Monthly Archives: April 2015

Living With Artificial Light

Posted on April 23, 2015 by jjneal

Human civilization brings light into the darkness, mostly for a matter of public safety. However, artificial lighting can interfere with natural insect behavior that depends on darkness. A group of scientists surveyed* Photinus fireflires before and after the installation of … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Environment, Policy | 4 Comments

Fleas and Rats in New York City

Posted on April 22, 2015 by jjneal

The Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus, is an invasive species with a world wide distribution. It is considered a native to East Asia and mistakenly linked to Norway (a misperception that won’t go away). It is presently the dominant rat species in … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Health | 6 Comments

Flea Season

Posted on April 21, 2015 by jjneal

Warm weather brings pets into contact with cat fleas. Cat flea larvae develop off the host.  Adult fleas wait patiently for a warm animal to pass near enough to hop on.  Once your pet has fleas, the female fleas will produce … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Pest Management | 3 Comments

Endangered By Climate Change

Posted on April 20, 2015 by jjneal

In a previous post, I discussed the Western Glacier Stonefly, Zapada glacier that is threatened with extinction from climate change. The USGS has not made a final ruling placing this species on the endangered species list because they have no … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Endangered Species, Environment, News, Policy | Leave a comment

Pollination Plans Overturned

Posted on April 19, 2015 by jjneal

Springtime the trees and flowers are blooming. Plants produce flowers to attract pollinators. At the high densities that many crops are planted, the ability of native pollinators to fully pollinate the crop is overwhelmed and the crop yield is limited … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Environment, Health, Policy | 2 Comments

Plague In North America

Posted on April 18, 2015 by jjneal

The Bubonic Plague caused large numbers of deaths in Europe and Asia in the 1300s.  The bacterium that causes the disease, Yersinia pestis, is harbored in the rodent population. Stowaway rodents on ships are implicated in spreading the plague from Asia to … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Health, Invasive Species | Leave a comment

Insect Tall Tales

Posted on April 17, 2015 by jjneal

As long as there have been photographs, there has been “trick” photography. In the early 1900s, E. D. Conrad superimposed images of people and insects in ways that made the insects look gigantic. Travelers sent thousands of these cards to … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, by jjneal, Insect Inspired | Leave a comment