Entomology

Interesting Facts about the Fire Ant 

No matter where you live in the world chances are you have come across ants in your yard or home at one time or another. You would think ants are just ants and are no more than an annoyance. A little spray will take care of the problem. Maybe not so with the Fire Ant. Believe it or not they are one of the most destructive insects on the planet. There are four species of ants in the US but the red Fire Ant is the most common species and is domineering over the other species by interbreeding.

They are located primarily throughout the southern and southeastern United States but they have spread as far north as Maryland and as far west as California. Why are they more than just a pesky pest?

• When they bite a human there is a painful sting.
• They cause substantial crop and livestock losses.
• They are estimated to cost us over $750 million in damages a year.
• They are much more aggressive than a typical ant.

If a person happens to step on a mound in their yard the Fire Ant will viciously attack the target and to some humans the bites instead of just stinging can become infected and even leave scars.

Here is a little trick if you are up to it to distinguish if you are dealing with Fire Ants or some other type. If you find a mound out in the yard or elsewhere, take a stick and put it down the center of the mound then back away. If the ants scatter they are not fire ants because they are trying to protect the queen. But if they climb up the stick it is time to run like hell!

Ofcourse i dont reccomend disturbing an ants nest in any way - they are best left alone!

Is Butterfly Migration Common?

Most of us who have taken the time to “smell the roses” and appreciate nature have been fascinated by the beauty, frailty and mystery of the butterfly. The butterfly has inspired poets and artists and the curiosity of little children.

But what happens to these beautiful creatures during the harsh winter months in many of our northern states? How do they survive or where do they go? Many of the species exist by hiding in their own environment without leaving, while others migrate just as birds do and head south for the winter. Probably the most studied and recognized specie is the Monarch butterfly. It has been known to migrate over a thousand miles during its short life time.

As the weather becomes warmer butterflies from Mexico and the warm southern United States fly north to repopulate their original regions. In the winter months the Monarchs along with a variety of other species the reverse migration heading south is more obvious as sometimes you can see thousands of them at a time. Unfortunately, when this happens many of them end up on the windshield of your car.

Monarchs are the most well-known and probably the most studied butterfly but even today our knowledge is very limited. We do know that the Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains tend to end up in California while those from the other side of the mountains end up in the mountains of Central Mexico and Florida or the Caribbean.

So to answer our original question do butterflies migrate? Yes, they do, depending on the species.

Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite!

How many of us grew up hearing the saying, “night, night don’t let the bed bugs bit?” Maybe I am showing my age but it seems today we do have a bed bug epidemic and it seems impossible to eradicate those little suckers especially if you don’t realize they are there.

So where do they come from? Everywhere and anywhere and they are located in every country in the world except Antarctica. Here is a brief history or the little critters.

The first fossil was found in Egypt and was estimated to be 3,550 years old. The earliest bed bugs are believed to have evolved from bat bugs living in caves over in the Mediterranean. As man began living in caves bed bugs discovered a new buffet and became the blood sucking little pests they are today.

By 600 AD they had reached China and England by the 1500’s. Eventually they recently arrived in the United States brought over by travelers from these other areas. In the early days bed bugs were just tolerated as a nuisance along with fleas and lice as an everyday part of life. However, with the introduction of insecticides the bed bug population was almost completely eradicated in most first and second world countries. They still remain an everyday pest in many third world countries like Africa and Asia.

So a tip when traveling abroad and staying in inns, hostels or hotels check your sheets and if you wake up scratching the next morning at least you will know why. “Night, night don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

Bugs Learning Centre -  click here

Dangerous Insects to Avoid

Did you know there are over a million species of insects that live in this world with many of them benefiting the ecosystem while some others pose a threat to both humans and animals? Some of them you may know but others you many not. Often bugs are overlooked as simply annoying but are they? Here are a few to keep your eye on:

• Black widow Spider – Out of the 30,000 different types of spiders she is probably the most well-known and feared. The females are the ones that are poisonous and to be avoided. They often are black in color with an orange hourglass on the abdomen.
• Scorpions – There are over 2,000 species of scorpion in the world with about 40 of them in the North America. Although they have pincers in the front it is the tail that does the damage and will insert venom into the prey. A person would have to be stung numerous times to die but the venom can make one terribly sick.
• Bees and Wasps – Bees can sting an individual once and cause serious damage to people allergic to their venom. Wasps, however, can sting a person several times which can really create severe pain and discomfort.
• Human Bot Fly – This is a parasite whose eggs are carried by mosquitoes. When the mosquitoes suck your blood they drop the eggs of the bot fly on your skin. Your warm skin will then incubate them until they hatch eight weeks later. They then can live anywhere in your body including your brain where they will cause the most damage.
• Mosquitoes - This should be no surprise as it is well known mosquitoes are agents for carrying the world’s deadliest diseases including malaria, West Nile Virus, Encephalitis, yellow fever and most recently the Zika Virus which affects pregnant women.