Pest Control Charlotte NC

KB3 (Photo credit: UGA College of Ag)

The Kudzu Bug

If you live in Charlotte, NC, you’ve likely become very familiar with the bothersome kudzu bug. Homeowners say they can’t seem to get rid of these inconvenient pests, which can frequently be found on your homes and cars during the fall months.

Kudzu bugs are approximately 1/6” to ¼” long, a dark greenish brown in color, and look an awful lot like a fat tick or dark colored ladybug. They will not bite you, but they are one of the largest nuisances because of their habits of overwintering. During the fall they will make their way towards your home, and try to find a warm place to hide from the upcoming winter elements. This kudzu bug movement usually occurs during the end of September, or early October every year.

Kudzu bugs are attracted to light colors like your pale clothing, your white car, or your light colored house. They will then gather together on these light-colored surfaces and then move under siding, into gaps around doors and windows, or through penetrations such as around air conditioning and water pipes. They will also often cling to your clothes, and get tangled up in your hair. These pesky kudzu bugs are related to stink bugs. Like stinkbugs, they release a protective stink when crushed. It’s a fruitier smell than stinkbugs’ stench, and has been mistaken at least once, by a woman who called 911, for a gas leak.

KB5 (Photo credit: UGA College of Ag)

Keeping Kudzu Bugs Out Of Your Home

With winter fast approaching, you’ve likely been seeing an increase in kudzu bug activity near your Charlotte, NC home. There are a few preventative measures you can take to protect your property from the frustrating invaders.

1. Remove any kudzu or wisteria plants that may be around your property the best you can. Kudzu bugs are excellent fliers. If you are seeing them in your home, they likely flew from plants outside of your property area.
2. Cover any vents, window, and doors with tight fitting screens.
3. Seal up any holes, cracks, or that might allow kudzu bugs easy access into your home.
4. If you do happen to get any of the bugs inside your home, vacuum them up with a shop-vac filled with hot soapy water. If using an upright vacuum, make sure it has a vacuum bag that is tightly sealed. Remember, do not crush the bugs or you will be smelling them.
5. If the kudzu bug problem is persistent, contact a pest control professional.

For Charlotte Pest Control:

Bulwark Exterminating
1801 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 321-3716
bulwarkpestcontrol.com

A-1 Wildlife Control
Wilgrove-Minthill Road
Charlotte, NC 28227
(704) 334-1922
a1wildlifecontrol.net

A-A Wildlife Damage Control
301 Bradford Drive
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 608-6950
aawildlife.com

Orkin
5100 Reagan Drive
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 694-6655
orkin.com

Related articles

• Kudzu Bugs Hurting American Soybean Farmers
• North Carolina growers urged to continue scouting soybeans

Roach Eating Contest

A 32 year old south Florida man died last week after a roach eating contest in order to win an ivory ball python at a local reptile store. Edward “Eddie” Archbold is seen in the above video grabbing handfuls of roaches, and throwing them in his mouth like popcorn. Witnesses say Eddie dominated the contest, in which he won, by almost inhaling the roaches. It appears in the video as if he wasn’t even chewing the roaches, just popping them in his mouth and swallowing them whole. An estimated 300 bystanders cheered him on as he covered his mouth, trying to keep the roaches down.

Shortly after winning the contest, Eddie began to feel ill. He began vomiting and eventually passed out. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner’s office is conducting tests to determine a cause of death, according to the sheriff’s office statement.

The reptile store’s roach eating contest was all part of a “Midnight Madness” promotion in which contest participants had four minutes to eat as many roaches as they could stomach.

A fellow roach eating contestant of Eddies, Mathew Karwacki, made the following Facebook comment about the roaches:

“Yes the contest was crazy, but all the bugs were captive bred and raised on a commercial diet and veggies. These insects are raised for the pet industry as fodder. So there was nothing that those bugs contained that would hurt a human (unless yes there was some sort of allergic reaction, but that is usually instant…he died awhile AFTER the contest)”

Entomophagy—The Act of Eating Insects

Eating insects might seem like a disguising act, better left for ‘Bizarre Foods’ host Andrew Zimmern. The truth is Entomophagy, or the act of eating insects, is a way of life for millions of people worldwide. People in less developed countries rely on insects for protein and other nutrients needed for survival. Many types of insects appear on menus, remaining a traditional food in many cultures throughout Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Roach Control

Most of us in North Carolina find roaches revolting, and would no way ever consider putting on in our mouths. The truth is cockroaches are known for spreading diseases by transporting microbes on their bodies. Some of the diseases they can spread include: polio, typhoid fever, leprosy, and bubonic plaque. They have also been shown to cause allergic reactions in humans, which is the likely cause of Eddie’s death.

Cockroaches are definitely something you do not want in your home. If you are seeing roaches in your home, contact a local exterminator today!

Bulwark Exterminating
1801 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28206
(704) 321-3716
bulwarkpestcontrol.com

A-1 Wildlife Control
Wilgrove-Minthill Road
Charlotte, NC 28227
(704) 334-1922
a1wildlifecontrol.net

A-A Wildlife Damage Control
301 Bradford Drive
Charlotte, NC 28208
(704) 608-6950
aawildlife.com

Related articles

• The Facts About Cockroaches
• Florida man dies after winning cockroach-eating contest
• Man wins roach-eating contest, dies shortly after