“Blood Sucking “Kissing Bugs” ing across Texas”
I’ve seen this information a few times in the last few weeks, so I think caution needs to be applied. Repair screens, don’t leave doors opens and repair those weep screens in the attics.
This story immediately reminded me of that nightmare both for the dog, the owners oh and I guess the Porcupine too. “This rodents eats with needles” So to start this debate are Woodrats related to Pack Rats and the answer is yes. Pack rats are often called woodrats, pack rats build nests or middens and can collect quite the trove of neat stuff.
I didn’t know this but the cactus with the spines have a higher protein content.
Kohl and his colleagues believe that the rodent is choosing spines over an easier meal because the flesh of spiny cacti generally has a higher protein content and less fiber compared with naturally non-spiny cacti. In that sense, the woodrats are using the spines almost as a simple nutrition label.
Read more: http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/10779/20141128/rodent-eats-needles.htm#ixzz3KgU2ofxr
Strigamia maritime, a venomous and carnivorous centipede species that can be found on the coast of the Moray Firth in Scotland, has provided scientists with an insight into the evolution of myriapods (a subphylum of arthropods that includes centipedes and millipedes), a group that first evolved over half a billion years ago.
Published by PLOS Biology “The first myriapod genome sequence reveals…” this article might be easier to read “First centipede genome sequenced but scientists still grappling at multiple legs mystery”
Job or no job and worshiped by Pharaoh’s
Whats in a job? In one sense you are rolling around in feces but in another sense you are worshiped by Pharaoh’s. “Why pharaohs worshipped dung beetles”? So what other jobs are right up there? I’m thinking of Mike Rowe’s show “Dirty Jobs”. How about Port-O-Let delivery or septic tank cleaner? As a customer do you know of any? There are many jobs out there and they all must be done, it seems like they probably should pay well.
So the first question is – Are Dung beetles scarab beetles? At the writing of this, there is some contention here but I’m sure the researchers will ultimately work these details out. So right now, dung beetles are in the Family – Scarabeidae which consist of about 30,000 species.
The Egyptians looked at Dung beetles similar to that of the sun moving across our planet. “The sun crosses the sky, goes into the underworld and rises again”. The Dung beetles roll the ball of feces, they mate and lay eggs inside the ball and then the babies hatch and come out of the ball of feces.
Consequently pest control technicians deal with feces from time to time, bird and rodent poop build up. In addition to that we have to be in attic and crawlspaces, guess who may live in there? Animals, rodents and once we had to remove a dead javelina from inside a crawlspace, yuuuuuuuuuuck.
A new discovery.
Well it turns out to be Vietnam, and this find along with a few others doubles the number of known stick species. The Phryganistria heusii yentuensis measures 32 cm and 54 cm if its legs are extended. OK I’m going to do some math for you, I really looked it up online but 54 cm is 1 foot 9 inches. That is one awfully big stick insect…
Stick insects really don’t do any damage, they can from time to time get into homes. This can cause distress for some people, freaking them out. I have seen grown men waffle at the sight of a cockroach and scorpion. This one guy had forgotten to keep his toilet bowl filled with water and there were numerous American Roaches in the toilet and bathroom. At first I couldn’t decide how to treat, I decided to just grab and crush and he went running. I myself cannot stand spiders and doesn’t really matter what type, they are all gross.
discovery
“How satellites are helping combat diseases spread by insects”
Well to use that phrase – We’ve come a long way. Technology continues to help the cause, satellites are capable of tracking insect movements and could potentially help us to forecast diseases and they have combined it into an phone app.
So these new technology items may one day show early warning signals of the risk of epidemics etc.
Amazing!
“Sculptor collaborates with Bees” artists uses beeswax to create artistic sculptures.
Check out his website http://www.andrewsalomone.com
Photo by PPMA
Bats are great and need your love. Here are a few facts & tips:
- Babies are born furless.
- Only mammal to fly.
- Bats eat lots of bugs, disperse seeds and pollinate plants.
- They can eat their body weight in bugs each night, that would be like us eating 80 pizzas.
What can you do to prevent them from making your home theirs and to encourage them at your home.
- Exclusion work must be done out of season and at night.
- Install a bat house around your home Bat Conservation International.
Never pick up a bat, they do bite!
Jerome boosts about a few things like “America’s Most Vertical City and Largest Ghost Town in America” and who am I to say anything negative. I don’t know about the ghost but they are right at the edge of a mountain and you can see it right from the road, just take it nice and slow. It is a nice place to spend a leisurely day, meandering from shop to shop and maybe taking in a few wine tasting shoppes. I love that also mention that they were “The Wickedest town in the west”, gosh don’t you just love a town with that sense of fun.
I think the biggest hurdle in eating insects is our general disgust of bugs. So what about crickets fried in maggot grease? “Fly factory to create tons of crispy maggot for European supermarkets“.
I think I’ve mentioned 7 billion people and according to some reports this will increase to 8.3 and 10.9 billion by 2050. Who knows what we will be eating by then.
Photo by PPMA