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Tiny pest giving you big trouble? ISU lab can give it a name

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 18th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are sometimes bugged by bugs, and if you come across a creepy crawler you’ve never seen before, the experts can likely identify it at the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic at Iowa State University. Zach Schumm, an insect diagnostician at the clinic, says there’s been concern this summer with very small critters called springtails.

Iowa’s had plenty of rainy days interspersed with hot, dry days, and that can sometimes prompt springtails to find a way to invade our homes.

Iowans who plan to be spending time outdoors over the coming weeks might be wise to heed a few words of Schumm’s advice.

And if you’ve been nibbled by a flying pest that was out for blood, he notes there are 57 species of mosquitoes in Iowa.