While fall tends to reduce mosquito populations, days above 50oF will prompt activity by those genera that hibernate. Emily Singler, VMD, says the uptick of heartworm-positive cases in unusual locations makes educating and encouraging clients about year-round heartworm prevention more important than ever. Source: AAHA NEWStat, April 9, 2024. Link. Related: 10 cases of … [Read more...]
Search Results for: mosquitoes
K-State nanotechnology takes a bite out of mosquitoes
Kansas State University entomologists have developed a way to couple silver, an antimicrobial, with zein, an agricultural waste product to kill mosquito larvae. If nanotechnology can be employed to control pests, it will greatly reduce the use of pesticides in the environment. And if researchers can find the right carriers for these nano-insecticides such as products that may … [Read more...]
12 plants and herbs that naturally repel mosquitoes
If the dry weather has burned out some landscape flowers, consider adding plants that repel mosquitoes ahead of the late summer and early fall biting frenzy. End-of-season discounts are generally available on remaining plants as fall approaches. . . . a lavender plant smells a whole lot nicer than a bottle of bug spray.” Source: Country Living, April 3, 2023. … [Read more...]
Tired mosquitoes would rather sleep than bite
Researchers recently discovered that mosquitoes who have their sleep disrupted would rather get rest than go looking for their next meal. They found the mosquitoes in the research lab slept between 16 and 19 hours each day. Sleep was disturbed by vibrating the enclosures. Mosquitoes will pass up a meal when they are sleep deprived.” Source: Treehuggers, June 17, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
No rain? No problem for mosquitoes.
The thing about mosquitoes is they’re very diverse in the habitat they can modify to, and it’s their adaptive behaviors that allow them to be successful.” - Justin Talley, PhD Source: Drovers, May 26, 2022. Link. 3 of 5 core equine diseases are spread by mosquitoes. EEE, WEE and VEE are spread to horses by mosquitoes, which feed on infected birds and rodents that serve as the … [Read more...]
Plants that keep mosquitoes away
Plants that keep away mosquitoes and provide food, for both wildlife and humans, are ideal for home environments. In addition to tasting great and reducing the mosquito population, they provide us with the options to offset the use of some chemicals. Among the plants listed are lavender, basil, thyme and rosemary. Source: Countryside, May 16, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
How mosquitoes avoid pesticides designed to kill them
Scent memories could make mosquito populations trickier to manage.” Source: Science, February 23, 2022. Link. Researchers exposed hundreds of mosquitoes to five common pesticides at doses strong enough to knock them down but not kill them. After one day of recovery, the experienced mosquitoes didn’t enter pesticide-laced areas even when tempted with food. INSIGHTS: Will … [Read more...]
Clouds of mosquitoes killing livestock, deer in Louisianna
Exhausted from constant moving, bleeding under their skin and anemic from swarming mosquito bites, horses, cattle and deer across southwest Louisiana are dying from mosquito bites. The swarms are part of the aftermath of hurricane Laura. Source: Huffington Post, September 11, 2020. Link. Luckily for humans, the species of mosquitoes that are swarming don’t transmit human … [Read more...]
Protect horses from mosquitoes and biting flies
No single insect control strategy cures all the pest problems on a horse property, says Nancy S. Loving, DVM. It takes a compilation of approaches to keep horses bothered as little as possible during insect season. She presents a variety of pest control options from fans to parasitoids to Muscovy ducks. Environmental management is essential to reduce insect population … [Read more...]
10 fun facts about mosquitoes
Fun? Well maybe for an entomologist. ;-) Animal health pros are the perfect sources to CONFIDENTLY help animal owners decrease the risk from mosquito-borne diseases. But, products on the shelf or not discussed never repel or kill one of the pests. Talk about them. Mid-summer is the peak time for mosquitoes!” Source: The Outdoor Wear, July 16, 2020. Link. People with Type O … [Read more...]
Plants that repel mosquitoes
You don’t have to be a homesteader to appreciate plants that can repel mosquitoes and can be eaten by humans or animals. Kenny Coogan reviews a dozen plants that fit this description. Source: Countryside, May 24, 2020. Link. Dual purpose plants provide us with the viable option of not using harmful chemicals to repel those bloodsuckers” – Kenny Coogan INSIGHTS: If you have … [Read more...]
Worm bacteria may help control mosquitoes
The chemical DEET has been our first and best line of defense against mosquitoes since the 1940s. Now a strain of bacteria that lives inside a common parasitic worm could play an important role in the fight against mosquitos. A study published in Science Advances < link > has found that a compound derived from these bacteria is three times more potent than DEET in repelling … [Read more...]
Giant mosquitoes flourish in post-hurricane flood waters
Reports of giant mosquito sightings add to the confusion of dealing with post-hurricane damage,. Mosquito biologist Michael Reiskind explains why these gallinippers, often three times larger than normal mosquitoes, are showing up in the receding flood waters. Source: The Conversation, October 11, 2018. Link. The gallinippers belong to a genus of mosquitoes that specialize … [Read more...]
How mosquitoes use six needles to suck blood (includes video)
View the video for yourself and then decide how you might use this to help strengthen the heartworm and West Nile virus prevention positioning including the need to stop the mosquito before it seeks a blood meal. Seen up close, the anatomy of a mosquito bite is terrifying. The most dangerous animal in the world uses six needle-like mouthparts to saw into our skin, tap a blood … [Read more...]
