All that glitters is not gold...think insects!

When the Bohart Museum of Entomology hosts an open house on "Household Vampires" from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 23, activities will take place both inside and outside.

Inside? The presenters will talk about mosquitoes, bed bugs, fleas and ticks in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, UC Davis campus. They will show live insects and specimens and field questions.

Outside? The latest news is the family arts and crafts activity. 

Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator, announced the the arts and crafts activity "will highlight two collecting techniques."

1. Clear Packing Tape Art. "Clear packing tape is a good way to collect small, hard-to-see insects," Yang said. "Glitter will mimic small insects like fleas or bed bugs. Putting the tape on white paper makes it easy to look at them under a microscope and for this craft it will make a pretty card."
2. Making insect collecting or "kill" jars. Participants are asked to bring a recycled jar. "This should be a clean and dried glass jar with a wide, metal top--think jam, pickle, peanut butter jars. Four to 16-ounce jars work well. We will have some on hand as well, but recycling is good! We will fill the bottom with plaster of paris and let it dry and teach people how to use it properly, using something like nail polisher remover containing ethyl acetate as the killing agent. A UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology video explains the procedure: https://youtu.be/s8yCzFGzbn8?si=71sNmA5l8NyP1zj0

Inside, the presenters will include:

• Lynn and Bob Kimsey of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty. Lynn, a hymenopterist, is a UC Davis distinguished professor who teaches general entomology and the biodiversity of California insects and serves as the director of the Bohart Museum, and Bob is a forensic entomologist, specializing in public health entomology; arthropods of medical importance; zoonotic disease; biology and ecology of tick-borne pathogens; tick feeding behavior and biochemistry. 
• Carla-Cristina "CC" Melo Edwards, a first-year doctoral student in the laboratory of medical entomologist-geneticist Geoffrey Attardo, associate professor of entomology, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. She will share her expertise on mosquitoes and show specimens.
• Moriah Garrison, senior entomologist and research coordinator with Carroll-Loye Biological Research (CLBR). She is scheduled to show live ticks and mosquitoes and field questions. 
• Educators from the Sacramento-Yo;o Mosquito and Vector Control District. They will discuss mosquitoes and their program 
• Nazzy Pakpour (Novozymes scientist and author of Please Don't Bite Me)
• Jeff Smith, curator of the Bohart Museum's Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) collection. He will display butterfly specimens collected globally. Also on the "Lep crew" are Bohart volunteers Greg Kareofelas and Brittany Kohler.

Professor Attardo, who maintains a lab website on Vector Biology and Reproductive Biology at http://attardo-lab.com, and chairs the Designated Emphasis in the Biology of Vector-Borne Diseases, will display some of his mosquito images, including a blood-fed Aedes aegypti, and a female and male Culex tarsalis. Alex Wild,  a UC Davis doctoral alumnus and curator of entomology, University of Texas, Austin, will display an image of mosquito larvae that currently hangs in Briggs Hall, home of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. Wild's insect images can be viewed on his website,  https://www.alexanderwild.com.

The Bohart Museum houses a global collection of eight million insect specimens; a live petting zoo (including Madagascar hissing cockroaches and stick insects); and an insect-themed gift shop stocked with books, posters, T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and jewelry.  

Resource:

Bohart Museum to Spotlight Household Vampires (UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, Sept. 14, 2023)

Nazzy Pakpour has a way with kids.

At a recent Bohart Museum of Entomology open house, she read passages from her newly published children's book, Please Don't Bite Me: Insects that Buzz, Bite and Sting, and then encouraged questions.

Each time a youngster raised a hand, she'd say "Yes, my friend!"

She answered each question thoughtfully, expertly, and kindly.

Pakpour, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area,  is no stranger to UC Davis. She received her bachelor of science degree in entomology from UC Davis in 1999; her doctorate in microbiology, virology and parasitology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008; and served as a postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis for seven years, leaving campus in August 2015. Her work "focused on determining the effects of ingested human blood factors on the mosquito immune response to malaria."

Passionate about teaching science, Pakpour accepted a faculty position in 2015 at California State University, East Bay, teaching for nearly seven years before moving to the biotech sector. She is a senior scientist at Novozymes, Davis (since January 2022).

A resident of Woodland, Pakpour describes herself as "the mother of two witty and wonderful kids," and as someone who "loves bugs of all varieties, whether they are six-legged or microscopic."

