Lest you think we only care about ticks these days, another bloodsucker is at its prime. The hot, muggy, wet weather has created perfect conditions for buzzy, bitey mosquitoes. Besides itchy welts, they too can transmit pathogens that cause disease. And the first report of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile Virus in NY this…Continue Reading Stop the Bite – Mosquito IPM
An Exotic Tick Could be Very Bad News
Some scientists consider the epidemic of tick-borne disease in the Northeast one of the region’s greatest natural disasters. As if the risks were not bad enough already, there is a newly emerging concern. In the fall of 2017, officials in New Jersey confirmed the discovery of a new species of tick on a sheep farm…Continue Reading An Exotic Tick Could be Very Bad News
Tick Check 1.2.3.
Just last week we posted a pretty good rundown on what to do about ticks—and how. So if you need a review, just call up “Tick, Tack, Toe the Line: Lyme Disease and What to Do” and carry on from there. Remember, the basic idea is no matter which life stage they’re at, know how…Continue Reading Tick Check 1.2.3.
Tick, Tack, Toe the Line: Lyme Disease and What to Do
You’ve all heard about them, right? Yeah, the little buggers sneak up on you, bite you, and—maybe—make you sick. Sometimes really sick. They’re not really bugs, of course, but tiny eight-legged critters remotely related to spiders but without the benefits spiders provide. (Note that adult females plump up like small grapes once they’ve satisfied their…Continue Reading Tick, Tack, Toe the Line: Lyme Disease and What to Do
It’s Invasive Species Week, and …
We’re smack-dab in the middle of Invasive Species Week, and we’ve got info for you. Are you a gardener? Take a look at our Alternatives to Ornamental Invasive Plants. We’ve got garden flowers. Vines. Trees. Shrubs. Aquatics—plants that like wet feet but will do fine in many gardens. Like to walk in the woods? Our…Continue Reading It’s Invasive Species Week, and …
The Jumping Spider at Your Service
It’s rare that a creature as small as a spider could be aware of a human in such a charismatic way, but that’s the nature of the jumping spider. With two pairs of forward-facing eyes set on a flat face (along with two other pairs pointing outward) the jumping spider is a predator that relies…Continue Reading The Jumping Spider at Your Service
Tick Trickery
Got ticks on your mind? Your questions. Our answers: How common are tick-borne diseases — and who is at risk? Lyme disease is the second most common infectious disease in the entire U.S. But over 96% of all cases come from only 14 states. Now that’s scary, because New York and the Northeast are at…Continue Reading Tick Trickery
Tick and Mosquito Repellent Safety—for You and Yours
ou might have noticed that we’re having a bit of a crisis with ticks and mosquitoes. They bite, they suck, and they can transmit pathogens to us during their feeding. One of the many things that we can do to avoid ticks and mosquitoes is to use repellents. But there are two important ideas to…Continue Reading Tick and Mosquito Repellent Safety—for You and Yours
The low-down on ticks. Part 1A, Biology Q&A
Ticked off about ticks? You are not alone. And knowing the what, where, why, etc. is critical to knowing how to deal with them. So here it is, the first in a series: the low-down on that pest we love to hate. May you, dear reader, stay tick-free and healthy. 1. What, exactly, is a…Continue Reading The low-down on ticks. Part 1A, Biology Q&A
The Invasive of the Month Is … (Drum Roll)
Drum Roll: The Spotted Lanternfly Southeastern Pennsylvania, the epicenter of spotted lanternfly’s arrival in 2014, might seem far enough away to give us in New York prep time for dealing with this new pest, a weak flyer that usually hops to get around. But with the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula—and SLF for short), all bets…Continue Reading The Invasive of the Month Is … (Drum Roll)