The Buzz

Raccoons have a well-earned reputation for being trash bandits, but they deserve our respect too. 

Not all moths and butterflies should be treasured. Some, like the gypsy moth, are invasive and are harming local habitats. 

Spring wildflowers are beautiful but fleeting. Keep your eyes trained to the ground when out for a walk to see if you can spot bloodroot, a fascinating ephemeral. 

After the overwhelming success of our second annual "Tournament of Birds," we're branching out with a new animal bracket pitting two things against each other that people love and love to hate: cute and cuddly animals against creepy crawlies.

Lightning can — and will — strike the same place twice, so always head indoors when thunder roars. 

Spring is spawning season for crappies, which offers an opportunity to get a good look at these fish. 

Have you ever seen a blue-spotted salamander? Most people haven't, but they do live in Will County. Finding one is a matter of knowing where to look. 

Is that snake you saw a dangerous eastern massasauga rattlesnake or a nonvenomous fox snake? If you saw it in Will County, it was a fox snake. The massasauga does not live in Will County. In fact, no venomous snakes do.

Invasion of the jumping worms isn't the next box-office thriller. These invasive worms are becoming widespread in Illinois, destroying the soil quality wherever they are. 

It was a long road in the 16-bird field, where there were some very close matchups and some blowouts along the way, but the No. 1-seeded ruby-throated hummingbird emerged as this year's champion in the 'Tournament of Birds.'

In recognition of International Beaver Day on April 7, here are five facts to help you appreciate these industrious animals.

Lichens are little known and not well understood, but they deserve our appreciation.

When it comes to salamanders, a big part of the thrill is the hunt.

Find out by answering these 10 questions.

Woodpeckers can peck up to 12,000 times a day! So how do they do it without hurting their brains?