Where agriculture is concerned, dairy is king (or is dairy queen?) in northern NY State. But with the kind of winter we’ve had so far, I wonder if we shouldn’t start producing other crops, ones particularly suited to our region. How about we raise snow peas. Or iceberg lettuce, perhaps. OK, so I’m indulging one…Continue Reading Snow Jobs (with guest Paul Hetzler)
For IPM, Looking Back Means Looking Ahead
2015 marks our 30th anniversary here at NYS IPM. With age comes a new approach to our Year in Review — to our annual report. Yes, as always our focus is real science for real people. But “commodity driven” has long been our organizing principle. This year our Year in Review will be different —…Continue Reading For IPM, Looking Back Means Looking Ahead
Beauty and the Battle Against Invasive Plants: IPM Can Help
In New York and around the world, invasive plants rank among the top reasons that the stability of native ecosystems are under threat. Consider the prickly barberries that swallow woodland understories whole. The Norway maples that outcompete sugar maples and out-shade wildflowers. The — well, let’s just stop. Because it doesn’t get better. Sure, those…Continue Reading Beauty and the Battle Against Invasive Plants: IPM Can Help
The squirrels are coming, the squirrels are coming!!
“Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.” ― John Muir In other words, birthing season will soon be upon us. And though it’s fun watching animal families grow up in our backyards, it’s best that they don’t give birth within our buildings. Because female squirrels seek safe places to raise their young in late…Continue Reading The squirrels are coming, the squirrels are coming!!
Rats, Fleas, the Media … Part II
When Cornell’s NYS IPM story — based on IPM entomologist Matt Frye’s research — hit the news a week ago, it made quite a splash. Back then, nearly 20 media outlets told the story: how Frye found over 6,500 lice, mites, and fleas on 113 rats live-trapped in New York City. And — that among…Continue Reading Rats, Fleas, the Media … Part II
Rats, Fleas, IPM: How the Media Told It
Since Cornell’s NYSIPM story — based on IPM entomologist Matt Frye’s research — went live earlier this week, here’s which media outlets told the story, and how. CBS News Cornell Chronicle Daily Mail (UK) The Dodo ESA Fox News International Business Times Medical Daily NBC News Newsweek New York Daily News Popular Science Science World…Continue Reading Rats, Fleas, IPM: How the Media Told It
News Flash! IPM Research — Rats, Fleas, and the Plague
Norway rats are your consummate “where you go, we go also” species, being as well adapted to urban living as we are. Meaning that the diseases we’ve blamed on them are most likely grounded in reality. Yet widespread instances of the most spectacular of those diseases — the Black Plague that devastated much of the…Continue Reading News Flash! IPM Research — Rats, Fleas, and the Plague