With the hot muggy summer months here, in Wichita, Kansas, we know that a lot of pests come out to play. Well we can’t forget about our mosquito friends that like to snack on us from time to time. The mosquito we are talking about in this post is the Asian Tiger Mosquito. They are black and white and usually measure 5mm in length. Their legs are striped black and white. The males tend to feed on nectar, however the…
In Wichita, Kansas we do have Yellow Fever Mosquitos. They are a small to medium sized mosquito. Anywhere between 4 to 7 mm. To the unaided eye the Yellow Fever Mosquito resemble the Asian tiger mosquito with a slight difference in size and thorax patterns. Yellow Fever Mosquitos tend to breed in unused flowerpots, spare tires, untreated swimming pools, and drainage ditches. They thrive in areas that are urbanized and in close contact with humans. This making them an exceptionally…
The Southern Mosquito varies from 3.96 to 4.25 mm in length and exists throughout the tropics and the lower latitudes of temperate regions. This species is found in the southern United States. Mosquitoes that can carry Zika do live in Kansas, but the transmission is unlikely. However, no one wants mosquitos roaming around their house. This species of mosquitoes, also sometimes referred to as Culex fatigans, is most common in tropic and sub-tropic regions. It shares many of the same physical and…
Since we tend to have high humidity here in Wichita, Kansas we are known to have Fungus Gnats. These gnats tend to have their larvae consume plant roots as a source of nutrients. This leads to diminished health in affected plants. Fungus gnats (families Mycetophilidae and Sciaridae) are a common pest of plants grown indoors, especially where humidity and moisture are high. They’re usually first noticed when the harmless adults are seen flying around house plants or gathered at a nearby…
With the summer months among us we know pests tend to bug us just that much more. Living in Wichita, Kansas we know what a pain these flies can be. The Fruit-Vinegar Fly is a species of a small fly. Adults are 3 to 4 mm long, may have red eyes or dark eyes with a tan thorax. They appear to be brown or tan in color. They tend to build their populations during the summer months and become very…
With the warmer months here in Wichita we need to be aware of all the pests that are out and about. One that is not thought of very often is the Carpet Beetle. The Carpet Beetle larvae start to feed as soon as they hatch. They are a carrot shaped and heavily covered with setae, especially on their posterior end. They grow up to ½ inch (12 mm) and be yellow to brown in color. Due to their diet of…
When it comes to our General Pest Control Services people want to know what this all includes. They include spiders, ants, fabric pests, pantry pests, silverfish, and most seasonal pests. Our General Pest Control is everything except stinging insects, bedbugs, termites, and rodent services. When it comes to services for these pests they need to be evaluated and treated according to your home. At All Star Pest Control, we recommend general pest control services in 60-day intervals for many single-family…
The summer days are arriving here in Wichita, Kansas. Which means our lovely friends are back for the warm days. Bumblebees are large, fuzzy, and very hairy insects that are black and yellow colored or in some species orange and red. Depending on the species the size varies however, some can be over one-inch long. Bumblebees have a large structure on their hind legs known as a pollen basket that is often loaded with pollen collected by a foraging adult.…
Lone Star Ticks, or Amblyomma americanum, are one of the more easily recognized ticks. This is because the female adults have a white dot on the center of their back, this make them easy to notice. Males tend to have white lines or streaks around the edge of the top of their body. However, the male’s marking is not as noticeable compared to the females. Adult females measure around 5mm in length and males about 3.6 mm. They can be…
With warmer weather approaching we need to be aware of the pests that are lurking in our damp locations. In Wichita, Kansas we are prone to having Cellar Spiders. These spiders are located in damp locations like basements, crawl spaces, and cellars. Theses spiders have long legs and small bodies and are often confused with harvestmen, or better known as daddy longlegs. There are two groups of Cellar Spiders, the long-bodied cellar spiders that have legs up to two inches…
