The Insect Inquirer – A Weekly Blog
Welcome to the inaugural installment of “The Insect Inquirer,” a first-of-its kind weekly blog dedicated to keeping readers informed about everything and anything that has to do with bugs.
Many of you know me as “Barry the Bug Guy”, a nickname that comes from my dedication to helping people better understand bugs of all kinds, from large to small, black to white, A to Z. As national spokesperson for Truly Nolen of America, I’ve been lucky enough to teach viewers during my hundreds of television appearances what it’s like to be stung by bees, taste crispy cricket cookies and show the damage termites can do to a home.
Actually, now that I think about it, there is no luck involved when you taste a crispy cricket, allow yourself to be stung by hundreds of bees or serve as the runway for a live tarantula – the word I meant to say was foolish!
While I certainly don’t hide the fact that I go to extremes sometimes, it’s because pests are a reality of everyday life. Did you know there are over 94,000 species of pests in the United States? And that doesn’t even include Republicans and Democrats! But I digress…
Pests can not only cause physical damage to your home, they can also spread germs, irritate allergies and generally make the environment in your home uncomfortable, like when your in-laws drop in for that unexpected visit.
During my 20 years in the pest control industry, it has never been more apparent that if one person has a question about a particular insect problem, many others are looking for answers. It is my hope that this blog will become an additional source of information about insects in the world, as well as a forum for readers to comment on what’s particularly “bugging” them.
Best of all, I can share my Bug Guy experiences as I continue to travel throughout America and let you know on which station I will be appearing next, so you can fully grasp how foolish, err, lucky I really am!
I invite you to check back for my weekly entries on timely topics such as global warming, the shrinking killer bee population, earlier outbreaks of West Nile Virus and other assorted insect issues.
For next week, send me your best bug story…don’t worry if it’s too embarrassing…we’re all in this together!
Barry the Bug Guy
April 28th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Are the termites swarming in Florida yet? What kind of season do you think we will have?
June 13th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Hi Barry the Bug Guy… your blog is a great idea, and thank you for the info!
Can you tell me what to do about an infestation of moths (plaster bagworm)?
I have tried to find a source… perhaps feeding on dead spiders, or some damp area of the apartment. But they seem to be widespread in every room of the house. I have been intensely vacuuming to get rid of anything that they can feed on. Then I tried looking for where they originate (perhaps a closet, some cloth, etc)… but they are all over!
Any help will be appreciated.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
HELP………….. I think I have Carpenter Bees, what can I do.