UNIVERSITY PARK — As invasive forest pests such as emerald ash borer and Asian long-horned beetle decimate forests they never should have seen, scientists are investigating ways to slow the introduction of new insects that may be just as devastating. One …
Pests in the NewsJune 03, 2011
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A couple weeks back I wore shorts and a T-shirt to fish one morning. As a result, I spent more time swatting gnats and mosquitoes than I did fishing. Likewise, I have pulled at least a dozen ticks off my clothing and skin in the past month. The simple fact …
Pests in the NewsJune 03, 2011
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Summer has finally arrived and it has brought with it a pest we love to hate — mosquitos. They make their annoying presence known at outdoor activities and family barbecues. This year the mosquitos are also accompanied by gnats and midges. “Broods of …
Pests in the NewsJune 03, 2011
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A grasshopper invasion is plaguing Galleon Lane. Residents said the insects are hopping, crawling and mating all over the place, eating their flowers and destroying their lawns. Ray Hartz said he believes the grasshoppers are coming from a nearby preserve.
Pests in the NewsJune 03, 2011
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Bed Bug Sniffing Dog Gives Shelter The All Clear
KRIS Corpus Christi News Today, Envirocon Termite and Pest of Houston was back out at the site with a 'bed bug sniffing dog' to make sure the pests are gone. According to Envirocon owner David Rice, the one-year-old dog named Duke is trained to \ sit down whenever he smells … |
Pests in the NewsJune 03, 2011
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The (Not So) Scary Crane Fly
Patch.com It may look big and bad, but the Crane Fly is among the most harmless of summer's insects. By Richard Wolfert | Email the author | 9:00am Have no fear, it's just the infamous Crane Fly. Richard Wolfert Mothing is a very interesting pursuit. … |
Pests in the NewsJune 03, 2011
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 Annapolis Capital |
Emerald ash borer and southern pine beetle: Monitor trees and take steps to …
The Star-Ledger – NJ.com Unlike chewing or sucking insects, which feed on foliage or sap, the voracious feeding of a borer's larvae kills by interfering with a tree's ability to transport water and nutrients from its roots up through the trunk. Woodpeckers are important insect … Communities brace for arrival and devastation of the Emerald Ash BorerWKTV USDA, Vermont Agency of Agriculture team up to survey for Emerald Ash BorerCommons |
Pests in the NewsJune 03, 2011
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QUESTION:
What type of fly would be most common in hospitals?
ANSWER:
I would hate to profile just a single kind of fly, since there are several that deserve mention. To pick on just one kind might lead you into a false sense of security that these others can be ignored. Let’s break it down to either large flies or small flies, and the most important “large” fly is going to be the common House Fly – Musca domestica. It has a wide range of breeding habitats and is possibly the most widespread species of fly, so the opportunity for it to find its way into hospitals is the best. While blow flies will also occur regularly, their presence may be more tied to the presence of something actually inside the hospital that they are breeding in – rotting garbage that is not disposed of quickly or a dead rodent or bird in a wall or attic space. Blow flies just seem less likely than houseflies to wander in from the outside just to look around. House flies have no problem coming in at the slightest opportunity.
With the small flies the ones I seem to have seen most often in hospitals is Phorid flies. They too will breed in a variety of unsanitary situations, including filthy drains like drain flies will and fermenting juices and foods like fruit flies will. These last two flies cannot be ignored as possible hospital pests, especially in dining facilities where spills of juices or fruits and vegetables could occur. But, anyplace water settles and creates decaying organic material the phorid fly will take advantage of, and I have seen a couple of occasions where plumbing problems apparently occurred under slabs, leaking nasty water into the soil beneath the slab, and phorid flies found this opportunity and bred by the thousands.
There are other kinds of flies that will show up now and then too, and the use of UV light traps is an excellent monitoring tool for you. These will attract most kinds of flying insects, particularly when placed where other lighting is minimized and the UV light becomes more attractive. You can check the glue board inside the trap on each visit, and remove it to the office to examine under magnification. By identifying exactly what is captured on the glue you can get a forewarning of possible pest infestations. Different flies indicate different kinds of possible breeding sites, so we might even thank the fly for providing us with a hint that some unsanitary condition exists that should be taken care of in such a sensitive setting.
Pest QuestionsJune 03, 2011
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Few homeowners realize just how serious an infestation by Florida termites can be. Florida’s warm and humid climate is the perfect breeding ground for these pests. They are extremely apt invaders, with the ability to enter any home with an opening as …
Pests in the NewsJune 02, 2011
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Minnesota Department of Agriculture Fights Emerald Ash Borer with Biology
KSTP.com The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will use biological control as a means to stop the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer. According to the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, biological control, or biocontrol, is a pest control strategy that … |
Pests in the NewsJune 02, 2011
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