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Bryan Haines

Bryan Haines is a co-founder and writer at The Buginator. And is working to make it the best resource for taking back the outdoors from biting, stinging pests.

He also blogs about travel at Storyteller.Travel and photography at Storyteller Tech. Bryan is a partner at Storyteller Media, a publishing company he runs with his wife, Dena.

Knowing what crickets eat is important to know when trying to prevent an infestation. Or when trying to keep your feeder crickets alive. Crickets are found everywhere in the world (except for Antarctica). These well-adapted creatures may be so widespread due to the variety of their diet.  Crickets have an extremely diverse diet. They will …

Read More about What Do Crickets Eat? Diet of Wild and Captive Crickets

Insects are amazing tiny creatures and are often overlooked. Are insects animals or something else entirely? Insects are animals because they meet the taxonomic classification for the animal kingdom. These characteristics include: respire with oxygen, feed on organic material, motility, sexual reproduction, and are multicellular. There are more insects on Earth than all other animals …

Read More about Are Insects Animals? 5 Factors Classifying Bugs and Insects

Insect anatomy is wildly different than our own. They have exoskeletons around their organs, instead of an endoskeleton. You may wonder how different other aspects of their anatomy is. Do insects have hearts? Here’s more about insect hearts and how their circulatory systems work.  Do Insects Have Hearts? Insects do hearts, and they are a …

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If you see a squished bud, its insides won’t look red but green or yellowish. Do insects have blood? Instead of blood like humans, insects have a similar but distinctly different fluid. Learn about bug blood and about the insect circulatory system. Do Insects Have Blood? Bugs have a substance called hemolymph, which serves similar …

Read More about Do Insects Have Blood? Guide to Bug’s Hemolymph & Circulatory System

Borax is often confused with boric acid. Until this morning, I was also confused. When I wrote this guide to use borax for roach control, I used borax and boric acid interchangeably. But borax isn’t the same as boric acid. Thankfully, a reader corrected me. Here’s what I’ve learned in my research about these two …

Read More about Borax vs Boric Acid: (4 Differences) Insect Control Guide

Syrphid flies are beneficial garden insects. Their larvae eat both insects and fungi, depending on the species. And adult hover flies are proficient pollinators around the earth. You will commonly see this tiny fly collecting nectar on flowers in your garden. Adult hover flies collect both pollen and nectar. And hover flies are one of …

Read More about Guide to Hover Flies: Syrphid Flies (Pollinator & Predator)

As you plant and cultivate milkweed, you’ll find that there are some common problems. A healthy supply of milkweed leaves is important for both attracting monarchs and for raising them indoors. Common milkweed leaf problems include pests (like aphids, beetles, and milkweed bugs), powdery mildew, leaf spots (fungal and bacterial), rust, and cucumber mosaic virus. …

Read More about Milkweed Leaf Problems: 11 Common Pests, Diseases (Butterfly Garden)

Milkweed is probably best known as the sole host plant for monarch butterflies. But milkweed is also on the menu for many other insects and mammals. Milkweed nectar is an important food source for many species of bees, moths, butterflies, skippers, and beetles. Milkweed plants and flowers attract clouds of pollinators and pests. Some insects …

Read More about What Eats Milkweed? 45 Pests & Pollinators (Butterflies, Bees, Deer)

The tachinid fly is one of many beneficial insect predators in your garden. But they are also harmful to monarchs. But if you are raising monarch caterpillars, the tachinid fly is an enemy. Tachinid flies lay their eggs on monarch eggs and caterpillars. Once the egg is laid, that monarch is as good as dead. …

Read More about Tachinid Fly vs Monarch: 9 Things to Know (Eggs, Larvae)

If you’ve been learning about raising monarchs, you’ve probably heard of the monarch parasite: OE spores. In this article, you’ll learn what OE parasites are, how they affect monarchs, and how they are transmitted. What Are OE Parasites? Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) is a protozoan parasite that affects monarch and queen butterflies. OE protozoan is a single-celled …

Read More about OE Monarch Parasite Spore: Guide to Ophryocystis Elektroscirrha Bacteria