2013

Pesticides Under Fire for Risks to Pollinators May 23, 2013: As the European Union moves to ban a popular type of pesticide, researchers struggle to assess exactly how dangerous the chemicals are to honey bees and other pollinators.
Cold spell aside, optimism blooms for Pa. farms May 16, 2013: The temporary dip in temperatures gave farmers in Pennsylvania a scare during a spring that experts have otherwise described as pleasantly devoid of big problems. Most farmers aren't fans of deviations from the norm. Schedules are typically set by following patterns that follow long-term trends.
New Heat Treatment Program Battles Invasive Species May 15, 2013: Invasive species such as Asian longhorned beetles and emerald ash borers, which often arrive as infestations in wooden packing crates, are a growing problem in the United States. A Penn State collaboration is developing a new heat treatment program for solid wood packaging materials to help prevent these kinds of destructive pests from reaching our shores.
The Plight of the Honeybee May 14, 2013: Bees are back in the news this spring, if not back in fields pollinating this summer's crops. The European Union (EU) has announced that it will ban, for two years, the use of neonicotinoids, the much-maligned pesticide group often fingered in honeybee declines.
Cicadas Not Expected for a Few Years in Central PA May 13, 2013: If you are looking for one of the world's most mysterious insects to return en masse to the Altoona area, you are going to have to wait several more years. Residents of 17 Pennsylvania counties soon will see an emergence of periodical cicadas, commonly - but mistakenly - called 17-year locusts.
Penn State Partnership Stimulates New Pest Technology Business in South Asia May 10, 2013: Pest problems have plagued South Asia’s vegetable production for many years, but thanks to a collaboration between Penn State and other researchers, an important vegetable pest has all but been eliminated from Bangladesh.
Mysterious insect to emerge in parts of Pennsylvania May 9, 2013: One of the world's most mysterious insects is about to invade the skies over wooded areas in eastern Pennsylvania and other states, but an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says it's not a cause for alarm.
PA IPM News Spring 2013 Now Available May 8, 2013
Environmental Exposures in the Context of Child Care May 7, 2013: Just beyond the front door of the Montessori School at Five Canyons, a square glass-walled foyer is brimming with verdant houseplants in clay pots. This lush tableau provides a fitting transition between the world outside and the carefully controlled atmosphere within, where child care director Meher Van Groenou has made environmental health one of her top priorities.
Honeybee shortage threatens Pennsylvania crops May 7, 2013: Bees do it -- pollinate crops, that is -- but there are fewer and fewer buzzing around and doing that important agricultural work in Pennsylvania and the rest of the nation.
Researchers Make Movies to Get a Jump on Bed Bugs May 2, 2013: Scientists are sharing their cutting-edge knowledge in the battle against bed bugs in multifamily housing in a series of videos produced by Rutgers University.
The Race To Stop Stink Bugs May 1, 2013: There's a battle taking place at the Penn State Fruit Research Extension. On one side is the Brown-Marmorated Stink Bug, on the other, Penn State researchers hoping to stop it.
Ticks hit Centre County pets; vets see increase in Lyme disease May 1, 2013: If the early returns from veterinary hospitals are any indication, it’s shaping up to be another big year for ticks in Centre County. And when the eight-legged pests are thriving, it’s bad news for just about everyone else.
Penn State to host international conference on pollinator health April 30, 2013: With populations of wild and domesticated pollinators, such as honeybees, in decline, some of the world's foremost scientists in the field will converge on Penn State this summer to discuss the latest research aimed at understanding and overcoming challenges to pollinator health.
Pennsylvania could see stink bugs' return April 23, 2013: You've been craving more sunlight and warmer temperatures for months, right? And now that spring-like weather finally has arrived, you feel your energy returning? Well, so do the stink bugs. And while we got a bit of a break last spring from emerging hordes of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, bug experts say that 2013 just might be the Year of the Stink Bug.
Extension Shows Off Cover Crop Study April 23, 2013: Duane Charles knelt to study a clump of earth and compare it with soil in his field at home. “Mine’s drier,” said Charles, of East Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pa. Charles was at a recent cover crop field walk put on by Penn State Extension in Lancaster County.
