Individually, midges and gnats would hardly be noticed in the garden, but when they form large clouds or swarms, that attracts attention. As many of these species look like mosquitoes, this also increases concerns of gardeners. Midges and gnats are…

Asian needle ant is another in a long list of invasive insect pests that have arrived in Kentucky. Last week, we had reports of people being stung by them in a home located in South Central Kentucky, but we also…

With the concern about the Aisan giant hornet reports in Washington State, there have been dozens if not hundreds of suspected reports to county offices and our department from across Kentucky. None of these were the Asian giant hornet, instead…

As previously reported in a KPN article, there is a USDA confirmed identification of Asian giant hornet (Figure 1) from a farm in Blaine, Washington. This is the first and only confirmed identification in the United States.  Blaine, Washington is…

When people think of ticks, they often think of them as a spring or summertime problem. This is the case for two of our common Kentucky ticks, the lone star tick and the American dog tick. Adults of these species…

The Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, was collected at a farm in Blaine, Washington and the USDA has confirmed the identification.  Blaine, Washington is located in the northwestern corner of Washington on the Canadian border. This hornet specimen was found…

Velvet ants are striking insects; they are memorable and interesting due to their fuzzy appearance and bright coloration. Their name is a bit of a misnomer though; they are not actually ants at all but are wasps. Their family name…

Fast Facts Yellowjackets are social wasps that often build their nests below ground in abandoned rodent burrows but can also use wall voids, stone walls, attics, gutters, and other spaces. Yellowjacket wasps do not have barbed stingers like honey bees…

The first confirmed detection of Asian longhorn tick in Kentucky occurred on July 15, 2018; the tick was collected from a research elk in Martin County. This was both a new state record and a new host record for this…

Adult blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) search for blood meals during the winter months (November through March). These cold-hardy ticks can be active whenever the temperature is above freezing. The female has long mouthparts and a distinctive orange-red body with a…

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as of August 7 2018, human cases of West Nile virus have been diagnosed in the neighboring states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia,. In addition, non-human cases (birds or mosquitoes)…

Bumble bees are peaceful, industrious insects that provide valuable pollination services. However, the queen and workers will use their stingers to defend themselves or their nest if disturbed. While the barbed stinger of the honey bee allows only one thrust,…

Tiny lone star tick larvae (also called “seed ticks” or “turkey mites”) are active now. Hundreds recently emerged from egg masses deposited by females climbing vegetation to await passing hosts.  Reaction to multiple bites cause painful itching that can last…

Paper wasps, hornets, and yellowjackets are social insects that build nests of chewed plant fibers and salivary secretions.  The nests include cells in which wasp larvae are reared on a diet consisting of caterpillars and other insects captured as the…