What you Need to Know About Blister Beetles When ingested, blister beetles can be deadly to horses. The beetles range from 1 to 2.5 centimeters and usually are grey in color, however they sometimes are yellow with black stripes. The chemical these beetles produce is cantharidin. Blister beetles get their name from the reaction humans…

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Gene Drives Gene drives, is a new technique that could permanently change the way we deal with pests and invasive species that carry disease. This new technique could help keep some of the most damaging species under control. A new study at the imperial College London outlines a new genetic method that will keep tabs…

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Citizen Science Program Set up by Researchers in Texas Chagas disease is caused by a parasitic protozoan and transmitted via an insect known as the “kissing bug.” Due to the success of research, Texas A & M University has set up a citizen science program in order to gain insight into the distribution and infection…

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Kiss of Death In Texas, kissing bugs continue to sneak across the state, and unfortunately the threat they carry may be worse than expected. The threat kissing bugs are known to carry is Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite that can lead to Chagas disease. Chagas disease is a potentially deadly disease that can cause heart failure.…

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Border Staff and Dogs Working to Keep Out Pests Today, 24 new biosecurity detector dog teams (dog and handler) graduated from their training. The goal is to use these teams in order to stop dangerous pests from entering New Zealand. Steve Gilbert, MPI Border Clearance Services Director says, “The new dog teams will give us…

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