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This garden column provides information on home, garden and landscape problems. It was created by Frank Laemmlen Ph.D., Farm Advisor Emeritus in the Santa Barbara County Cooperative Extension Office.
Booklice Can You Rent a Christmas Tree Carpet Beetle Cloths Moth Drugstore Beetle Fungus Gnat Lacewing Little Black Ant Oak Bark Beetle in the Home Patio Plants Rats Sap on Table Spots on Rubber Plant Springtails Take care of Your Skin Termites...
Booklice are found in moist, dark places and usually feed on decaying vegetation. They are so small that unless you are looking for them you would not notice them in nature. Unfortunately, they have also found human dwellings to their liking.
I know of no such service on the Central Coast. You might try calling your local nursery to see if they rent plants. There are also organizations that rent live plants for special occasions (weddings, banquets, conventions). Try the yellow pages or call your local chamber of commerce.
The adult carpet beetle may be all black or may be grayish-brown with white spots. Adults are about one-eighth inch long. They are almost round in shape. Carpet beetles can come into your house in several ways. Adults can fly in. You might bring them in on flowers or other plant material.
The adult clothes moth is a 1/4 to 3/8-inch long tan to yellowish insect. It has narrow wings fringed with long hairs. The female will lay her eggs on wool or other animal fibers. The larva that hatch will grow into 1/3-inch long white to cream colored worms with a dark head at maturity.
They are a very general feeder and will consume a great variety of stored foods, seeds, pet food, spices, and pastry mixes. This beetle lays eggs in almost any dry, organic substance. The eggs hatch into a small, white grub, which causes most of the feeding damage in the stored product.
The adult fungus gnat is a small (2-3 mm) black fly with clear wings. They are very slender and delicate and resemble a miniature mosquito.Fungus gnats lay their eggs on/in the growing medium in the pot. The larva feed on organic matter, algae and fungi in the potting soil.
What you found is aphidlion. It is probably looking for food on your birdcage. This is the larval stage of a lacewing. Both the adult lacewing and the larvae (aphidlion) feed on aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, and other small insects. Hence, they are considered beneficial.
Monomorium minimum Their runways are common outside around the house and yard, and they will nest under the sideway, in flower pots, under stones, and in houses.
