Lab Study Shows Asian Longhorned Tick Can Spread Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) can, at least under lab conditions, acquire and transmit the bacteria that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Significant Reduction in Tick Bites Found via Permethrin-Treated Clothing
A two-year randomized control field trial among outdoor workers showed permethrin-treated clothing reduced the incidence of bites from blacklegged ticks, the primary vectors of Lyme disease, by as much as 65 percent.
There’s an App for That! Digital Image Analysis Counts Flies
ImageJ, an open-source image processing program from the National Institutes of Health, enables quick, accurate counts of small arthropods for vector surveillance, say researchers at the University of Illinois.
Why Forensic Entomologists Say Crime-Scene Investigators Should Carry Cans of Tuna
When fly larvae are collected from a corpse at a crime scene, they still need to eat so they can be raised to adulthood and identified to species. A new study says a simple can of tuna could be an easy and cost-effective solution for keeping the larvae alive until a forensic entomologist can conduct analysis.
To Reduce Tick Encounters, Where You Dump Your Leaves Matters
Raking leaves out to the yard edge may increase tick numbers there, according to a new study by researchers looking at how landscaping practices impact tick abundance.
Different Tick, Same Repellents: CDC Study Shows How to Avoid Asian Longhorned Tick
New research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that DEET and other repellents approved by the EPA for use against native ticks are also effective against the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis).
Research Confirms First Bed Bug Infestation in Costa Rica in Over 20 Years
A bed bug infestation hadn't been seen in Costa Rica since the late 1990s—until now. Researchers at the University of Costa Rica have confirmed that specimens collected from a home near San Jose in 2017 are indeed bed bugs and, surprisingly, of the temperate-zone species Cimex lectularius and not the tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus.
“Natural” Oil Mosquito Repellents May Fend Off Mosquitoes—Briefly
A recent Journal of Medical Entomology study investigates the ability of essential oils to repel mosquitoes.
Electropenetrography Helps Researcher Break Down Mosquito Bites
A recent study used electropenetrography to quantify mosquito feeding behavior. The study’s lead author sees great potential for other insect scientists to apply this method in their own work.
Don’t Get Too Attached: New Research on Grace Period for Tick-Borne Spotted Fevers
A recent study finds that Rocky Mountain spotted fever may be transmitted almost immediately following a bite by an infected American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) with little or no grace period—a stark contrast to what researchers have thought for almost a century.
Study Finds Bigger Mosquitoes in Baltimore Neighborhoods with More Abandoned Buildings
A recent study found that female Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are larger in neighborhoods with more abandoned buildings—and larger mosquitoes are more likely to survive and breed.
West Nile Virus: Reflections on 20 Years in Pursuit of an Elusive Foe
The body of knowledge built since the arrival of West Nile virus in the Americas in 1999 is now powering efforts to minimize its impact and prepare for the invasion of other mosquito-borne diseases. A new special collection in the Journal of Medical Entomology takes stock of lessons learned and progress made over the past 20 years of West Nile virus research, surveillance, and control.
Soil Ecology: Critical But Understudied in the Fight Against Ticks
In many tick species, more than three-quarters of their lives are spent off-host in the soil or among the leaf litter. A research team at Cornell University highlights an important opportunity for tick researchers and soil ecologists to collaborate to better understand what happens when the ticks aren't in contact with hosts.
Bad Roommates: Study Tracks Mice to Nests, Finds Ticks Aplenty
In the first field study of its kind, researchers confirmed Peromyscus mouse nests as understudied habitats for ticks, including blacklegged ticks and American dog ticks. Researchers are hoping to better understand the role of mouse-tick interactions within nests in the spread of tick-borne disease.
Not a Kissing Bug: Invasive Western Conifer-Seed Bug Causes Undue Alarm
As the western conifer-seed bug has arrived in South America, its resemblance to kissing bugs has caused a stir, as members of the public have readily mistaken the two. Researchers in Chile recommend accessible identification keys and educational materials to better inform both health professionals and the public.
Counting Ticks on Animals is More Complicated Than It Sounds
Simply counting the number of ticks on a host animal seems like a straightforward task, but an analysis of published tick research finds no single, standard method among scientists. A group of researchers says tick-counting methods should be as rigorous as any other scientific procedure and described clearly enough to allow their use in other studies.