Many of us have snow or slush on the ground. While this changes tick activity, it doesn’t mean tick and tick-borne disease risk is over. We’re pleased to provide our newest Tick infographic posters for Farmers, Hunters and Children. Members of the community IPM team continue to gather all the latest information on tick activity…Continue Reading New Posters Available from Don’t Get Ticked New York
Update on IPM in NY Schools
Recently members of the NYS IPM Program met in Albany as part of a joint meeting of the Clean, Green, and Healthy Schools Steering Committee and the Statewide School IPM Committee. Clean, Green, and Health Schools is coordinated by the NYS Department of Health and helmed by Dr. Michele Herdt. Their purpose is to promote…Continue Reading Update on IPM in NY Schools
Sorry, I Can’t Help You [grow that horribly invasive plant].
Today’s post is from Matt Frye. FYI: (He didn’t just show up on our door talking ticks or rats! And we’re glad he escaped the vines to join our program.) Kudzu is an invasive vine that was introduced from Japan to the United States in 1876. In its heyday, kudzu was planted extensively throughout the…Continue Reading Sorry, I Can’t Help You [grow that horribly invasive plant].
The eat-local movement: IPM works for you…
… no matter who you are. Eat local! For towns and cities small and large, the eat-local movement is a boon for farmers and consumers alike. You (the consumer) get your veggies fresh, while you (the farmer) can build a base of local buyers who know your products. Tomatoes, cukes, and sweet peppers. Lettuce and…Continue Reading The eat-local movement: IPM works for you…
Pest Exclusion: An Old Concept With New Life
The Scientific Coalition on Pest Exclusion, or SCOPE, started as an idea from industry expert and world-renowned rodentologist, Dr. Bobby Corrigan. Well-versed in pest management literature, Bobby’s reading of a particular sentence in Hugo Hartnak’s 1939 text, “202 Common Household Pests,” resonated with a concept he was thinking and teaching about all along, “We should…Continue Reading Pest Exclusion: An Old Concept With New Life
Stop the Bite – Mosquito IPM
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, 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
New Field Crops and Livestock Coordinator Joins NYS IPM
Greetings! I’m Jaime Cummings, the new Field Crops and Livestock Coordinator at NYS IPM. My job? To work with field crop and livestock farmers on more than 3 million acres statewide who grow corn, hay, and other field crops and contribute to New York’s livestock industry. These farmers know all too well the problems that…Continue Reading New Field Crops and Livestock Coordinator Joins NYS IPM
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 …
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 …)