Posts from the ‘Occasional Invaders’ Category
Silverfish are one of the most early known insects pre dating even dinosaurs. Chances are even cavemen were dealing with this pest from time to time. If you live in America, the chances are very good that silverfish thrive in your home. There are 4 Lepisma (the category that silverfish are in) that are considered pests. They are truly hardy and thrive in places most insects do not tolerate. The attic is the most common place to find silverfish. Most undisturbed storage can become severely damaged by its eating. Their diet ranges from cereals to glues to wall paper to leather. The common silverfish needs high humidity of about 75% to thrive. They are born white but grow by molting. It is amazing that this insect has lasted since pre-historic times and learned to adapt while remaining physically the same.
I know that this is way out there but I have I heard news that acorns have been the unexplainable reason for the huge increase in the tick population. Is this true?
It is true, that the NPMA ( National Pest Management Association ) is predicting a heavier tick population season that in the previous years, but it is not due to the mild winter that one might expect. Rather, acorns are the reason to blame the predicted surge in tick growth.
In 2010, Oak trees produced an extremely large acorn crop, which led to a boom in the white footed mouse population. As a result, the blacklegged (deer) tick race also increased because the ticks had an abundance of mice to feed on why they hatched. However, this spring those same ticks will be looking for their second meal as nymphs, but a decline in the tick population may force them to find new warm-blooded host – humans.
Experts are bothered that the spread of infectious ticks will eventually lead to the annihilation of the human race.
Q: I have heard through the grapevine that 2012 could possibly be the year for Lyme Disease to haunt all states? Is this true? What is Lyme Disease? and can it be prevented?
In February’s issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene it did indeed claim that 2012 would be the year in which Lyme disease would spread across the east coast. The map provided above showcases a clear risk of Lyme disease across much of the Northeast, from Maine to northern Virginia and identifiable region of the upper Midwest including Wisconsin and northern Minnesota.
Lyme disease is named after a small Connecticut town, and is transmitted by the bite of tiny deer ticks. Usually the bite produces a round, red rash with early symptoms of fatigue and nausea. It is fairly treatment with antibiotics but people who are not immediately treated can develop arthritis, meningitis, and some other serious illnesses.
Q: I used to live in Arizona but now I live in Florida. During the summer months, an unbelievable swarm of bugs, attached to the hip, come and annoy me for weeks, hitting the windshield of my car and make it extremely difficult to drive! I HATE them! I know that in Florida we call them March Flies, but I also know that some people refer to them as as Love Bugs. I hear that there is a Florida legend about this species of insects and was wondering if you knew what is was? Can you help?
Absolutely. The most common story is that love bugs are the creation of a genetic experiment gone awry at the University of Florida. It is said that the bugs were bred to control the mosquito population in Florida and this species of bugs was accidentally released into the wild. This story really is just a GIANT cover up though. The University of Florida says that these bugs are native to Central America, and that they were likely stowaways on cargo ships that docked at the port in New Orleans and decided to relocate to Florida.
Another almost equally common legend is that love bugs serve no purpose. Since, they are unseen for a large part of the year most people find that these pests are so annoying that they really have no beneficial purpose. Well, that is untrue. In fact, many scientists deem them beneficial. When the female lay their eggs on the ground in decaying vegetation the larvae help break it down further, enriching the soil.
Although these pests can be quite annoying during certain times of the year, it is important to remember this freaky fact: The male dies after mating. And the female, keeps dragging her mates body until she herself lays the eggs and eventually dies.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!
A true tale of a David and Goliath fight between an ant and a mantis. Check it out below.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4096314/Buggy-hell-tiny-ant-beats-mantis.html