May is Asthma Awareness Month – Do You Know Your Triggers? April 22, 2013: In urban areas of Pennsylvania, asthma rates are rising, affecting one out of every ten people. Asthma is a chronic lung disease that, for many individuals, can be controlled by avoiding “triggers” such as cockroaches, mice, certain pesticides and other lung irritants and allergens.
Have House Centipedes? You May Have Bigger Problems April 19, 2013: If you haven't seen them crawling around your house, consider yourself lucky. But for those that have Scutigera coleoptrata, or house centipedes, inside of their homes, they can be a big (literally)—and creepy—nuisance.
Magicicada Brood II to Emerge Along US Eastern Seaboard April 17, 2013: The genus Magicicada contains the periodical cicadas, known for their 17- or 13-year synchronized life cycles and dense choruses. In 2013, Magicicada Brood II will emerge along the US Eastern Seaboard. This map shows the area of expected emergence.
Spring Blooms, And So Do The Creepy Crawlies April 10, 2013: Springtime means bug time. Michael Raupp, professor of entomology at the University of Maryland, has the story of a big brood of cicadas that is set to emerge up and down the East Coast. We can also expect the largest infestation of stink bugs this year. USDA entomologist Tracy Leskey talks about the bugs with guest host Jacki Lyden.
NanoDays Science Café to look at bed bugs, nanotechnology April 9, 2013: Nina Jenkins and Matt Thomas of Penn State's entomology department will host the NanoDays Science Café from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at Zola New World Bistro, 324 W. College Ave., State College, Pa. The talk will center on bed bugs and the insects' ties to nanotechnology.
Trainings in Spanish for Mushroom Growers April 5, 2013: Penn State educators are conducting presentations in Spanish for mushroom growers in Pennsylvania. At a recent meeting in Kennett Square, Pa., Maria Gorgo-Gourovitch, PA IPM’s Latino Coordinator; Mena Hautau, Penn State extension educator; Katie Poppitti, Penn State 4H and mushroom extension educator; David Beyer, professor of plant pathology at Penn State; and other Penn State educators presented topics on personal protective equipment, best management practices and the fundamentals of IPM.
Bug Camp opens kids' eyes to fascinating world of insects April 2, 2013: Children attending one summer camp this year will encounter a lot of bugs. But they won't have to pack insect repellent. Young bug enthusiasts can satisfy their curiosity about insects by attending Penn State's Bug Camp for Kids, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 24 to 27.
Pennsylvania ash trees at the mercy of emerald ash borer, an Asian beetle April 2, 2013: Pennsylvania has about 300 million ash trees, state officials estimate. And every one of them may die soon. Sometime in the next year or two, almost 370,000 ash trees in Allegheny County -- about one of every 10 -- will die because of infestation by the emerald ash borer.
Invasive pests cost Americans millions April 1, 2013: A snail as big as your foot, an insect the size of chocolate sprinkles and a mold related to the one that caused the Irish potato famine are on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's list of the top pests that threaten America's crops and forestland.
Are Agriculture's Most Popular Insecticides Killing Our Bees? March 27, 2013: Environmentalists and beekeepers are calling on the government to ban some of the country's most widely used insect-killing chemicals. The pesticides, called neonicotinoids, became popular among farmers during the 1990s. They're used to coat the seeds of many agricultural crops, including the biggest crop of all: corn. Neonics, as they're called, protect those crops from insect pests.
Secure Pesticides and Chemicals during Poison Prevention Week March 20, 2013: Poison centers answer more than 3.6 million calls each year. That’s one call every eight seconds. According to the American Association of Poison Centers, children younger than 6 years old account for about half of the calls placed to poison centers. What’s more, poison center data reported over 146,000 calls made to poison centers with concerns about exposure to common household pesticides. These figures show the need for everyone to lock up pesticides and household chemicals out of children’s reach – preferably in a high cabinet.
Homegrown Strain of Dengue Fever Virus Pinpointed in Florida March 20, 2013: Some people who fell prey to a 2009-2010 outbreak of dengue fever in Florida carried a particular viral strain that they did not bring into the country from a recent trip abroad, according to a fresh genetic analysis conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
U.S. Bedbugs Evolve Multiple Ways of Thwarting Insecticides March 18, 2013: Bedbugs are a growing public health issue in the United States and around the world, but their resurgence in recent years may have been aided by humans who unwittingly helped the pests evolve numerous ways of thwarting a common insecticide, scientists say.
