Marcus Chen
Areas of Expertise: Pest Identification | Integrated Pest Management
Find the Bug First
That has been my rule since 2015, and it is what led me to become a certified Integrated Pest Management specialist.
Most of my work involves identifying garden pests accurately and choosing the least disruptive way to manage them.
I teach pest control workshops, write for gardening publications, and help home gardeners identify what’s damaging their plants before choosing a treatment. Every article I share here follows that same approach.
How I Work
Most of my methods are simple. Hand-picking, insecticidal soap, and a few rows of dill and yarrow to bring in ladybugs handle most of what I see.
Over the years, I have dropped what did not hold up, like dish soap sprays and store-bought ladybugs.
Everything I share here has earned its place the same way, and that is the standard I hold every Marcus Chen article to.
Finding crawling critters with pincers inside your home can send a quick shiver down your spine. These nocturnal insects love damp corners and sneak indoors
You lift the lid, and there it is. That writhing, squirming mass at the bottom of the trash can that makes your stomach drop before
Spider mites are one of those pests that seem to appear out of nowhere and multiply before you even notice. By the time you spot
How many summer evenings have been spoiled by a persistent mosquito? Most of us grab whatever DEET spray is under the sink without really thinking
A bug near the bed is enough to make one check the sheets twice. When they are small, flat, and reddish-brown, bed bugs seem like
A hornworm can hide on a tomato plant for days without being noticed. Its green body mixes perfectly with the leaves it feeds on. By
House centipedes are one of those pests that seem to appear out of nowhere, skittering across a bathroom floor at midnight or freezing mid-stride on
Think your home is sealed up tight against pests? Most homeowners believe this…. and most homeowners are wrong. They walk outside their house, plug a
Nothing ruins time outdoors faster than a wasp that refuses to leave. One minute you’re relaxing, and the next you’re watching every sip and every
Mealybugs often hide in plain sight, and by the time you notice their white, cotton-like clusters, they may already be weakening your plant from the
Wildlife has a funny way of acting like your house is part of the neighborhood welcome package. One day it’s a quiet attic, and the
Anyone who has ever heard scratching in the attic at 3 a.m. knows the panic that comes next. You grab your phone, search “wildlife removal