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I’m currently on a semi-holiday, and let me tell you: work is a whole lot better when you’re watching the Atlantic Ocean, sipping tea, and enjoying a pastry from the local bakery. (Shout out to the amazing Bagel Stop here in Florida!) But even with the salt air, I can’t help but think about the unique challenges of pest control in vacation rentals. Whether it’s a tiny one-room cottage or a massive condo complex, one thing is certain: there will be guests... and there will be

Two things have happened this week that have spurred this week’s blog post. And yes, today is only Tuesday. The first is that I have found not one but three ticks in my hotel room. The second is the news report that the CDC is reporting that they are seeing the highest rate of emergency room visits for tick bites in a decade. Oh yeah, I'm in New Jersey right now, but this also hit my news feed today: Why are either of these things important? Great question, thanks for askin

When someone finds a hole in a wool coat or a silk rug, the first thing they say is, "A moth ate my clothes!" I hate to be the bearer of bad news (well, maybe I don't, I am an entomologist), but that’s not entirely true. The adult moths you see fluttering around? They don't even have functional mouthparts. They don’t eat anything at all. The real villains are their "teenagers"—the larvae. Whether you are managing a high-end retail boutique, a museum, or just your own walk-in

It’s officially winter, and while many of us are dreaming of cozy fires and hot cocoa, our six-legged (and occasionally eight-legged or four-legged) friends have the exact same idea. In the pest world, there’s a common misconception that once it gets cold, all the bugs just… disappear. I wish it were that simple! While some go into diapause (essentially insect hibernation), others decide that your heated facility or home is the perfect place to ride out the chill. Here’s the

I'm in Orlando this week at PestWorld so I'm super excited to see what's new and get to talk to everyone. Which brings up an interesting point. Is there anything new? Aside from a few new invasive insects which aren't necessarily structural pests (spotted lanternfly, spotted lady beetles, etc.) our pests haven't changed much. So here's a quick rundown of some history on our common pests. Starting with one of my favorites: cigarette beetles. These go back to ancient Egyptian

This episode marks my five year anniversary. That’s officially five years of weekly (ranting) writing about all things urban pest related...

I fly a lot for work and for fun. I’ve been flying since I was about three. Aside from being locked in a metal tube with 100 people you...

The first full week of June is designated as “ Bed Bug Awareness Week ”. Are you excited?!?! Since the re-emergence of bed bugs in the US...

Pesticides often get a bad reputation, especially in the media, and can be viewed as “nasty chemicals” or “harmful” or even just “evil”....

I do not live out west where the devastating fires are continuing, and that doesn’t mean I’m not impacted. All of us will be in some way...

As sometimes happens, I have a blog post almost ready to go. Then something happens, or I see an article, or my news feed lights up. What...

Actual conversation from the other day: “Chelle, get over here right now !” “What?” “There’s a bug!” “Yeah…” “Well do something about...