Crop Producers Advised to Apply Lessons From 2012 Season March 18, 2013: Pennsylvania fared much better that its Midwest colleagues when it came harvest last year. Greg Roth, Penn State Extension educator, reviewed the 2012 growing season at a March 5 meeting to point out how Pennsylvania harvest responded to weather conditions.
First degrees conferred from new International Ag graduate program March 18, 2013: A new dual-title graduate degree program in International Agriculture and Development offered by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has graduated its first two students.
Hardier Potato Varieties in the Offing March 18, 2013: It can take years to breed a new variety of potato, but trials are under way to create hardier crops, experts say. More than 50 commercial potato growers from areas including Schuylkill County, Pa., met recently in North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pa., to discuss the latest industry news and share ways to grow better crops.
IPM for Multi-family Housing Online Training March 14, 2013: Healthy Homes training on IPM in Multi-Family Housing is available online at the Pennsylvania IPM Program’s website.
Northeast bee population declines confirmed March 14, 2013: Northeastern bees have suffered population declines over the last century and a half, largely due to human encroachment, which has fragmented their environments. But none has faced a more devastating, rapid and recent collapse than the genus Bombus -- the humble bumblebee -- say entomologists in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online, March 5.
PSCIP Winter Newsletter Now Available March 13, 2013: In this issue: • IPM Education in Latino Communities • Uninvited Guests: Bed Bugs • CDC Issues Health Advisory • Training Modules for Child Cares • Home Visits for Children with Asthma • IPM for Multi-Family Housing • Useful Websites • Upcoming Events
Stink bugs just waiting for warmer weather so they can invade our homes March 7, 2013: Now that you're over winter's last hurrah, it's time to think spring - and stink bugs. Plenty of the pests crawled in for a long winter's nap, but scientists can only guess what that means for the 2013 growing season. A few early risers ventured out of the crevices on warm winter days, but many more are as snug as bugs in a rug.
Top 5 Trends In Agriculture Technology March 7, 2013: Emerging technology is arguably one of the most significant issues ahead for ag retailers. It is in that spirit that I present my top five technology trends, picked out as being the most important from the perspective of an information technology company.
Training Modules for Child Cares Now Online March 6, 2013: A series of professional development lessons that promote safer and healthier indoor environments in child cares are available online through the Penn State’s Better Kid Care Program.
Stink bugs can pose challenge March 6, 2013: Stink bugs have become common throughout central Pennsylvania in recent years. Unfortunately, they are becoming common in living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms in the area. And according to Tom Ford, commercial horticulture educator with the Penn State Cooperative Extension Cambria County Office, this year could be "quite a banner year" for the pests.
Free Penn State Entomology eBooks March 4, 2013: Now some of Penn State Entomology's most popular publications are available in a free eBook format. The publications include information about bed bugs, cockroaches, spiders and other common household pests. The publications are available in several different mobile device formats, and several are available in both English and Spanish.
National Invasive Species Awareness Week March 3-9 March 4, 2013: Invasive species are any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that ecosystem; and whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. For a comprehensive look at a wide variety of invasive species, visit http://www.invasive.org/
Penn State offers online course in the sweet science of beekeeping February 28, 2013: For some folks, the idea of beekeeping makes them a little nervous. After all, if you take up the hobby "you are going to get stung at some point," says Tom Butzler, a Penn State Extension horticulture expert who, with entomology expert Maryann Tomasko Frazier, developed Penn State Beekeeping 101, an online course designed to get people interested in beekeeping.
Decoys Could Blunt Spread of Emerald Ash Borers at Penn State February 25, 2013: As the emerald ash borer ravages North American ash trees, threatening the trees' very survival, a team of entomologists and engineers may have found a way to prevent the spread of the pests.
Lack of impatiens a blow to area gardeners February 13, 2013: For decades, it's been a rite of spring. You hop in the car, head for the nearest garden center, and load up on impatiens, the best-selling, candy-colored annuals that thrive in shade, mound up like half a beach ball, and bloom their heads off till frost, asking little in return.
