Lone Star Ticks: Not Guilty in Spread of Lyme Disease
A new review of 30 years' worth of research concludes that, while lone star ticks are guilty of transmitting bacteria that cause several human illnesses, Lyme disease is not one of them.
Study Offers Further Evidence of Bed Bugs’ Ability to Transmit Chagas Disease Pathogen
Researchers at New Mexico State University have found that bed bugs are capable of hosting the pathogen that causes Chagas disease for up to 97 days, and the pathogen can persist even through the bed bug's molting process.
A New Tool for Picking the Right Pesticide for an IPM Program
A new "IPM Criteria Guidance Document" provides integrated pest management professionals, extension entomologists, and growers a common set of criteria to compare pesticides and make a selection based on compatibility within a given IPM plan.
Brown Recluse: Pest Management Tips for the Spider That’s Not as Common as You Think
Sightings of the brown recluse are rare outside its known range, but if its presence is confirmed, here's what to do about it.
When Educating About Insects, Instructional Video Can Help
Extension entomologists at Texas A&M have used short instructional videos to supplement face-to-face education sessions for growers on integrated pest management, and analysis of their use shows the videos are improving learning outcomes.
Do Chestnut, Lemon, or Peppermint Scents Repel Spiders?
In a study on three commonly cited natural spider repellents, both chestnut and peppermint oil showed apparent repellent effects on two species of spider but not on a third. Meanwhile, lemon oil did not have a significant effect on any of the three species included in the study.
An Up-Close Look at the Tiny Sensory Pits That Ticks Use to Smell
A new study in the Journal of Medical Entomology offers the best look yet at the Haller's organ, a small sensory pit on the forelegs of ticks that they use to detect heat and chemical odors emitted by potential hosts.
Why the Variety of Tick Hosts in Your Back Yard Might Be a Good Thing
A new study in Connecticut finds that residential habitats harbor a greater diversity of animal hosts for blacklegged ticks, many of which don't transmit the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi to ticks as well as white-footed mice do, thereby leading to lower levels of the pathogen's presence in residential areas compared to woodland habitats.
Domestic Sea Trade Aids Wood-Boring Beetles’ Range Expansion
A study by entomologists in Italy found that the abundance of bark- and wood-boring beetles outside their native range but still within the same country is correlated with levels of trade at nearby sea ports, suggesting domestic sea transportation plays a role in insects' intra-country range expansion.
Fertilizer Runoff is a Boon to Mosquito Growth
A new study shows that fertilizer present in water where mosquitoes breed can boost growth of bacteria, algae, and fungi, which mosquito larvae feed on, resulting in accelerated larval development and greater survival rates to adulthood.
Cicadas Race to Catch Up With Their Evolving Endosymbionts
In cicadas, a world of microbes has evolved to provide them nutrients. Researchers at the University of Montana have discovered that a cicada bacterial endosymbiont, Hodgkinia cicadicola, has split into at least two dozen lineages within cicada cells, in an apparent case of nonadaptive evolution.
New Ingredient Improves Pheromone Lure for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Researchers at USDA's Agricultural Research Service identified a chemical that enhances capture of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) in pheromone traps
After Emerald Ash Borer, Invertebrates on the Ground Get to Work
What happens in the forest after Emerald Ash Borers kill a tree?
Bumble Bee Queens Slower to Start Colonies After Neonic Exposure
Queens of bumble bee Bombus impatiens that encounter imidacloprid in their spring foraging period delay nest initiation and brood emergence
Maintaining Susceptibility to Insecticidal Traits in Populations of Corn Pests
Should growers that use Bt crops plant a separate nearby refuge field of non-insecticidal crops, or use a blended mixture of seeds that produce both in the same field?
What Lies Beneath: Grape Root Borer in Eastern Vineyards
Grape root borers are slow killers of grape vines, but also are hard to detect.