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Seattle’s mild, wet climate is ideal for many garden critters — including earwigs. These glossy, elongated insects with characteristic pincers at the tail are common in Pacific Northwest yards and vegetable plots. Because they’re nocturnal and often found hiding in mulch, under boards, and in damp crannies by day, gardeners sometimes encounter them suddenly and…

Earwigs are small, nocturnal insects recognizable by their elongated bodies and pincers (cerci) at the rear. While they don’t pose a significant health threat to people, they can become a nuisance when they invade homes, hide in damp crevices, or chew on tender garden plants. Because earwigs are most active at night and prefer moist,…

Every spring, Seattle gardeners who thought winter’s pests were done for the year are surprised to find earwigs suddenly abundant among their seedlings, hanging out on petals, or sheltering in pots and under rocks. The timing is not random: May is a turning point in the Pacific Northwest’s maritime climate when soils warm, humidity stays…

Seattle’s moist, temperate climate and the distinctive architecture of early 20th‑century Craftsman houses combine to make these homes especially attractive to silverfish. These small, wingless insects (order Zygentoma) favor cool, dark, and humid environments where they can hide in cracks, behind baseboards, inside built‑ins, and in basements or attics. Because Craftsman homes were built between…

Silverfish are small, wingless insects with carrot-shaped, silvery-gray bodies and long antennae. They are nocturnal and secretive, so spotting one in daylight often means you have more than a lone wanderer. While they don’t bite or transmit disease, silverfish feed on starchy and protein-rich materials—book bindings, wallpaper paste, photographs, clothing made from natural fibers, and…

If you’ve noticed small, silvery, carrot-shaped insects darting out of the shadows in your Seattle bathroom or basement, you’re seeing the very species that thrive where moisture, darkness and starchy food meet. Silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum and related species) are primitive, wingless insects adapted to humid, sheltered microclimates. They don’t bite or transmit disease, but their…

Mosquitoes are more than just a backyard nuisance — they are carriers of itchy bites, sleepless summer nights, and, in some regions, serious diseases. Yet despite their small size, mosquitoes exploit surprisingly simple mistakes that homeowners commonly make. Misunderstanding mosquito biology, misusing products, and treating the visible problem (adult bites) instead of the invisible source…

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer — a time Seattle homeowners dust off patios, fire up grills, and plan backyard gatherings. Unfortunately, it also coincides with the ramp-up of mosquito activity after weeks of cool, wet weather. In the Pacific Northwest even small amounts of standing water — a saucer under a potted…

The Pacific Northwest — with its lush forests, abundant waterways and long summer evenings — is ideal habitat for mosquitoes, and it’s also a region where many people prefer “natural” solutions over synthetic insecticides. Homeowners, campers and public-health planners alike increasingly ask whether plant-based repellents, essential oils and other non-synthetic options can reliably protect against…

Mosquito protection is more than a matter of comfort — it’s an important part of preventing itchy bites and the diseases some species can carry. When children and pets are in the house or yard, choosing a repellent means balancing effectiveness with safety. Not all mosquito repellents are created equal: active ingredients, concentrations, and how…