Raccoons are everywhere as they are they are one of the most widely distributed and abundant of all mammals in North America. And people typically respond well to the presence of raccoons since they are so cute, which has aided them in becoming well adapted to human settings. Raccoons are omnivores and they will willingly eat every type of food that humans are known to prefer, such as fruit, nuts and basically every food group on the pyramid. And since they are carnivores they prefer to eat meat along with humans, so it is clear why raccoons have become so close to humans. Raccoon populations are also more likely to thrive

Invasive Insects Are Already Active Due To A Short Winter There are several species of insects and arachnids that do not migrate or hibernate during the winter months. Instead many of these bugs will build underground burrows that they use as a warm shelter. So when you start seeing bugs again during the late winter months, you are probably seeing bugs that have been around all winter, but were hiding or hibernating. One example of an unliked bug that is making an unusually early appearance this year after months underground is the marmorated stink bug. These stink bugs do, in fact, hibernate underground, but only for a short while, and once the heat wakes them, they cannot fall back asleep again for a while. Many people have their own unpleasant stories to tell about stink bugs. Many were probably hoping that these bugs would stay underground for just a little while longer. The marmorated stink bug is an invasive pest that arrived in the eastern states back in 2003, and since then insect control experts have been getting calls about them frequently. The most unpleasant thing about marmorated stink bugs is their determination to enter people's homes

Some parts of the United States saw dramatic shifts in weather conditions. It seems like raining sleet, bouts of sunshine and icy roads can all occur in a single day for Americans living in the northern US. At times when the climatic conditions are erratic, it is not uncommon to see insects that you don't expect to see crawling on rough terrain that could kill them, like snow and ice. Throughout the northeastern US many wildlife enthusiasts have spotted bugs operating in freezing cold temperatures

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are unique creatures that many people do not know much about other than their popularity during the start of February. Groundhogs, as you may know, are large rodents, but you may not have known that groundhogs are the largest members

Most spiders have evolved while being exposed to the sun, and the existence of an animal that does not require any precious resources from the sun, is perhaps, an impossibility since the sun is literally unavoidable for most creatures. And that would be true for most

Some mosquitoes like biting certain people more than others. Of course, the mosquito is only choosing who to bite based on whichever odor is most pleasing to the mosquitoes senses. One of the cues that will get a mosquito's attention is your breath, or more specifically, exhaled carbon dioxide. Therefore, if researchers could figure out how to disrupt a mosquitoes' sense of smell

We have all been told about how important insects are to the environment, and I am sure that you can think of a few good reasons as to why human life would end if it were not for our insect friends. Insects pollinate small plants and crops; they help rid the world of waste by feeding on it, especially animal waste. But did you also know that the United States would be in even larger debt if it were not for bugs? Yes, that is correct, insects save the United States government fifty seven billion dollars per year.

Spiders serve as a great example of a creature that possesses all of the right traits needed to thrive in large numbers. Spiders are, simply put, everywhere. There is probably a spider relaxing with one of your old pop-tart crumbs a few inches away from your big toe right at this very moment. The shear number of spiders within the room you are sitting in is so numerous you may start to give serious consideration to their ability to take over the world. To put it one way, there are an estimated one million spiders inhabiting each acre

Can Snails Carry Disease? Snails may not be the cuddliest creatures in the world, but at least they are not as ugly as slugs, and they are harmless to humans, right? According to researchers at the University of California--Berkeley, snails can not only transmit dangerous parasites to humans, but snails are actually far more mobile than you probably assumed. In fact, researchers determined that freshwater snails can travel as far as thirty miles, which raises questions about the potential devastation freshwater snails could cause to human populations. Parasitic snails can spread the parasitic disease