Factoid: She once spent a summer feeding tarantulas at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.

Her 60-page book, published by Flying Eye Books and illustrated by Owen Davey, is a introduction to what most people call "annoying" bugs: mosquitoes, lice, wasps, cockroaches, fleas, and bedbugs. It's billed as a middle-school book, but it also can be read to younger children. Adults can learn from it, too.

"An insect," Pakpour defines in her book, "is an animal that has six legs, two eyes, two antenna, and three body parts. A special group of scientists called entomologists have been studying insects for hundreds of years an they have learned all kinds of amazing things."

Pakour goes on to say that "our bodies offer a delicious and unique menu of food for a vast variety of insects. These insects drink our blood, live in our homes, and even in our hair! They impact every aspect of our lives, from the clothes we wear, the pets we keep, to the homes we live in, and the way we store our food. Like tiny aliens living among us, each insect has its own unique body, home, and lifestyle."

Some excerpts:

Mosquitoes. "If mosquitoes don't have protein, they can't make eggs, which is why only female mosquitoes feed on blood...Mosquitoes lay their eggs in almost anything that holds water. Once she finds a suitable spot, she will land on the surface and lay around 100 eggs. So they don't sink and drown, the eggs stick together and float like a tiny raft."

Lice. Lice, which are only 0.10 inches long, can move 9 inches in about a minute. "That is about the equivalent of a person who is 5 feet tall moving 450 feet in one minute."

Wasps. Wasps are social insects. "I don't mean social as in they love to throw parties and hang out with their friends. When scientists say an insect is social, it means they live in a group made up of their relatives." She clarifies that only a few specific species are considered pests to humans and "even then it's only when they happen to build their nests near us."

Cockroaches. "Cockroaches give their eggs a little bit of extra protection, wrapping them up like a lovely box of chocolates in a package called an ootheca."

Fleas."Given a choice at the blood buffet, a flea will always choose a cat or a dog over a human."

Bedbugs. "Bedbugs have big appetites and they like to take their time sucking  up your blood...The Romans believed eating crushed up bedbugs could cure poisonous snake bites."

Pakpour points out that these insects are annoying but emphasizes that the majority of the 10 quintillion insects in the world "have important and unique roles to play in nature that have nothing to do with humans....Without insects, our entire ecosystem would collapse."

Please Don't Bite Me could easily be called Please Read Me. It's a fascinating book, especially for young entomologists-to-be or children and teens curious about what's living in their world--or what's pestering them. It's an easy read with interesting scientific information spread throughout the book. The illustrations are BBC: big, bold and colorful.  

Great book, Nazzy Pakpour!  

Backyard chickens are increasingly being raised as pets, for egg production, and for youth development and science projects. While raising chickens can be an interesting and economically beneficial activity, chickens and other fowl may also have pest problems. Chickens are natural hosts to a variety of arthropod pests (called ectoparasites), including mites, lice, and fleas which feed on chickens and use chicken coops as habitats. These pests may cause discomfort to birds and decrease their egg production. This article aims to help people who keep chickens understand and learn treatment options for the common ectoparasites that can affect their animals.

Lice

The most common pests found on backyard chickens include several species of lice (singularly called a louse), including the chicken body louse and fluff louse. Lice live full-time on chickens and feed primarily on feather material. Lice are generally chicken specific but may infest related poultry species (such as turkeys or pheasants). Adult and immature lice are pale yellow in color, and eggs are found in white clusters, usually at the base of feathers. Lice may be found on any or all parts of the chicken, depending on the louse species (Figure 1). Lice can irritate birds, causing increased preening and decreased egg production.

Mites

There are two main species of mite found in backyard chicken flocks: the northern fowl mite (NFM; Ornithonyssus sylviarum) and poultry red mite (PRM; Dermanyssus gallinae). Both mite species feed on blood. NFM live on chickens in the fluffy feathers of the vent region (Figure 2a). PRM live off the animal in cracks and crevices near the birds, such as on perches (Figure 2b), in nestboxes, or in coops. Mites can bite people but cannot survive or reproduce on human blood and will not infest human bodies. Learn more about biting mites in homes and other structures here.

