Styrofoam is highly resistant to biodegradation, resulting in its accumulation and persistence in ecosystems for hundreds of years. In response to these concerns, biodegradable packing peanuts have been introduced to the market. While better for the environment, these materials can become infested with a number of stored products insect species and be shipped worldwide.

At Insects Limited, a wide range of insects are maintained for various purposes. Stored product and museum pest colonies are crucial for our research and product development, aiding in the improvement of monitoring technologies.

Insects Limited made a strong impression at PestWorld 2024, the world’s largest annual gathering of pest management professionals. Representing the company were Tom Mueller and Ethan Estabrook, who led an engaging exhibition showcasing Insects Limited's innovative products and solutions.

The diversity of scientists within the field of entomology is what makes large conferences so exciting to attend, and the organizers of ICE (International Congress of Entomology) 2024 fully embraced this spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration.

There is a growing interest in incorporating insects into our diets due to their nutritional value and sustainability, and in many parts of the world, insects are a common and valuable food source, providing essential nutrients and protein.

Foreign grain beetles, Ahasverus advena, are small, reddish-brown insects that become particularly active as pests in August and September, coinciding with cooler weather and increased rainfall.

At Insects Limited, Inc., our mission centers on advancing the scientific understanding of insects and protecting stored foods. In line with this commitment, we are pleased to announce a new initiative at our recently established headquarters: the cultivation of native flora to support insect populations.

One of the challenges we face here in the lab at Insects Limited is that we have far more questions than answers about product ideas and new research. This issue isn’t new to business where time and resources are limited. The pipeline for new ideas is long, and only certain projects get our attention at any given time. It seems that one of our favorite projects to circle around, revisit, and refine is light attraction in stored product pests.

If you own a wool sweater, then you’ve likely heard the advice to never, under any circumstances, put it in the dryer or it will never fit you again. While this is generally good advice in protecting the longevity of your beloved garments, sometimes there are greater threats posed by sneaky insect invaders such as the dreaded clothes moth, and the pros of a tumble through the dryer may just outweigh the cons.

In 2024, two distinct cicada broods, Brood XIII and Brood XIX, will simultaneously emerge—an occurrence not witnessed since 1803. Brood XIII, on a 17-year cycle, and Brood XIX, on a 13-year cycle, represent rare instances of synchronized emergence, highlighting an unusual event in the life cycle of periodical cicadas.

In the grand narrative of food security, pests play the part of the uninvited guests. Given the pressing global challenge to feed an ever-growing population, the 'Start with the insect first' approach is crucial. This approach holds particular importance when it comes to stored product insects, the quiet underminers of our collective food security efforts.

"Are termites cockroaches?" is a question we often receive as pest management professionals. We’re here to solve that question once and for all. Click to view…

Pheromones are chemicals that are released by insects that stimulate a behavioral change to other insects of the same species.

This form of chemical communication is used by insects to direct social behavior - including mate attraction, gathering together, egg-laying, foraging for food, trail following, and colony defense

Clothes moths have been a serious insect pest for thousands of years causing damage to clothes, furnishings, and other items made from animal materials like wool, fur, and feathers.

Webbing clothes moths belong to the family Tineidae which contains over 3,000 species and is collectively known as the clothes moth or fungus moth family. Many moth species in the Tineidae family look very similar to one another. In many cases, proper identification requires dissection of the abdomen to view the genitalia structure to determine the exact species.

Grain storage, food processing, warehousing, retail facilities, and residential houses are far too diverse to expect a single set of pheromone monitoring recommendations to be adequate. Here are 4 fundamental questions to ask when developing a pheromone monitoring program

Red-legged ham beetle (RLHB for short) is about a quarter of an inch long, and has iridescent green wings, and dark orange legs. The adults of these insects are quick on their feet as well as very capable fliers. Effective flight is a necessity when scouting out ephemeral food sources like dead animals. What’s more, these insects are also good competitors of other insect larvae.

While a lot of focus is given to pest prevention and control in the production world, I want to move on down the chain of custody to warehousing and distribution. There are a multitude of ways stored product pests and their issues arise in this setting. Warehouses are high volume, high traffic hubs for products that come from all over the world. They can house a vast variety of items. This makes an integrated pest management system very complex and involved.

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, and is the most common vector-bone disease infecting 476,000 people in the United States each year.

Up to 54% of museums and historic homes have reported damage from insects. Textiles, animal hides, taxidermy, wood works, natural fibers (like wool and cotton), books, and paintings all contain material that insects can exploit and do irreversible damage to.