfield #robertsoncounty #instagramtennessee #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Praying Mantis is our Nashville featured insect of the week. These unusually shaped insects get their name from the two front legs that appear like arms folded in a praying stance. Those arms are strong and equipped with opposing spikes and spines that effectively hold down insects, which they eat alive. These very adept predators have triangular heads that have a full range of motion, coupled with vision likened to a scope on a rifle. Their compound eyes have around 10,000 photoreceptors each, can look in different directions at the same time and can zoom in like powerful binoculars. Prey do not stand a chance with this well equipped hunter that was imported from Europe to assist with garden pests. Got Pests Invading Your Home? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection.
The Tawny Mining Bee is our Wednesday featured bug of the day. This European Bee is identified by the orange / red hair that covers their body. Like other bees they are busy during summer months, but this bee prefers the ground and even builds an underground nest to reproduce. Once the male serves his purpose of fertilization, he dies, then the female bores a vertical shaft in the ground. These holes can be 12” deep and have other branches off of the main shaft for brood cells. They do not form colonies, but are a solitary species that do not sting and are welcome pollinators to gardens. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #NashvilleTN #nashville #TN #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #smashville #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #springfield #robertsoncounty #instagramtennessee #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Poplar Borer is our Nashville featured insect of the week. This beetle is standing at alert, quite regal looking with his stag like antennae contorted in an antler formation. These trademark antennae are almost as long as their body at one inch long. They have gray bodies with muted yellow or orange wing covers with brown or block spots and fine short hairs. Adults feed on Poplar leaves and new growth. However, like many pests the larvae cause some of the worst damage, where they bore into our Poplars in a girdle pattern and virtually strangle the tree from water and nutrients. If you notice saw dust or a black liquid bleeding from the tree, it could be possible infestation. The larvae eat and bore got up to 3 years as they advance to adult form. This adult may look regal, but produces tree destroying larvae that can be addressed by a local arborist. Got Pests Invading Your Home? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection.
The Devils Flower Mantis is our featured bug of the week. This native to Western countries of Africa is one of the largest mantis at 5” long and only eats flies. They mimic flowers to catch prey, so they come in a variety of beautiful colors such as purple, blue, white, black and red. This mantis climbs a flowering plant, grabs a stem and holds a perfectly still pose waiting for flies to land for a tasty meal. In the pictured defensive pose, they spread their front legs up and out, then display their back shield to appear as large as possible. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service.
The Water Strider is our Nashville featured bug of the week. This insect of the Gerridae family lives in our lakes, ponds and creeks. The secret to how they support themselves on water is in the grooved legs that they possess. The grooves trap air so efficiently that they could support up to 15 times its own weight. They can also quickly move across water by using their legs as paddles; up to 3’ per second. Got Pests Invading Your Home? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection. #pestcontrol #nashvilletn #nashville #tn #pestcontrolnashville #musicCity #spiders #ants #tennessee #instagramtennessee #thenations #eastnashville #wedgewoodhouston #localpestcontrol #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Flamboyant Flower Beetle is our Wednesday featured bug of the day. This scarab beetle is also referred to as the striped love beetle. Inhabiting the rainforests of Africa, it feeds on nectar, pollen and decaying wood. They appear in different colors, but generally have the same pattern. The female has a shovel nose for foraging and digging through rotten wood; however the male posses a large Y shaped horn that he uses in battle to win the rights to mate with his shovel nosed beauty. Considered to be sacred to ancient Egyptians, these beetles are still beloved, as many people purchase and keep these large beetles as pets. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #NashvilleTN #nashville #TN #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #smashville #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #springfield #robertsoncounty #instagramtennessee #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Spiny Oak Slug is our Nashville featured bug of the week. This caterpillar and moth do inhabit Tennessee and feed on leaves of oak, maple, hickory, willow, ash, apple and other trees in our area. It is the caterpillar that grabs our attention with bright green, orange, yellow and white warning markings. With these spines covering their body, you should know better than touch. These poisonous stinging caterpillars can produce a nasty sting and a reaction that could send some for medical attention. Along with the initial sting, barbed hairs can be broken off into your skin and continue to inflict a toxin. They get the term “slug”, because of their slow sliding motion. So, just observe and don’t touch this beautiful but slow mover, or you will never forget the experience. Got Pests Invading Your Home? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection.
The Red Veined Darter is our Wednesday featured bug of the day. This dragonfly is a resident of Southern Europe and the Middle East. The male displays the beautiful red colors (picture 1), however the female is gorgeous as well, displaying prominent yellow markings with black stripes the length of her body (picture 2). They grow to be about 1 1/2” long and can be seen mainly from Spring to Fall. After mating, the male holds her in mid flight as she drops her abdomen into the water to lay eggs. They prefer to live around shallow standing bodies of water and are very territorial. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service.
