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
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)
The New Tick in Town (Part ll.)
Now for the science-y part of this post. (I suggest you re-read Part l. Can’t hurt. Might help.) If you’ve read our other posts on the blacklegged tick (aka the deer tick), you might guess—and rightly so—that it’s the tick that’s been on our radar the longest; the one we (still) give most of our…Continue Reading The New Tick in Town (Part ll.)
The New Tick in Town (Part l.)
The aggressive lone star tick, named for the white spot on the female’s back should scare the willies out of you. Its resume includes ehrlichiosis, tularemia, the heartland virus (luckily, this virus is rare) and alpha-gal syndrome—a frankly scary allergy to red meat. And while this might be new tick in town, it’s indigenous to…Continue Reading The New Tick in Town (Part l.)
Ticks don’t care what month it is
Last month we discussed ticks and the freezing weather. I predicted that “as soon as the temperatures rise into the mid-30s (and we know you will be out enjoying the veritable heat wave), ticks will be questing”. February 21, 2018 was an actual heat wave with temperatures reaching the mid-70s in parts of upstate NY….Continue Reading Ticks don’t care what month it is
Pollinators, awards — and IPM
Just one short week ago, we celebrated the College of Agriculture and Life Science at Cornell University’s Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension and Outreach Award. This award honors a team effort that benefits an important segment of the population or area of the state. New York, like the rest of the world, is highly dependent on the…Continue Reading Pollinators, awards — and IPM
Of pollinators and postage stamps — forever
Protect Pollinators. With these new Forever stamps, released on August 2nd, It’s all about the bees and the butterflies. Here, the monarch butterfly and western honey bee symbolize the thousands (yes, thousands) of native bees, hover and flower flies, beetles, wasps, butterflies, and moths at work throughout the Northeast, and across the continent on behalf…Continue Reading Of pollinators and postage stamps — forever
It’s Pollinator Week. Read All About It.
When we think about bees, we mostly think about honeybees … a European native brought here by the very first colonists. Now honeybees are struggling, hammered by a constellation of 20-plus diseases and parasites — not to mention a range of insecticides and fungicides. About 450 species of wild bees also populate our fields and…Continue Reading It’s Pollinator Week. Read All About It.
Earth Day. It’s Every Day. Especially for Farmers.
For farmers everywhere, but perhaps most of all for organic farmers, every day has to be Earth Day. And since what matters for farmers matters for us all, every day is Earth Day for you, me, everyone. Take farmer Lou Lego. He earned an Excellence in IPM award earlier this year for his inspired, inventive…Continue Reading Earth Day. It’s Every Day. Especially for Farmers.