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
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
What can I spray for …
What can I spray for ants and other critters? Nobody—not even an entomologist like me—wants to see critters in their home, office, school, or favorite restaurant. But see them we do. And unfortunately, the first reaction most people have is to reach for a can of bug spray and hose the place down. But what…Continue Reading What can I spray for …
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 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)
Poison ivy (like the Rolling Stones said …)
… and now, more than ever, poison ivy’s gonna make you itch. (The Rolling Stones) I remember the first time I had poison ivy. The particulars are long lost along memory lane. Even so, it was unforgettable. Most likely I was about five years old and, as a born and bred tomboy, I’d been scrambling…Continue Reading Poison ivy (like the Rolling Stones said …)
Let’s work on being less attractive (to blood-thirsty mosquitos)
We have been thinking a lot about ticks these days, so we are particularly grateful to our guest contributor, Paul Hetzler, for writing about another blood-sucking ectoparasite – mosquitoes. Originally published on April 28, 2018 – Courtesy of Paul Hetzler, CCE St. Lawrence County Hooray—it’s the end of April and the snow has mostly receded….Continue Reading Let’s work on being less attractive (to blood-thirsty mosquitos)