Category Archives: Behavior

Do wasps bite, and does their saliva have any defensive properties?

Posted on August 17, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Today’s question comes to us from a friend of mine, through a conversation on FB instant messenger. Wasps are a huge group, and at least 150,000 types of bees, wasps and ants have been described by scientists. Despite the fact … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Chemistry, Ecology, Evolution, Physiology, Pollination, Research, Taxonomy | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

A Bug Landed On Me. Now What?

Posted on August 10, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli This question came in from our email. Your Name: Su What is the best thing to do when an unidentified bug lands on or is crawling on me?  Panic and just Get It Off or stay … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Chemical Warfare and Evolution

Posted on July 30, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli Just this week I had the unique opportunity to give a joint presentation with Jon Perry from Stated Clearly. Jon and I worked for several months together, in combination with a team of other scientists and … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Chemistry, Physiology, Taxonomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What insects are entomologists afraid of?

Posted on July 27, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Written by Joe Ballenger Your Name: Jessica Your message: Just wondering if entomologists feared any insect bug or other creatures with lots of legs? I’m recently freaked out but monster freaking demon camel crickets so pretty much every cricket is … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Education | Tagged , , , | 19 Comments

How do I deal with an infestation?

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Polistes fuscatus

Post written by Joe Ballenger and Nancy Miorelli By far the most common question we receive is about infestations and having just found a cockroach in my house myself, I thought it would be a good time to say something … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Culture, Ecology, Pest Management | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

June beetles: what are they, and how do I deal with them?

Posted on June 11, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Written by Joe Ballenger @BugQuestions Nothing in particular, it is just you provide helpful advise prior to them attacking me (trying to get to my floodlight).. 😛 — intrepid wanders (@intrepidwanders) May 28, 2015 Since it’s June, I’ve been getting … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Ecology | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Are Anthills Waterproof?

Posted on June 4, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli A few weeks ago I answered a question about what insects do when it rains. Which then prompted this question – what about ants? What about their nests? They are on the ground after all. Well, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Ecology | Tagged , | 1 Comment

How do wasps find other bugs to parasitize?

Posted on June 1, 2015 by joeballenger2005

For our final #KidQuestions post, I thought it would be fun to tackle a question submitted to us by Bridget Mendel’s first grade class: How do wasps find their hosts? I got my start in entomology by going through a … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Ecology, Education | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How do you identify fire ants?

Posted on May 22, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Written by Joe Ballenger Question submitted by Bridget Mendel’s first grade class. Fire ants are a really big problem. They’ve got a really nasty attitude towards both people and other bugs. They’re really common, and it’s too easy to step … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Ecology, Education, Taxonomy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Can Bugs Spit, Puke, or Do Both?

Posted on May 11, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli Simple answer is yes and yes! There’s a couple reasons why insects spit or vomit. The first is to protect itself. To help digest food. But lets look at some specific examples.

Posted in Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment