Reading the words “bed bug” in a sentence is enough to make most people's skin crawl! Bed bugs aren't a pleasant topic to discuss, but if you plan on staying at a hotel, hostel, or motel this summer, learning about bed bugs is a “must!”
June 4-10 was Bed Bug Awareness Week, but it was also California Invasive Species Action Week, so here at UC IPM, we were busy posting every day about invasive pests. Bed bugs aren't considered an invasive pest, although bed...
The red imported fire ant, or RIFA for short, is no ordinary red ant. This invasive pest lives up to its name, delivering a sting that causes a burning sensation when its venom is injected into the skin.
People sometimes confuse RIFA with the native southern fire ant. Both can become very agitated when their nest is disturbed but RIFA are more likely to attack. RIFA can bite and sting its victim repeatedly, and its sting is more serious, causing a burning and itching sensation. This is followed by the formation of a white pustule, which can take several weeks to disappear. If not kept clean, the pustules can become infected and may leave permanent scarring. A small...
Unlike mosquitoes, spiders do not seek people in order to bite them. Generally, a spider doesn't try to bite a person unless it has been squeezed, lain on, or similarly provoked to defend itself. Moreover, the jaws of most spiders are so small that the fangs cannot penetrate the skin of an adult person. Sometimes when a spider is disturbed in its web, it may bite instinctively because it mistakenly senses that an insect has been caught.
The severity of a spider bite depends on factors such as the kind of spider, the amount of venom injected, and the age and health of the person bitten. A spider bite might cause no reaction at all, or it might result in varying amounts of itching, redness, stiffness, swelling, and...
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a campaign that brings attention to this tick-borne illness.
Lyme disease can be transmitted to humans and pets in California from the bite of an infected western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease causes flu-like symptoms that left untreated, may progress to arthritic, neurologic, or cardiac problems. Incidences of Lyme disease have occurred in some northern California counties, with some counties posing a higher risk of contracting the disease than others..
There are several ways to protect yourself from Lyme disease. If you spend time outdoors in tick-infested areas, take these simple precautions:
- Wear full...
April 16-22 has been declared West Nile Virus and Mosquito Vector Control Awareness week by the California State Legislature. West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease that was originally found in Africa. It was first detected in the eastern U.S. in 1999, and has since spread across the country and is well established in most states, including California.
West Nile Virus is spread by mosquitoes that get the virus from infected birds. Once infected, mosquitoes then transfer the virus to humans and other animals. Infected humans can become very ill. The disease usually is most serious in children, people with weakened immune systems, and the elderly.
As weather warms and people spend more time outdoors, it's...