The title of the upcoming class, offered at the Washington State University Puyallup Structural Pest IPM facility, caught my eye and my ears. It is called "Meet the Beetles".  I am of such an age that a distinctive image is brought to mind when I hear those words.

If you lived through the 60's, you have to remember that groundbreaking album, title above modified slightly to meet my journalistic requirements for humor.

This course for inspectors is the brainchild of Dr. Dan Suomi, our state's leading expert on beetles. Dan did his Phd studies on the beatles and, today, he is a field officer, and an invaluable resource, working for the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

 Dan knows beetles and wood destroying organisms. He is a top expert, one of the most knowledgeable people on earth, on the biology of the destructive wood-boring beetle that is called the anobiid beetle. The pest is common in the northwest. Honestly, Dan is advanced enough in age that he, too, knows quite a bit about John, Paul, George and Ringo. But that is not the topic he is paid to teach this time.

 The stated goal of the upcoming class is to help students learn to identify beetles that are commonly found in and around homes in the Pacific Northwest -- grain beetles, wood-boring beetles and those labeled as occasional invaders. Students can bring unknown specimens -- no album covers please -- to class and Dan will work on identifying the insects and specifying the groups that they belong to. Any student, typically licensed structural pest inspectors take these courses, can obtain additional information on the February 7, 2012 course by clicking here.

For a short video that I produced for my Bellingham and Whatcom County clients, on the very topic of anobiid beetle infestations, please click on the embedded video below.