Insects & Science

Red worms, more commonly called red wigglers or Eisenia fetida, can convert kitchen scraps to vermicompost (worm castings) in home worm bins. They require bedding materials that absorb water,...

Grasshoppers and crickets are superficially similar insects belonging to separate families in the same order (Orthoptera). Certain species are common sights---and common sounds---across much of...

Praying mantises are a diverse group of insects that make excellent, low-maintenance pets. Many people do not consider insects when choosing pets, but mantises can be fascinating additions to any...

The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is a destructive exotic species that has recently been introduced to the United States from China. Though the infestation of Asian longhorned...

Though their common name might suggest otherwise, the "cricket spiders" found in houses are not spiders at all. These crickets, more correctly called camel crickets or cave crickets, often are...

Raising honeybees in an apiary has a number of benefits, including the ability to harvest honey, honeycomb and wax. You can extract beeswax from honeycomb when you harvest the honey, since you...

Identify which types of pesky household insects are invading your home prior to contacting the exterminator. Most home-invasive insects are easily distinguished from each other. If not,...

Butterflies have a way of capturing our attention because they are such colorful and beautiful creatures. Butterflies go through a metamorphosis, changing from an egg to a larva, to a chrysalis to...

Nightcrawlers, more commonly known as earthworms, live underground and often are used as fishing bait or for composting. You can gather them from your backyard by using electricity. The...

"Stink bug" is the name given to insects of the Pentatomidae family, one of the families falling under the suborder of Heteroptera, or "true bugs." Stink bugs derive their less than flattering...

Wood ticks are the American dog tick and the Rocky Mountain wood tick. They are similar in appearance, and they are both responsible for transmission of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) to...

Spiders and insects are resourceful creatures that will look for any way into your home. Insects come inside to seek shelter and food. This is a bigger problem in the summer since many insects...

Butterflies are among the most beautiful insects. A well-preserved butterfly can be displayed with its wings spread wide to show off the patterns, which are often breathtaking. Even a butterfly...

An easy way to impress your friends and make a few dollars. :)

Bees need feeding in the early spring when they are rearing brood and the flowers are not blooming and in the late summer/early fall when they need to build up their stores for winter. Ideally,...

The small hive beetle is an ongoing pest in the beehive, especially in the warmer areas of the country. There are many traps available to make or buy and I have tried most of them. All have...

This article explains how to point mount insects that are too difficult to pin.

The first characteristics to look for in identifying a butterfly cocoon are where it is found and how it is formed. Most butterfly cocoons are formed just large enough to house and barely cover...

Monarch butterflies have four visible legs, two legs tucked under the head, bright orange wings and white spots over the whole body. Discover the features of both male and female monarchs with...

To find butterfly chrysalises and moth cocoons, look on branches, under leaves, near water and on plants that caterpillars like to eat. Locate chrysalises and cocoons before predators find them...

Taking care of a butterfly cocoon or chrysalis requires putting it in a large container in the springtime until it hatches or keeping it in a cool environment during the winter. Care for a...

Many different butterflies are yellow, but a two common ones are the Tiger Swallowtail and the Sulfur butterfly. Identify different species of yellow butterflies with information from a butterfly...

Butterflies usually hatch from their chrysalis cocoons in the spring, but they can hatch any time of year in tropical climates. Understand the variables that affect when butterflies hatch with...

Butterflies build chrysalis cocoons by finding a sheltered area, hanging upside-down and shedding its skin to expose the chrysalis. Discover the chrysalis stage of this insect's life with...

A butterfly will stay in a chrysalis from five days to a year, depending on the time of year, the climate and the environmental state. Find out why some butterflies stay in their chrysalises...

The life span of a monarch butterfly ranges from three weeks to nine months, depending on whether it is a migratory monarch or not. Explore the life cycle of monarchs with information from a...

Butterfly food is made out of any sugars, such as sugar water, over-ripe fruit and nectar from flowers. Find out how butterflies get nutrients from nature with information from a butterfly...

A caterpillar turns into a butterfly through a process of molting after it chews itself out of the egg, as the chrysalis and chrysalides exist inside the caterpillar as it grows and sheds skin....

Taking care of a butterfly house depends on its scale, but planting flowers that butterflies like, hanging supplemental nectar feeders, providing fruit trees and maintaining proper light will...

Butterfly farming is a huge industry around the world from large-scale conservatories to private backyard butterfly gardens. Discover how these beautiful insects are grown with information from a...

A young, healthy queen bee is essential to establishing or maintaining a productive hive. If you are starting a hive or your old queen bee has died or left with a swarm, you will need to purchase...

Dragonflies can fly at a rate between 30 and 60 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to about 19 to 38 miles per hour, because of their double set of wings. Learn more about a dragonfly's...

Fruit flies live only between 10 to 18 days, but they can reproduce very rapidly and start the metamorphosis all over again. Discover the fruit fly's life cycle with information from a high school...

Fruit flies are generally attracted to sugar, as are most other flies, but they are particularly fond of over-ripe fruit with its high sugar content. Find out what else attracts fruit flies with...

The tarantula is a hairy spider that belongs to the arthropod invertebrate family, and it can be one of the biggest spiders in existence. Learn how tarantulas catch their prey with information...

Wasps create their nests by chewing on wood pulp, mixing it with saliva and producing a papery substance that is layered up into a nest form. Find out how wasps make their nests with information...

Fruit flies grow through a process called metamorphosis, beginning as an egg, hatching into a larva, turning into a pupa and finally becoming an adult fruit fly. Discover the fruit fly's life...

Insects eliminate waste by passing food and water through malpighian tubules that convert the waste into uric acid, which is then excreted from the insect's body. Find out more about a bug's...

A bee is able to fly by beating their wings at a tremendous speed, which allows them to simply hover or to move through space. Get more information about a bee's flight, which is similar to a...

A flea's biology includes being an invertebrate and, more specifically, an arthropod with a thick exoskeleton. Find out more about the biology of fleas, including their habits and eggs, with...

The different types of spiders, such as the black widow, daddy long legs, banana spider and tarantula, all belong to the arthropod invertebrate group of insects with legs and joints. Discover the...

Fruit flies come from the eggs laid by other fruit flies, and they are mostly attracted to over-ripe fruit due to its high sugar content. Explore the fruit fly, and get rid of rotting fruit to rid...

Fruit flies do not bite because, instead of teeth, they have proboscis injectors that help them eat over-ripe fruit more efficiently. Discover more about how a fruit fly eats with information from...

Mosquitoes can bite cats, but it is rare for a cat to have an allergic reaction or to even get heart worms from the mosquito bite. Keep an eye on a mosquito-bitten feline with information from a...

Snakes do not have eyelids, but instead they have a small scale above each eye that protects them from irritation. See how a snake sheds its skin and protects its eyes with information from a high...

Now if you are a big nerd you have always dreamed of an ant colony. If you are a cheap nerd you cannot justify spending money on ants that you mail order. Here is your solution, get an Queen Ant...

Beekeeping is an ancient hobby. In primitive times, bees were kept in baskets or pots and killed at the end of the season to simplify harvesting the honey. Modern hives are more highly evolved...

What's a summer evening without lightning bugs? Kids can learn a lot about the little critters by getting an upc-lose view, just for a while. Use a box you already have or make one yourself. Feel...

Interested in insects? Or do you just want a wierd hobby to hang on the wall? Collecting and mounting insects can be very rewarding and produce beautiful results. Heres how.

Ground termites, also known as subterranean termites, are wood eaters and cause more damage than their counterpart, dry wood termites. Ground termites create tunnels underground that can be up to...