Tag: insects
What’s an Orange Dog?
Q: Do you know what an orange dog is? A: An orange dog is the caterpillar of the giant swallowtail butterfly and feeds exclusively on citrus. The thing about it is that it looks exactly like bird poop. Is that great or what? Further proof that God has a sense of humor.Cactus & Wildlife Trivia 2: Can You Pass?
Test your knowledge of cactus and wildlife of Arizona with this short quiz, originally published in Marshall Trimble’s Official Arizona Trivia. Don’t scroll down too quickly. The answers are posted shortly below the questions. When you’re finished, leave a comment with your score. Did any answers surprise you?Are Daddy Longlegs Poisonous?
Q: I have heard the daddy longlegs is the most poisonous spider in the country, but its jaws are too weak to penetrate human skin. Is that true? A: Huh? The daddy longlegs? Are we talking about the same spider? The one with the long, skinny legs and the little body? Poisonous?An Ant Orgy in My Pool?
Q: Recently I noticed some black puffballs or seedpods floating in the swimming pool. I tossed one on to the edge of the pool and looked at it closely, and it started moving. It was a bunch of ants hanging on to each other. When they had dispersed, there was absolutely nothing left. What was ...Montezuma’s Well Boasts Unique Eco-System, Ancient Indian Ruins
VERDE VALLEY – Montezuma’s Well is a lesser known part of the Montezuma Castle National Monument, 11 miles north of the uber-popular Montezuma’s Castle. Upon arrival, it’s easy to see why the natural limestone sinkhole is sacred to ancient Native American cultures. It seemingly appears out of nowhere – a massive well in the middle ...Fried Foods and Other “Treats” at the Arizona State Fair
There’s no shortage of food at the Arizona State Fair. Classic fair staples like cotton candy and caramel apples brought back fond childhood memories. Yet some of the new fair favorites brought on a very different feeling.What’s With All the Cockroaches in the Valley? (And How to Get Rid of Them)
Q: We thought we left cockroaches behind in Chicago. Instead, we find they’re huge out here. My wife is completely freaked. A: Oh, yeah, and you’re not freaked? Perhaps no crawly thing, aside from the Legislature, invokes more horror and disgust than a big old sewer roach skittering around your bathtub or grazing on a ...Use Water Bags to Repel Flies
Q: A couple of years ago we were sitting on our porch enjoying some beers, but not enjoying all the flies. A friend suggested hanging up plastic bags of water to repel the flies.We tried it, and it works, but we have never known why. What’s the deal? A: My first thought was that this was just ...Rhino Beetles Found Only in Arizona
Q: I have lived here all of my 32 years, and ever since I can remember, every summer at night, I see the biggest, ugliest and fiercest-looking brown beetle. The other night I saw one of these things and sprayed it with bug killer, which only seemed to disorient it. It took undiluted tick poison ...How to Keep Scorpions Away from Your Home
Q: Help! My house is overrun with scorpions, and I hate them. A: How ungracious of you. First of all, the scorpions were here first, and secondly, they absolutely adore you. And what do they get from you? The back of your Reebok. And, in a way, it’s your fault there are so many of them in the ...
Why Does Downtown Phoenix Seem to Have Two Downtowns?
The Tucson Artifacts are the Southwest’s Greatest Hoax