New York City’s notoriously massive rat population appears to present a bigger health risk than was thought before. According to a new study, the rodents’ fleas could transmit Bubonic plague. Scientists from Columbia and Cornell Universities collected 133 Manhattan rats for their research. The animals were euthanized while the insects living on them were killed with a vapor.
Poultry farmers will have to prove their competency in handling rat poison, following the introduction of a new generation of products coming to market later this year. It is already acknowledged that resistance in rat populations is growing, and in some areas none of the existing poisons authorised for outdoor use are working
Barn owls have made an incredible comeback after fears that the birds may die out in Britain. The species had its best ever breeding season last year when the mild winter helped the number of nests and chicks reach a record high. Experts feared for the future of the species in 2013 when already-fragile populations were decimated by the bitter cold – which hit food supplies of mice and voles, the British Trust for Ornithology said yesterday.
Using pheromones for mating disruption of codling moth is so widely accepted in the tree fruit industry that it’s become automatic for most orchardists. But imagine where the industry would be without the technology.
In an attempt to prevent the spread of the deadly bat disease White Nose Syndrome, Indiana closed its caves to the public in 2009. The fungus showed up two years later and has wiped out a large portion of the state’s bat population. Experts say, even with more research being done, the worst is yet to come for bats in Indiana.
Valentine’s Day is well-timed for some of the first courtship displays of the early breeders — owls. Even with snow in the branches and blanketing the ground, hearts are all aflutter, and focused on bringing another generation into being.
NYC Rats Carry Bubonic Plague-transmitting Fleas - Study
