Why Do Termites Fall?

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, is a beetle that was first discovered in 2002 in the US near the Detroit area and southeastern portions of Michigan. This beetle is believed to have originated in Asia. The theory is that they arrived in the states in packing material made of wood on cargo ships traveling on the St. Lawrence River, which then leads into the Great Lakes. Since 2002, this beetle has made its way into parts of Canada and now in at least eighteen states in the US (Emerald, n.d.). They are causing major destruction of Ash trees in all of these areas, and Vermont is starting to take precautions to be prepared if and when these beetles show up in The Green Mountain

one of which takes place in Korea in 1950 and the rest of which occur in

There’s no doubt that spring is a lovely time of year; the temperatures start rising but haven’t become unbearable, while people, animals and plants seem to stir with new life. Of course, this set of conditions also means that the chances of your home or property becoming subject to invasion from wildlife or pests increases; in Alabama, this is when armadillos can more easily hunt for ground insects and worms, which can wreak havoc on your property. This is where the armadillo removal and nuisance wildlife damage control specialists at southeast Alabama’s Critter Getter become essential; they’ve been dealing with these and other animals for over 37 years.

winters / and get their little claws stuck in tar / on hot summer days” (Hernandez 1024).

However, modern buildings are also at risk. Termites feed on wood, so any structure with wood siding, wood studs in the walls, wood floor joists or any other component that attracts termites can fall victim to an infestation. Unfortunately, termite infestations can go undiscovered for many years, and by the time that termites are identified, they may have caused thousands of dollars in damage. Whether you own a residential or commercial property, you will need expert, effective treatment to eliminate termites and prevent additional damage.

The Barn Owl Trust (2015) stated that thermoregulation occurs within the species during winter when perching on the fences. Their activity levels minimise therefore energy is saved to aid their hunting success (The Barn Owl Trust, 2015). Thouzeau et al (1999) supported the statement and claimed that barn owls efficiently store energy throughout the winter, although their metabolic rate reduces as the species are susceptible to starvation. McCafferty et al (2015) agrees with the thermoregulation claim, although states the survival technique is not efficient as the species are exposed to the harsh winter weather therefore mortality rates increase. However, individuals which root within the farm buildings and hollow trees throughout the year have

There have been studies performed that demonstrate how cold temperatures will affect those pesky bed bugs. Unfortunately, there is a huge misconception about how cold the temperatures need to be to kill the bed bugs in your home. It is not

Forests are carbon sinks, they absorb carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it in plant biomass and soils belowground. When the trees die, they stop absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, and as they decompose, they release some of the stored carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere (Suzuki & Moola, 2008). The mountain pine beetle (Aendroctonus ponderosae) is a primary agent of forest disturbance, a higher number of outbreaks occur due to favorable forest age and climate patterns (Progar et al., 2014). The mountain pine beetle (MPB) starts its attack when the female finds a pine tree (usually lodgepole) that is at least 80 years old. Upon finding the tree the female bores into it, while releasing a pheromone that attracts the male beetles. When the males arrive they, also release more pheromones to attract more females. The tree tries to defend its self by secreting a toxic resin. But the beetles carry spores of a blue-stain fungus in their mouths which they release as they bore into the tree, the fungus prevents the tree from transporting nutrients and water. The beetles lay eggs under the tree’s bark, and when the larvae hatch, they feed on the blue fungus until they are mature enough to leave the now dead tree (Aukema et al., 2006).

Over the last few decades in North America an insect has wreaked havoc on the coniferous trees that inhabit the Rocky Mountains. The insect known as the Mountain Pine Bark Beetle, or Dendroctonus ponderosae although once an important part of the cycle of life in the pines of the Rocky Mountains has recently grown out of control. Because of the beetles need to live inside of trees, they have adapted the ability to fight against the trees defenses, but in doing so have endangered the trees by cutting off their source of moisture throughout the tree. The Mountain pine beetle has an interesting physiology that allows it to burrow into trees. This causes many

Pests can severely damage your home, cause you stress and end up costing you a lot of money. Some may think they are harmless, but they will think otherwise after they have had to deal with an infestation and the negative results. If you haven't done so yet, it would be wise to prepare your home for winter and keep the pests out.

Climate Change affects the T. Cruzi parasite greatly, if the host (humans, animals, etc.) live in average/”good” housing conditions then the bug will not be able to affect them. T. Cruzi is a silent killer. In the acute phase, you will not have many symptoms, but the ones that you will have will be hard to link with the T. Cruzi parasite itself. With rising temperatures, the colony will expand North and more people will be at risk of exposure. Since you can’t really be affected by this parasite while living in any good housing conditions, the animals around you may still have a high chance of infection. This may increase the expansion of the colony greatly as well. Charles Darwin once said while in Argentina, "It is most disgusting to feel

The Douglas-fir tussock moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata McDunnough) is native to the North America and inhabits the western part of the United States (Brooks et al. 1978; Figure 1). According to Brooks et al. (1978), this species of moth contributes to soil fertility in coniferous forests, but can cause problems with high populations. When these outbreaks occur, the tussock moth defoliate spruce, true firs, and Douglas-firs (Wickman et al. 1981). Defoliation directly kills trees and leaves them susceptible to secondary issues, such as slow tree growth or bark beetles (Wickman et al. 1981). This affects native forests in the interior of the United States, as outbreaks of moths have not been observed in coastal forests (Brooks et al.

The shade provides little protection for these plants against the hot and humid climate. Small insects such as moths, caterpillars, and snails causes damages to the plants by biting and leaving holes in the leaves. Stream bank erosion, deer, goat, and cattle browsing, flooding, and diseases causes Texas snowbells to die off. Because of their small population size, Texas snowbells cannot reproduce (Fish and Wildlife Service). Another challenge to their survival is the vegetation alteration caused by the increasing number of livestock, fire suppression, and cultivation (Texas Parks and Wildlife). Livestock are eating up the seeds produced by this flower. Grasses used to be tall, but became short because insects and animals are eating them. Since grasses are short, Texas snowbell is more noticeable to predators. Higher sedimentation loss and lower run-offs is a result of the change in grass size, destroying the cliffs where Texas snowbells grow (Fish and Wildlife Service). Their habitat is being destroyed, reducing their numbers drastically. Temperatures in the Edwards Plateau are hot to the plant, causing them to die because of heat (Fish and Wildlife

Once Rex got fired from his job, the bills began to pile up, and they started by using a hand washing-machine, airing the house out by night, but the house began to give. Termites had taken the house and ate away at the floor. Rex’s way to fixing the problem was to take beer cans and smashing them into the holes of the floor. It was a creative and fun way for the kids to help around the house. Jeanette said that the floor began to look like Swiss cheese.

Two circles were drawn directly across from each other on plain white paper. One was drawn with a black Sharpie marker, and the other was drawn with a black ballpoint pen. Three separate termites were dropped directly in the middle of the two circles, and their reactions were recorded for sixty seconds. This was repeated once for each termite.