Scaly leg mites (Knemidocoptes mutans) may also affect chickens. These mites are microscopic and identification must be confirmed by an expert. However, the signs of a scaly leg mite infestation are obvious and include scabby or crusty legs or feet (Figure 3). Scaly leg mites spread by direct contact between animals, so quarantining infested birds can limit infestations within a flock.

Fleas

The sticktight flea (Echidnophaga gallinacea) can also be found on backyard chickens. This flea is not bird specific and is often introduced to flocks by rodents, cats, or other mammals. Adult fleas embed themselves in the skin of chickens while they feed on their blood (Figure 4). Females drop eggs without detaching, and immature fleas develop in the environment, feeding on detritus and adult fleafeces. It can take a month or longer for fleas to complete development to the adult stage, resulting in newly emerging adults even after treatment of birds.

Management

Lice, mites, and fleas also parasitize wild birds and rodents and could be introduced to flocks by wild animals or even by contaminated equipment or people. To reduce pests in backyard flocks, focus on good biosecurity, which includes all practices that help to prevent or reduce disease in your flock. New chickens should be quarantined for at least two weeks to avoid introducing parasites (or other diseases) to the flock, washing hands and boots should occur before visiting the flock, and chickens should be separated from other animals. Birds should also be examined for signs of pests regularly to catch infestations early, which are easier to deal with than a large outbreak.

Insects and mites are very susceptible to water loss, so using natural materials that cause desiccation can be highly effective for general control. One such compound is diatomaceous earth (DE). Food-grade DE can be mixed with clean play sand in containers to create dustbathing areas for birds. Dustbathing is a natural behavior chickens perform to keep their feathers clean. The addition of DE helps to suppress pest populations.

Insecticides can be an effective tool for pest control. Farm stores often sell sprays or dusts that can be applied directly to birds or to coops for insect control. It is important to always read and follow the label instructions to avoid poisoning birds, people, or other animals. Pests that live in the environment, such as poultry red mites and sticktight fleas, are trickier to control since they may not be visible on chickens.

References:
Murillo AC, Mullens BA. 2016. Diversity and prevalence of ectoparasites on backyard chicken flocks in California. Journal of Medical Entomology. 53: 707-711. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290211878_Diversity_and_Prevalence_of_Ectoparasites_on_Backyard_Chicken_Flocks_in_California
Veterinary Entomology website with pest resources for professionals and the public: https://www.veterinaryentomology.org/poultry
For more backyard poultry resources, check out: https://ucanr.edu/sites/poultry/Resources_335/Production/type/backyard/

[Original article published in the Spring 2021 issue of the Retail Newsletter.]

 

As the weather warms up, we see more insect activity in gardens and landscapes, and you may also notice more activity of insect pests in your home. Common insect pests found indoors in springtime can include carpet beetles, fleas, fungus gnats, and boxelder bugs.

In our recent post on carpet beetles, we shared that the adults of these beetles prefer to be outdoors but the immature larvae can feed on fabric, carpet, or other natural materials in your home. See our Pest Notes: Carpet Beetles for more management information.

Cat fleas are the most common parasite on cats and dogs in California and you may find more fleas on your pets in spring and early summer. More than just a nuisance, fleas can transmit tapeworms or other diseases to pets or humans. Our Pest Notes: Fleas has more information on managing fleas.

If you have indoor plants, fungus gnats that infest soil and potting mix can be a nuisance. These small, delicate-looking flies are similar in appearance to mosquitoes but are smaller and do not bite. Instead, fungus gnats feed on fungi and organic material but can also chew roots of houseplants. You can find more information on these flies in Pest Notes: Fungus Gnats. You may also find our Pest Notes: Houseplant Problems helpful.

While boxelder bugs tend to group together outdoors, they occasionally come indoors and may be annoying. The adult females lay eggs in cracks and crevices of the box elder tree's bark in spring so you may be seeing more of these black and red bugs if you have host trees like box elder, maple, ash, apple, cherry, peach, pear, or plum. Learn more about these pests and their look-alikes in Pest Notes: Boxelder Bug.

Looking for more management information for springtime insect pests in the home? Join us for our upcoming webinar on Thursday, May 20 at 1:00pm with Dr. Andrew Sutherland, Area Urban IPM Advisor for the San Francisco Bay Area. Click here to register for our upcoming webinar and see the webinar website for more information about our webinar series.

 

We're looking for your feedback! Please consider taking a quick, anonymous survey to help us serve you better: https://bit.ly/2ZJJVEI