Carl's Pest and Wildlife Control LLC

10/12/2026

Pittsburgh social media has been abuzz with reports of people and their dogs picking up what are known as “tick larval bombs” — hundreds of poppyseed-sized ticks, appearing in late summer and early fall.

Although more people are bitten and contract tick-borne illnesses in the summer, adult ticks will be active through the fall and into winter on days above freezing.

As Pennsylvanians are increasingly aware, the tiny insects are more than a nuisance and can carry a host of diseases.

In Allegheny County, blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, carry Lyme disease and the more serious anaplasmosis. Lyme disease cases this year, through Sept. 30, were at 1,372 for the county, compared to 2025’s total of 2,595.

Cases of the more dangerous anaplasmosis, however, have climbed, from 152 cases in 2025, including one death locally, to 164 in 2026 through Oct. 3, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.

Protection can help — greatly. Using a permethrin product on shoes alone makes a person 70 times less likely to contract a tickborne disease, noted Nick Baldauf, an entomologist and the vector-control coordinator at the county health department.

If caught early, Lyme disease, which can present like the flu and include a rash, is easily treatable with antibiotics. If not addressed, the disease can lead to long-term health problems impacting the joints, nerves, brain and heart.

Although anaplasmosis is more rare, it also is treatable with antibiotics and presents with flu-like symptoms. But long-term complications include chronic fatigue, dizziness, bleeding and respiratory failure.

Also rare is alpha-gal syndrome, which can cause serious allergies to mammal meat and some dairy products. It is associated with the lone star tick, though more research is needed, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

There isn’t an established population of the lone star tick currently in Allegheny County, according to the county health department.

There are reports of a Ross woman contracting alpha-gal syndrome after a tick bite in her backyard. But details are pending.

Link in comments to read more. ⬇️

10/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1QgZpy6SHk/

Fun Tick Facts: adult blacklegged ticks (aka deer ticks) haven’t been biting since early June, but now it’s nearly October and it’s THEIR SEASON!!! This one was just getting started, but if they feed for 5-6 days, they’ll increase in weight x100. They use all that blood to nourish 2,000+ eggs they will lay next Spring to start a new generation of ticks. Time to start tucking in your shirt and keep the ticks out as they crawl up. Oh, and treat your pet, too! Show us if you find one_https://bit.ly/tickspottersform

10/01/2026

The Fall Transformation – Paper Wasps and Yellowjackets

During the Spring and Summer months, social wasps such as Paper wasps and Yellowjackets are busy building their nest and gathering food to feed their brood. Although they will protect their nest and sting if they feel threatened, they are fairly passive. Some of you may be thinking right now, please define fairly passive! That’s understandable, but please read on.

As Fall approaches, many of these colonies reach their maximum size and then begin to decrease in size because there are no more workers being reared. The only ones left to feed are the future developing queens and food is beginning to get harder to find.

Paper wasps feed their larvae liquefied insects such as caterpillars, but as adults they feed on nectar. On the other hand, Yellowjackets will feed on insects, carrion, fruit, sap and plant nectar. The photo below shows Eastern Yellowjackets gathering meat from the remains of a snake to take back to their larvae.

During the Fall, the workers are out looking for food and may become a nuisance during Autumn outdoor activities. They are often aggressive feeders at this time and may sting if agitated. During this time of the year, they have a very important job to do and that is gathering food for the future reproductive larvae back in the nest. They will take sips from your favorite beverage and help themselves to your sandwich, as well. So, be careful! Your favorite beverage may be too much of an invitation for them. They may readily fly into the can or glass to collect liquid. If you unsuspectingly take a drink while the insect is there, you may ingest it into your mouth, or worse, into your stomach. This is a very dangerous situation. You could be stung repeatedly. It’s hard to imagine how painful a sting would be in your esophagus or stomach!!

Once the reproductives mature, they leave the nest and mate, becoming less aggressive once again. The males (drones) soon die after mating, leaving the fertile queen to find a safe place to overwinter. Except for some Yellowjacket colonies in the south, the old queen and workers will die by the first hard frost. The old nest is seldom reused and will eventually fall apart.

Paper wasp queens will often gather in homes and other structures to overwinter. They seem to prefer tall buildings and homes with peaked attics and chimneys. During warm periods, they may enter the structure and cause all sorts of excitement. The good thing is…they are not normally defensive at this time. Now, that should make you feel much better about them!

Daniel D Dye II, A.C.E., Emeritus

09/18/2026

09/18/2026

Bees bees everywhere!

09/04/2026

It didn’t take much to get these hornets worked up, they were not happy with me

09/04/2026

Couple Doozies from today!

08/13/2026

Bees are getting mean! Took care of these 2 high up whoppers early this morning!

08/06/2026

Made quick work of this easy nest today