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After more than 50 years of virtual elimination in the United States bedbugs have made a huge comeback over the last decade – Las Vegas is no exception. These nocturnal pests come out of the mattress and the bedding to sink their teeth into sleeping humans and suck their blood. And they hitchhike on people, luggage and packages from one location to another. Also if you buy anything at a yard sale inspect the item before bringing it home.

At the end of the summer season in Las Vegas we hear and see more crickets than at other times of the year. Crickets produce a very common nighttime sound as males' chirping sounds are made in an effort to attract females.

Tarantulas are found the southern part of North America including the Las Vegas Valley. The hairy, eight-legged creatures are looking for love as their mating season kicks off in our area. The male spiders are expected to be out in force as they hunt for female spiders to mate with. These spiders may seem dangerous if you get in their way, but experts say you have little to fear: They have good sized fangs but rarely use them on humans.

Summertime in Las Vegas we see several types of ants. The carpenter ant the type of ant that can come into your home and cause damage - They usually come into buildings through cracks around doors, windows, or through holes for wires. They will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs, or tree limbs that touch the building far above the ground

When you ask residents of Las Vegas which pest they dread the most the answer most of the time is scorpions. The two most common scorpions in Nevada are desert scorpions and bark scorpions – the bark scorpion is the main problem around the Las Vegas Valley.

Stinging insects include varieties of types of wasps, yellowjackets, hornets and bees in the Las Vegas Valley. We see them mostly during the summer months.

Mosquitoes in North Las Vegas zip code 89032 tested positive as carriers of West Nile Virus. Also in the zip code 89021 a horse has tested positive for the West Nile virus as well. “The identification of West Nile-positive mosquitoes is another reminder to the public of the importance of taking steps to eliminate breeding sources around their homes and to protect themselves from mosquito bites,” said Dr. Joe Iser, Chief Health Officer for the Health District.

A study of different mosquitoes showed that more species than first thought can spread the Zika Virus – some of these mosquitoes are found in Nevada and other states in the United States. The study was conducted by the Fiocruz Institute in Brazil and found that the mosquito species Culex quinquefasciatus is able to transmit the disease – this species is found in Nevada. Originally it was thought that only the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and the Aedes albopictus carried the disease.

Earwigs get their name from an urban legend that says during the night they prey on people’s brains by crawling in their ears. Obviously, this isn’t true, but finding a large earwig infestation can be an unsettling discovery. We in the Las Vegas Valley find earwigs from time to time in our homes.

Summertime in Las Vegas means more sunshine and time outdoors – hiking and exploring nature, entertainment with friends or playing sporting games. It is also the time where you can encounter TICKS – nature’s most nefarious pest.

Let’s face it silverfish are really ugly, more so than most insects. They are so alien in their appearance that they have inspired many a nightmare as well as monsters in movies and fiction. Silverfish can be found in many Las Vegas homes.

Las Vegas is full of attractions and during the summer months residents and visitors alike explore the outdoor attractions both on and off the strip. There is a good chance you might encounter members of the Bee Family – Bees, Wasps, Hornets, and Yellow Jackets