Can Insects Come in the Mail? February 13, 2013: Everything from car seats to cat food can now be delivered to our doorsteps. But in addition to the item you ordered, what else may be lurking inside the packing box? Shripat Kamble, former director of the certification program for the Entomological Society of America and a professor of Entomology at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, scratches the issue.
Preserving biodiversity can be compatible with intensive agriculture February 11, 2013: Preserving genetically diverse local crops in areas where small-scale farms are rapidly modernizing is possible, according to a Penn State geographer, who is part of an international research project investigating the biodiversity of maize, or corn, in hotspots of Bolivia, Peru and Mexico.
Research Looks at Cover Crops for Disease Control February 5, 2013: Everybody’s heard of cover crops as a good source of nitrogen and a good way to cut down on soil erosion. But cover crops for disease control? In an organic system, they could be a good, albeit costly tool.
Conquering Stink Bugs Remains an Elusive Quest January 31, 2013: When Extension entomologist Greg Krawczyk started experimenting with a certain kind of trap to catch stink bugs last year, he saw a ray of hope. A light at the end of the tunnel, literally.
EPA Moves to Ban 12 D-Con Mouse and Rat Control Products January 30, 2013: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to ban the sale of 12 D-Con mouse and rat poison products produced by Reckitt Benckiser Inc. because these products fail to comply with current EPA safety standards.
Honeybees threatened by rampant use of pesticides; USDA regs January 30, 2013: If Jeremy Barnes had his way, everyone would have at least one bee hive. A shortage of honeybees caused retail prices per pound of honey to increase annually for the last seven years. But beyond the growing cost of honey, Barnes focuses on the bigger picture, which includes the need for more pollination of fruit, vegetables and other crops. "Our environment is so toxic," said Barnes, a member of the York County Beekeepers' Association, of orchards and farm fields that are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides that kill bees.
New Food Safety Regulations Proposed for Fresh Produce Growers January 28, 2013: New food safety and security regulations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will mandate producers adopt certain practices to reduce microbial contamination of fresh produce.
Winter 2013 Newsletter January 24, 2013: The PA IPM News Winter 2013 edition is now available. In This Issue: Another Invasive Pest Discovered in PA; Uninvited Guests – Squirrels; Natural Fungus Bed Bug Control; Penn State Ag Sciences Students Awarded International Fellowships; American Academy of Pediatrics Supports IPM; CDC Issues Health Advisory about Misuse of Pesticides for Bed Bugs; New Publication Offers Advice on Managing Wood-destroying Pests; The IPM Practioner’s 2012 Directory of Least-Toxic Products; Useful Web Sites; Upcoming Events.
Report to the President on Agricultural Preparedness and the Agriculture Research Enterprise January 23, 2013: A recent report from the White House recommended that more of a focus be placed on Integrated Pest Management and the reduction of overall pesticide use. The full report is available at this link.
Counting the Vanishing Bees January 17, 2013: A new method for monitoring the decline in bee populations may prove a useful tool in much-needed conservation efforts. It requires only a few hundred pan traps: bright shallow bowls partly filled with soapy water or propylene glycol.
Stink bugs expected to reach record numbers in 2013 January 10, 2013: University of Maryland entomology professor Michael Raupp says the stink bug population could soar this spring and summer - much like it did in 2010.
Proposed rule to give ingredients in minimum risk pesticides January 7, 2013: The EPA is proposing to clarify the substances on the minimum risk pesticide ingredient list and the way ingredients are identified on product labels. Minimum risk pesticides are a special class of pesticides that are not subject to federal registration requirements because their ingredients, both active and inert, are demonstrably safe for the intended use.
97th Annual Farm Show Begins Saturday January 3, 2013: Farm families, agribusiness workers and visitors who want to get an up-close look at livestock and the latest in farm products will want to attend the 97th annual Pennsylvania Farm Show.
IPM Helps Reduce Asthma in Boston Public Housing January 2, 2013: Boston health officials say new city data indicate that asthma incidences have dropped nearly by half since 2005. That is when the housing authority teamed up with the Boston Public Health Commission to reduce the number of roaches and rodents, while reducing the use of pesticides, which, along with roach and rodent droppings, can aggravate asthma symptoms.

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