Mosquitoes: Not Bat's Preferred Food -- Courant.com
Nice letter to the editor in the Hartford Courant describing how the myth that bats make a signficant dent in mosquito populations.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Minnows vs. Larvicide in abandoned ponds
Minnows to the rescue in abandoned swimming pools - USATODAY.com
People are tossing larvicides into pools -- a great idea to reduce mosquito populations.
Unless the pool has already been stocked with mosquitofish (Gambusia).
Mosquitofish eat up to 300 larvae a day, and can be good choices for smaller, contained water areas like pools.
Well-meaning neighbors will hopefully be curtailed by signs that say "Minnows at Work." From the looks of the photo, I hope they're getting overtime.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Are you a mosquito maven?
UC Davis has a skeeter quiz on their website that's worth doing, if you have a free minute.
Accidental Infection of West Nile May Chart Potential Therapies
Report Describes Immune Response to West Nile - May be used to develop therapeutics - Modern Medicine:
From HealthDay:
I don't pretend to know the first thing about infectious disease, but it seems reasonable to assume that this is a case of finding a tremendous silver lining on a black cloud. I can't imagine anything worse that a needle stick with a potentially deadly disease in a laboratory environment. Thankfully, the researcher made a full recovery.
Wonder if she got workman's comp?
From HealthDay:
"Marietjie Venter, Ph.D., from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and colleagues describe the case of a 29-year-old healthy female scientist who became infected with lineage 2 West Nile virus after a needlestick injury, and her subsequent immune response.
The researchers found that symptoms developed on day seven after infection and recovery was complete by day 26. After measuring the levels of 16 cytokines in serum at various times after infection, they found that the largest increases occurred for interferon-alpha from days eight, nine and 13, interferon-inducible protein-10 on day eight, interleukin-13 on days 0 to 11, interleukin-6 and -8 on day 16, and interleukin-15 on day 11. There was a slight increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-5 on day 11.
'The cytokines identified in the current study may serve as additional targets for the development of therapeutic interventions by suppressing proinflammatory responses (by interleukin-13, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8) or supplementing type 1 helper T cell responses (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma and interferon-alpha),' Venter and colleagues conclude."
I don't pretend to know the first thing about infectious disease, but it seems reasonable to assume that this is a case of finding a tremendous silver lining on a black cloud. I can't imagine anything worse that a needle stick with a potentially deadly disease in a laboratory environment. Thankfully, the researcher made a full recovery.
Wonder if she got workman's comp?
Big proboscis leads mosquitoes to death
Using flower power to trap mosquitoes - 18 March 2009 - New Scientist
Researchers at Georgia Southern have developed a new, flower-shaped trap for mosquitoes.
In this situation, it does matter how long your proboscis is, I guess.
Researchers at Georgia Southern have developed a new, flower-shaped trap for mosquitoes.
In the middle of the (trap)is a pad soaked in sweet fluid laced with Bt, an insecticide that selectively kills mosquitoes. A fine screen keeps out other insects but allows the mosquito's proboscis through.
In this situation, it does matter how long your proboscis is, I guess.
Mosquito loses election
Nevada state bug named - San Jose Mercury News:
In a (fixed?) election, Nevada lawmakers named the Vivid Dancer Damselfly as the state insect.
How can we let fourth graders take over such a major responsibility as taking over the decision to name a state insect in Nevada? I have a fourth grader, and he would have likely named a Pokemon to the ballot.
At least one senator gave the mosquito its props:
In a (fixed?) election, Nevada lawmakers named the Vivid Dancer Damselfly as the state insect.
How can we let fourth graders take over such a major responsibility as taking over the decision to name a state insect in Nevada? I have a fourth grader, and he would have likely named a Pokemon to the ballot.
At least one senator gave the mosquito its props:
"Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, said he noticed mosquitoes wherever he went, and thought the mosquito should have been the state insect."
West Nile could thrive in recession - Local - The Modesto Bee
West Nile could thrive in recession - Local - The Modesto Bee
The Modesto Bee makes the point that more and more pools and ornamental fountains will likely be too expensive to keep up in this cruddy economy. Or, because we're talking about California here, people may get kicked out of these homes, leaving no one to care for these big old "green pools."
Abandoned swimming pools and fountains, with no chlorine or aerators to move the water around can breed mosquitoes in a matter of days. And what happens if you're the lucky neighbor to this abandoned mosquito water park? You got it.
Most communities will send out a city crew to treat green pools. But if you're getting eaten alive this summer because your neighbor skipped town, tossing a bit of larvicide in there would be a smart move.
The Modesto Bee makes the point that more and more pools and ornamental fountains will likely be too expensive to keep up in this cruddy economy. Or, because we're talking about California here, people may get kicked out of these homes, leaving no one to care for these big old "green pools."
Abandoned swimming pools and fountains, with no chlorine or aerators to move the water around can breed mosquitoes in a matter of days. And what happens if you're the lucky neighbor to this abandoned mosquito water park? You got it.
Most communities will send out a city crew to treat green pools. But if you're getting eaten alive this summer because your neighbor skipped town, tossing a bit of larvicide in there would be a smart move.
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