Insects News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

In Depth with Dan Haggerty mailbag

From viewer criticisms to deadly bugs, Dan Haggerty answered questions from the In Depth mailbag.

Park finds success with pesticide-free mosquito traps

A North Raleigh park once plagued with mosquitoes lurking along a shaded tree line saw a bite-free summer after testing new technology.

A summer without mosquitoes: Park's pesticide-free solution works to reduce bites

A North Raleigh park once plagued with mosquitoes lurking along a shaded tree line saw a bite-free summer after testing new technology.

5 On Your Side: Consumer Reports' best insect repellents of 2025

To find the best bug sprays, Consumer Reports put repellents to the ultimate test -- having real people stick their arms into cages full of hungry mosquitoes.

5 On Your Side: Best bug repellents from Consumer Reports

It's bug season, and nobody wants to be a snack for mosquitos. 5 On Your Side's Keely Arthur shares the top-rated insect repellents from Consumer Reports.

The cicadas are coming: When to expect cicadas in North Carolina in 2025

Love them or hate them, cicadas are fascinating insects commonly talked about in North Carolina during the warmer months.

NC State expert has North Carolina's 2025 cicada forecast

Love them or hate them, cicadas are fascinating insects commonly talked about in North Carolina during the warmer months.

Armyworms brought by Tropical Storm Debby wreaking havoc on homeowners

Armyworms, known scientifically as Spodeotera frugiperda, are a species of caterpillar commonly associated with foliar damage seen on grass and home landscapes. The infestation caught homeowners, like Lee Hawkins of Fuquay-Varina, by surprise.

Rick Armstrong, WRAL photojournalist

New virus: Bug bites can bring fever, chills, aches

The insect-borne oropouche virus is spreading in South America and the Caribbean and among people who have traveled to those areas.

Deet is key: Here are best bug sprays and wipes for 2024

Every year, Consumer Reports tests lotions, sprays and wipes, including plant-based repellents, on real people using real mosquitoes to find the best insect repellents.

Consumer Reports

How one of the world's most successful indoor pests took over the planet

(CNN) -- The cockroach that emerged from your sink drain and scuttled under the fridge? The nocturnal critter was most likely a German cockroach, and its ancestors were pestering people more than 2,000 years ago in southern Asia, a new study found.

By Amanda Schupak, CNN

Millions of cicadas emerging in North Carolina

Are cicadas a spectacular wonder of nature or an anxiety-inducing nuisance? It depends on whom you ask.

'The broods have arrived:' Millions of cicadas buzzing through North Carolina in rare emergence

A spectacular wonder of nature or an anxiety-inducing nuisance? It depends on whom you ask.

Liz McLaughlin, WRAL climate change reporter and Katie Hunt, CNN

Durham mosquito repellent company raises $8 million

Murphy’s Naturals is expanding its retail footprint to include REI and Walmart.

Transforming food systems with insect farms

British company Entocycle is exploring the potential of feeding livestock bugs instead of grains to address the climate crisis

Locust outbreaks could worsen with climate change

Extreme wind and rain may lead to bigger and worse desert locust outbreaks. The study says human-caused climate change is likely to intensify the weather patterns and cause higher outbreak risks.

Go Ask Dad: Apocalypse cicada

The essential religious truths are universal. Share what you have. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Raise your hand to go to the bathroom.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman, WRAL contributor

Go Ask Dad: Gryllus campestris, salt-and-vinegar-flavored

At this museum, my eldest son, usually the more cautious of my three kids, discovered a package of edible crickets for sale in the gift shop.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman, WRAL contributor

1 trillion cicadas: Spring 2024 brings more bugs than seen in a century

For the first time since 1803, two cicada groups are expected to emerge from the earth during the same season.

Aimee Ortiz, New York Times

Unlikely heroes: Dog duo protecting NC wineries and orchards against invasive Spotted Lanternflies

Two black Labrador Retrievers, Goose and Kita, are on a mission to sniff out Spotted Lanternflies. The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive insect that could devastate North Carolina's wine industry and nurseries.

Debra Morgan, WRAL anchor/reporter

Dogs sniff out destructive bug

North Carolina is taking action to stop the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly. Two black Labrador Retrievers have been trained to detect the insect, which has the potential to help prevent its spread.

Dogs sniff out destructive bug

North Carolina is taking action to stop the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly. Two black Labrador Retrievers have been trained to detect the insect, which has the potential to help prevent its spread.

New insect, invasive to NC, chews zigzag pattern into elm leaves

North Carolina has a new insect resident, one that poses a unique risk to elm trees.

Tips for treating summer bug bites

Love the fresh foods of summer? So do bugs of all kinds -- and for them, you are on the menu.

UNC Health Talk

Consumer Reports' top-tested bug sprays

Summer is coming and with it, the need for insect repellent.