The Jumping Spider is our Nashville featured bug of the week. The Putnam species that lives here in Middle Tennessee is quite the long jumper, with the ability to leap up to 50 times its body length of 1/4”. That’s around 300’ in scale compared to us humans. They are able to jump so far by using an internal hydraulic system. By pumping up their internal pressure and then transferring this force to their small hind legs, they can accurately and quickly jump onto potential prey. This hunting spider also has excellent eyesight with eight eyes in a pattern that gives them a 360 degree view of their surroundings. Also, they are smart hunters, using a slow tracking method before a surprise attack along with attaching a drag line prior to a jump to assure a safe landing. No worries for us though, as they prefer to live and hunt outside and their venom is not dangerous to most humans. Got Pests Invading Your Home? Contact Certified Pest Control; your local, family owned and operated Nashville neighbor for year round pest protection. #pestcontrol #nashvilletn #nashville #tn #pestcontrolnashville #musicCity #spiders #ants #tennessee #instagramtennessee #thenations #eastnashville #wedgewoodhouston #localpestcontrol #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Swollen - Thighed Beetle is our featured bug of the week. This bright green beetle with an iridescent copper shine is named after the male’s large femora or thighs. Also known as the Thick-Legged Flower Beetle, they feed on pollen and are small at only 3/8” long. Their young larvae stay safe as they actually live and grow inside of plant stems. They are common in gardens of Western Europe and are welcome pollinators. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service.
The Bee Hawk-moth is our featured bug of the week. This moth is active on sunny days feeding on Honeysuckle nectar. With a wingspan of up to 2”, they look very similar to a large bumblebee as they fly between blooms. They live in marshy woodlands of England, Europe and Asia. This species can be identified by their trademark golden abdomen and wide reddish brown belt. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service.
The Indian Rose Mantis is our featured bug of the week. This 4 1/2” long native that ranges from India to Thailand, is one strange breed of Mantis. With a slender body, skinny limbs and large leafy appendages; it appears like a stick with leaves attached. It even sways back and forth to look more natural, as if there is a blowing wind. Therefore they are a predator that uses camouflage to sit and wait for their next meal. The male can fly and both sexes prefer flying insects as food. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service.
The Green Bottle Fly is our featured bug of the week. This is the best known blow fly in the U.S., at 3/8” - 1/2” long, green, black bristly hair and three grooves across its thorax. As with most flies, you want to keep them out of the house due to the bacteria and disease they can carry from feces and trash. An interesting fact about this fly, is in their choosing of a potential mate. Rather than pheromones, this fly looks for frequency of green color seen between wing beats. Thats right; this fly has such good eyesight that it is looking for a female with the premium 178 Hz wing beat frequency. This tells the frisky male, that he is looking at a nice young healthy female for reproduction. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service.
The Banana Spider is our featured bug of the week. This arachnid is referred to by many names such as: Golden Silk Spider, Writing Spider, Calico Spider and Giant Wood Spider. They belong to the Nephila clavipes species and reside in a large territory of the South East U.S., West Indies and South America where they thrive in warm climates with high humidity. They are one of the largest orb weavers in our country and spin a web that looks gold when the sun hits the silk just right. The females grow larger than the male at a length of up to 3” and display large tufts at their leg joints (with exception of the 3rd pair of legs). They spin very large and sticky webs that can be 3’ in diameter to catch and eat just about any small flying insect, grasshoppers and even butterflies. Although their venom is effective on prey, they are relatively harmless to us. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service. #pestcontrol #localpestcontrol #tennessee #nashville #pestcontrolnashville #musiccity #spiders #ants #tennessee #thenations #eastnashville #localpestcontrol #instagramtennessee #wedgewoodhouston #nashvillemosquitocontrol
The Golden Jewel Scarab is our featured bug of the week. This beautiful metallic / iridescent beetle grows up to 1 3/8” in length. It lives in South America, Central America and the Southwest United States. Many other Scarab beetles are colored or reflect different greens and blues. However the exoskeleton on this beetle is unique in that it reflects left-handed and right-handed polarized light to produce the shiny gold color. So it is the manipulation of the light waves oscillations that our eyes interpret as gold. With such a royal appearance, you can see why ancient civilizations collected them for use in decoration and jewelry. Got a Nashville Pest Issue? - Give us a call - Certified Pest Control; your first choice for local family owned and operated pest prevention. Free Quotes; Affordable and Quality service.
