Articles by PJ Liesch

Chinch bugs aren't much to write home about, but played a key role in Wisconsin history.
Wisconsinites encountering spiders they might find threatening often wonder if they've found either a brown recluse or black widow spider.
Since the earliest days of humankind, people have excelled at exploring and expanding their presence to nearly every spot on the map. With all of this wanderlust, humans have been equally adept at taking other species with them on their travels — often with unintended consequences.
When it comes to these blood-sucking pests and other creepy-crawlies, each year can be a different experience, with weather patterns and other factors playing important roles in the behaviors of insects and other arthropods like spiders and millipedes, as well as other invertebrates.
Bird mites would top a list of regularly misunderstood pests.
I've had a morbid fascination with watching the progression of the emerald ash borer in the Midwest for over a decade.
While thoughts might be turning to filling the cooler with cold beverages and packing enough charcoal for the grill, there's another aspect to the season that demands attention: tiny ticks.
The Midwest is home to over a dozen tick species. While only a few types are encountered regularly by people and pets, the medical concerns posed by some species can be quite significant.
With the first green shoots of spring appearing across the state, Wisconsin's insect populations are likewise emerging and preparing for the warmer months ahead.
Move over Popillia japonica, there's a new "Japanese beetle" in town.