Author Archives: p-porter
What is chikungunya and why should we care?
Over 30 years ago as a graduate student taking a course in medical entomology, I learned about all kinds of diseases spread by insects. By far, most of these were tropical and exotic-sounding. I figured that, if I lived and worked in the U.S., my chances of encountering most of these pathogens was practically nil. Chikungunya (chik-un-GOON-ya) virus was one of those diseases I memorized way back then, and have since mostly forgotten. The chikungunya disease was first described in 1952 during an outbreak in southern Tanzania (east Africa). The name… Read More →
Never more than 5 feet from a (wolf) spider
I was reminded the other day of the old saying “You’re never more than five feet from a spider”. I was working on the computer when I glanced up from my keyboard to look into the face of a BIG wolf spider. It was sitting on the base of my computer monitor about 2 feet away. After the initial startle reaction (even entomologists are human) I had to smile. I really do like spiders–if not especially on my keyboard–and I was thinking how most of my non-entomologist friends would react to… Read More →
National Pollinator Week coming soon
National Pollinator Week this year is June 16-22. Here’s to hoping 2014 will be looking up for honey bees and other native pollinators. Last year during National Pollinator Week a pesticide misapplication led to a highly publicized bee kill in Wilsonville, OR. But this year we’ll start with some good news. Honey bee colony winter survival was up slightly this year, though still below expected survival levels prior to the advent of colony collapse disorder (CCD). In celebration of the week, I thought I would share with you some… Read More →
Beekeeping Clinic
If you’re a beekeeper, you won’t want to miss out on the upcoming Summer Clinic in Bryan, TX on June 7. Hosted by Texas A&M University Assistant Professor of Apiculture, Dr. Juliana Rangel, the clinic will discuss recent research projects, and subjects of interest to all beekeepers. There will even be a hands-on session with Bill Baxter (bring bee suit and veil for this one), and a session on dos and don’t about teaching the public about bees. Best of all it will be an opportunity to tour… Read More →
The “Mother” bug II
I’ve been receiving calls about a small red and black insect that is extremely common at the moment. It’s scientific name is Sehirus cinctus, but it is also known as the white-margined burrowing bug. Due to it’s commonness around Mother’s Day, and its motherly habits, I kind of like the name “Mother bug”, which I used in another post. Several years ago I got a call from a graduate student doing a study on the unique behavior of these insects. He wanted to drive all the way from Notre… Read More →
Most attractive contest
Where are you on the mosquito attractiveness scale? Are you a “1” or a “10”? Me? I know that I’m more attractive to mosquitoes than my wife (she is much more susceptible to poison ivy… I think I’ll be content). I suspect that I’m not a ten, though. Several years ago I was asked to visit a Plano resident who was very upset about the mosquito problem around her home. After searching her yard and poking about the surrounding neighborhood, the city health official and I had not… Read More →
Time to bait for fire ants!
If you haven’t tried them yet, fire ant baits are the best tools for really managing fire ants. They are relatively inexpensive, require little labor to apply, and are safe for both you and the environment. The biggest drawback of baits is that they cannot be used all year round. Instead applications must be timed to periods when fire ants are actively looking for food, foraging in ant worker lingo. Many years ago a researcher at Florida State University, named Sanford Porter, spent an entire year of his life (three times… Read More →
Gall insects most active in the spring
Every year I receive numerous questions about strange, misshapen growths on the leaves or stems of trees. These growths, called galls, are often the result of insect egg-laying or feeding. Galls themselves are tumor-like growths produced by the plant in response to chemicals injected into the plant by the adult or larval gall-making insect. The shape, size and form of the gall is determined by the precise chemicals chemicals used by each species of gall-maker. The mechanisms of gall formation, and how these chemicals result in very distinctive… Read More →
Bee protests are cute, but…
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W5PQbitoS4#t=115[/youtube]A recent protest by organic activists outside a Chicago Home Depot highlighted the current debate over pesticides and bees. It also reminded me that no one wants to go on record as being “against the bees”. Check out the video above. Let’s face it. Despite their sometimes dangerous side, bees rank relatively high on most people’s list of favorite insects. After all, bees are a sure sign of spring (much needed this year). And they make honey for goodness sake. And, as the beekeeping industry keeps reminding us,… Read More →
