Mother’s Day is fast approaching so I thought I should dedicate this article to the mothers of the pest world.
The adult female German roach will carry the egg capsule until it’s almost ready to hatch, then deposit it in a protected location near food and harborage. Most other species drop the egg capsule as soon as it forms and never deal with it again. No Mother’s Day card for them!
The cigarette beetle is one of the pantry pests. The female will lay her eggs on food products such as dog food or breakfast cereals. The larva is nearly white except for a distinctive group of yellowish-brown markings giving it the appearance of a little clown face. Remember all babies are beautiful!
Wolf spiders are large, hairy, fast spiders that can be found inside or outside year-round in Florida. They are hunting spiders so they do not make a web. The female carries her eggs on her back until they hatch, then continues to carry them until old enough to “move out”. Sound familiar?
So, with all this in mind, call your mother on her special day and thank her for being so good to her little “pest”.
