New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection says bear/human encounters were up 52 percent in 2014, with a total of 2,836 incidents, compared to 2013, when there were 1,870 bear/human encounters. This year, however, the NJDEP is reporting a 35 percent decrease in encounters so far… “With an expanding population, the number of complaint calls have been increasing steadily over the years,” said Brooke Maslo, PhD., an extension specialist in Wildlife Ecology at Rutgers University… According to Maslo, spring brings the availability of more food for bears… “You have livestock being born, lots of babies, potential prey for black bears, and of course the needs of the young are demanding energy and time. But I would say that that probably the most active for a black bear would be in the late summer or early fall, as they are preparing for the winter dormancy period,” Maslo said.
Staff
WeevilTrak Updates Make Monitoring, Control Easier
A research blog, additional research sites and new control strategies are among a host of upgrades to Syngenta’s WeevilTrak site designed to help golf course superintendents maximize efforts to control annual bluegrass weevil… Once registering for We…
A Day in the Life of a FoodCorps New Jersey Leader
FoodCorps is a nationwide team of AmeriCorps leaders who connect kids to real food and help them grow up healthy. Through their partnership with AmeriCorps, FoodCorps recruits, trains and places emerging leaders into limited-resource schools for a year of service implementing a three-ingredient recipe for change. FoodCorps service members conduct nutrition education that gives kids […]
Eaters Open Wide for More Nutritious Menu Options
After years of belly stuffing, some industry insiders say that even the most indulgent eaters among the American dining public may finally have gotten their fill. The people who never cared about salt before? They’re starting to ask about salt, now. Forget about extra crispy- the Sizzler crowd now wants their chicken healthy, and farm-raised. Diners who once asked for brown gravy or cheese sauce on their french fries now want the potatoes to be hand-cut, and baked. And macaroni and cheese? It’s been replaced by a side of beets… Peggy Policastro, nutrition specialist for the New Jersey Institute for Food Nutrition and Health at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, said that while it’s true more people are aware of healthy eating than ever, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are actually eating better… “It’s all about psychology,” said Policastro, who teaches a course at Rutgers called “The Hunger Frame,” focusing on what she terms “behavioral nutrition.”
Rutgers Moth-ers Launch Effort to Make NJ First to Name a State Moth
It’s amazing what some Rutgers people can do during their spare time. What started as a series of local public moth nights that Liti Haramaty, marine sciences researcher at the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, and David Moskowitz, Ph.D. candidate in Entomology, began in East Brunswick in 2005, has developed into the National Moth […]
Bed Bugs: Chemical Cover Caveats
Bed bug infestations exploded over the past 15 years or so, opening a relatively new market for all kinds of products. There are bed bug traps, so-called all-natural sprays, mattress encasements- thousands of options of varying worth. There are also chemical insecticides, including both over-the-counter and professional grade products. The most common class of insecticides used on bed bugs are pyrethtroids, a synthetic version of an ancient remedy made from crushed chrysanthemums… The bugs that were on the treated fabric for 10 minutes were significantly less likely to feed compared to those that sat on it for one minute, and when they did feed it was a significantly smaller amount of blood (there was no difference in the control set). And out of the females that sat for 10 minutes on the ActiveGuard, only one out of 52 laid any eggs… But here’s the caveat. Exposing a population of insects to sublethal amounts of insecticide may be akin to stopping an antibiotic treatment too early, which leads to drug-resistant bacteria. “Exposing bed bugs regularly to sublethal concentrations could promote greater levels of resistance,” says Rick Cooper, an entomologist at Rutgers University.
Travel: Virus That Makes People ‘Bend Over in Pain’ Keeps NJ Travelers at Home
Some New Jersey travelers are concerned about chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness that means “bent over in pain” in the African Makonde language, a rather fitting name… With symptoms that can persist for years in 5 to 10 percent of cases, chikungunya brings about debilitating joint pain and swelling, muscle pain, rash, headache, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Most people make a full recovery, but unknown factors can bring the illness to linger, typical of similar diseases… “Unless you’re traveling to Florida right now, New Jerseyans shouldn’t really be concerned about contracting chikungunya from within the United States,” said Scott Crans, senior program coordinator of entomology in the Center For Vector Biology at Rutgers University. “Even if you’re going to Florida now, the chances are pretty low. If you’re in an area that has reported chikungunya, as long as you’re wearing repellant, you’re minimizing your risk.”
As New Jersey Allergy Season Arrives, Questions Arise About Impact of Climate Change
The warming weather from this past week, and the promise of higher temperatures to come, will start up the gears for Mother Nature’s annual spring allergy season this week, says a New Jersey’s expert on pollens, ragweed and molds… Springfield allergist Dr. Leonard Bielory said he expects the kick off of the tree pollen season to begin before the spring equinox on Friday… “It’s going to shoot and my prediction is it’s going to be greater than last year,” he said… Bielory is the principal investigator in a federally funded grant program at Rutgers University to study the connection between climate change and allergic airway disease… This weekend, in fact, Bielory is in Buenos Aires to make a presentation on climate change and its effects on asthma at a conference of experts on allergies, asthma and immunology. Climate change aside, Bielory says data shows increases across age groups in most areas of the country for sensitivity to various allergens.
Green Thumbs: Get a Jumpstart on Spring with Forced Blooms Indoors
If this winter has not gotten you down, you are among the few and a touch of spring would definitely be a boost to most gardeners. There are several flowering shrubs and trees that can be pruned and forced to bloom earlier indoors… Place your branche…
US Dietary Guidelines Focus on Curtailing Sugar
The latest word from an advisory panel that helps form U.S. dietary guidelines confirms what nutritionists have been saying in recent years: Cholesterol-rich foods like eggs and shrimp aren’t as bad for us as previously believed, but sugars definitely …
