Stinging Safety With the warmer temperatures throughout the country this fall season stinging insects that would usually be hibernating by now are still out and about. It's important to keep an eye out for them, as severe allergic reactions to insect stings

Are Bee's the Only Crop Pollinators?

In Bed With the Enemy The Chagas disease used to mostly affect South American and Latin America, but more and more cases have been found in the U.S. in the past couple of years. Chagas affects around 6 to 8 million people every year, and kills about 50,000. What makes Chagas so dangerous is that it can go unnoticed for years, until it finally attacks the heart, which can lead to heart failure. The number of people infected with Chagas in the U.S. has been growing, and now has reached around 300,000 according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists thought until recently that only the "kissing bug" could transmit this deadly disease, but evidence was found recently that bed bugs can also transmit this disease

The Kissing Bug and Chagas Disease

Hybrid termites It's not science fiction, it is actually happening. Two of the most invasive species of termites have decided to mate creating a new termite hybrid. This version of the termite is considered to be a "super" pest because they have the ability to reproduce even faster than either species of termites who were its parents. Also because of the differences in range between the species, these termites could open the door to entirely new habitats. When researchers observed these two species of termites mating, they instantly became concerned because these two species each cause and estimated forty billion dollars' worth of damage worldwide per year. They originated Asia but they have made their way across the ocean into the lower part of the US, presumably through imported wood and other goods. Termites are probably the most damaging insect when it comes to your home. Really the only thing you can do is your annual inspections and making sure you talk to your local pest control expert about any concerns you might have. Termites are not one to be messed around with as they can completely destroy the main beams in your home before you even know they are there. For more information on termites, please click here

Fruit Flies, Spiders and Genetic Iron-Knee Scientists searching for an explanation for why some spiders have longer legs than others have stumbled upon a gene they believe explains how knees developed in Earth's earliest creatures. Even more interesting is the fact that the knee gene, comically labeled the dachshund gene, did not produce knees in the ancient fruit flies in which it first appeared but mutated in spiders to produce the leg joints that give them their incredible mobility. The research was conducted by scientists with the G�ttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences in Germany, who published their findings in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution

Christmas Tree Critters What would Christmas be without a Christmas tree? You can't possibly celebrate this holiday without going through the ritual of stringing lights around your tree and hanging decorative bulbs and perhaps some popcorn. But resting at the very center of this happy holiday tradition are thousands of insect. Researchers have found that as many as 25,000 insects such as mites, moths, spiders, and bark lice may be inhabiting your Christmas tree

Award for Insect Repellent Clothing and Blankets Insect Repellent Shield Technology

Killing Two Birds With One Stone Corn farmers have a new option for defending their crops against nasty predators. FMC has announced the launch of a new product that is both an insecticide and a fungicide, called Ethos XB