Bats really do eat a lot of mosquitoes (includes video)
A recently published study by University of Wisconsin researchers found that bats they studied ate 17 types of mosquitoes, including nine that are potential carriers of the West Nile Virus. They studied two species of bats; the little brown bat and the big brown bat. The study was published in the Journal of Mammalogy. Source: Wisconsin State Journal, May 22, 2018. … [Read more...]
Fight mosquitoes, help fellow humans
Population control methods we now see as emerging practices in animal health are rooted in a lengthy history of reducing human risk from malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. Since 2007, Bill Gates has been seeking solutions to age-old mosquito challenges. He remains hopeful we can eradicate malaria and the mosquitoes that carry it. Source: LinkedIn, August 16, … [Read more...]
Steve Dale talks mosquitoes (includes videos)
Mosquito prevention and the Double Defense protocol are covered by Steve Dale, CABC and host of the syndicated radio programs, Steve Dale’s Pet World and The Pet Minute that air on more than 100 stations. The video is something you can use to educate clients. Consider sharing it via websites, blogs and social media posts. Source: Steve Dale Pet World, July 31, 2017. It is … [Read more...]
More rain means more mosquitoes
Californians have welcomed rains of late. Early results of it likely mean more mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. Standing water and warm weather create ideal conditions for mosquitoes to reproduce. This raises concerns about the potential of West Nile Virus infections in humans and animals. Source: KPCC, February 21, 2017. The situation with mosquitos and … [Read more...]
West Nile Virus now a permanent U.S. resident
Until late summer 1999, few American horse owners had heard of West Nile virus. The story of how it was found, spread, monitored and prevented is worth reviewing. Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc, writes the 25-year story of WNV in the U.S. in the feature linked here. Understanding the history informs our current situation as CDC data indicates 48 states and the District of Columbia … [Read more...]
Diagonal transmission of West Nile virus
In what amounts to another reason for mosquito population control, a recent study by the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development showed mosquitoes might also transmit WNV to other mosquitoes diagonally through their feces*. Thinking more broadly, the study authors suggest a “potential for diagonal transmission to act as a transmission bridge for … [Read more...]
Handling the threat of ticks
While animal health pros may discuss the same topic multiple times daily, individual animal owners may only hear about the risks from mosquitoes, fleas and ticks once or twice a year and ignore the topic in their online streams or feeds. Dana Kneese, DVM, reminds us that animal owners need to know the types of ticks and what diseases they carry and understand the basics of … [Read more...]
You really are a mosquito magnet. Here’s what you can do about it.
Tired of getting bit up on an evening walk or working in the yard? New research proves mosquitos can pick you out in a crowd. Connie Chang shares research on the odors they’re drawn to, what scientists recommend to keep them away and how a future personalized repellant might work. . . . even in complex situations with multiple sources of odor, mosquitoes do seem to prefer some … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 6, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, May 30, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the May 30th AHD Bulletin – Glyphosate in dog food. Link. Microbial metabolites in feline anal glands aid cat communication. Link. Veterinary team advocacy helps pet owners choose pet insurance (2). Link. ===================================== She’s the … [Read more...]
Alcohol ingestion stimulates mosquito attraction
Prompted by a past article in National Geographic <Link> we dug into the effect of beer and alcohol on mosquito attraction. And, yes, mosquitos choose alcohol drinkers over those drinking water but why is not known. Exhaled carbon dioxide is how mosquitoes lock onto you as a target, heat may be how they figure out where to bite you. Sources: Beer can make you a … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 11, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, April 4, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the April 4th AHD Bulletin – Let’s stop calling them soft skills. They’re interpersonal skills. Leadership skills. Link. Finding joy. Link. The role of vehicle movement in swine disease transmission. Link. ===================================== Smells … [Read more...]
Banfield survey reveals heartworm prevention rates are declining
Despite mosquitoes that transmit disease being present in all 50 U.S. states and increases in heartworm incidence in cats and dogs, a Banfield survey reveals nearly 40 percent of pet owners don’t believe their pet is at risk for heartworm disease and almost 30 percent have not put their pet on a preventive medication. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, April 8, 2024. … [Read more...]
New resource available: West Nile virus in U.S. Horses
Commentary West Nile virus may seem like just another preventable disease these days, but 24 years ago the story was quite different. For many animal health pros, WNV and the severe neurologic disease it causes was the biggest health threat the horse industry had seen in the 20th century. Not only a risk to horses, WNV affects many species, including humans. Stacey Oke, … [Read more...]
The expanding threat of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases in shelter dogs
A recent study from the University of Georgia suggests that shelter dogs in the eastern U.S. may be disproportionately affected by the relentless spread of ticks and mosquitoes to new regions. Climate change is a factor as carriers expand their ranges. The resulting risks affect dogs and humans alike. Source: Vet Candy, September 2023. Link. The study underscores the vital … [Read more...]
Insect control strategies for horse owners
Includes Commercial Content Owning and keeping horses healthy requires a significant commitment beyond time to train and ride. Alayne Blickle shares the importance of an integrated, multitiered insect control plan to combat flies, mosquitoes, midges and other insects that create nuisance and health issues for horses and their owners. Source: The Horse. Link. A successful … [Read more...]
Summer bugs cost farmers and ranchers
Bug populations reach their high points this time of year. Cassandra Olds, PhD, shares the economic costs of various pests, current control methods, pesticide resistance and reminds us that sanitation is key. Summer flies, grubs, bots, deer flies, ticks, plus mosquitoes can create all sorts of problems for livestock producers. Source: Successful Farming, July 29, 2023. … [Read more...]