Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Initiative will target West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease in 2013.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday an insect control program designed to fight West Nile Virus and Lyme disease. The 2013 Disease Carrying Insect Program is a series of measures designed to prevent widespread outbreaks of West Nile Virus, Lyme disease and other illnesses in the county. The annual initiative involves monitoring mosquitoes and ticks, surveillance on any human cases in the county, and educating residents on effective prevention. West Nile Virus season runs from May to October, according to officials. During the the 2012 mosquito monitoring period, county health experts trapped and tested more than 64,000 mosquitos in nearly 2,800 groups. Of those groups, 255 tested positive for West Nile Virus. Positive …
County to spray areas with insecticides to prevent cankerworms, moths from destroying trees.
Supervisors approved a plan Tuesday designed to stop the woodland pests that can cause serious damage to Fairfax's natural resources. The 2013 Forest Pest Management Suppression Program attacks gypsy moths, fall cankerworms and other insects known to harm county green space. The program involves both ground treatment and aerial treatment, which will be carried out by helicopter. Cankerworm treatment will take place specifically in the Mount Vernon and Lee Districts. The pest control initiatives will kick off around April 2013. Cankerworms, which are typically called inchworms in the caterpillar stage, feed on leaves, and severe infestations of them can defoliate trees so severely that they die. The worms can have a green or grey …
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Stink bugs tend to migrate into homes during the colder months. Here are tips on how homeowners can protect against them.
As the days get cooler, homeowners may start seeing the return of a familiar pest: stink bugs. Stink bugs, so named because of the odor they expel when squished, are brown bugs that have a triangle-shaped exterior and what appears to be a shield on their back. “Stink bugs are not considered to be household pests like a termites, but they can be problematic for homeowners, particularly people who have houses in rural areas, if they get inside,” said Dr. Rebecca Fornker, assistant professor of invertebrate conservation at George Mason University. The summer season is primarily when stink bugs are at their most common, but Forkner said the bugs will migrate to where they feel warmth coming from homes during the cooler months in the fall. …
Sally Spangler
12:36 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
There is sucker born every day! more ›