Justin Gardner – Before America Wanted To Eradicate Them, The U.S. Military Was Weaponizing The Zika Mosquito

After months of anticipation, the Zika virus has finally arrived to the continental U.S., with 15 non-travel cases being reported in Florida as of August 2. The virus is carried primarily by a species of mosquito called Aedes aegypti. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued its first-ever warning for within the U.S., urging pregnant women to avoid travel to a Miami …

Expert warns of new tick-borne disease

As spring awakens here in UConn country, so do the ticks. UConn veterinarian, researcher, and tick-borne disease expert Dr. Sandra Bushmich recently answered questions about ticks and the diseases they carry in this area, especially some lesser known and emerging diseases. Can you tell us about Borrelia miyamotoi, the ‘new’ tick-borne disease? Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging tick-borne disease which is caused …

How to Keep Ticks off of You, and Get Rid of Them if Needed

I used to live in the middle of nowhere, and my neighbors and I were constantly picking ticks off of our pets. When you think about ticks, you associate them with living in the woods. But these Lyme-disease carriers are everywhere. Whether you’re hiking through the wilderness or yanking weeds out of your backyard garden, there could be a tick …

Yarrow herb is stronger than DEET at repelling mosquitos and ticks, and it’s completely non-toxic by Ethan A. Huff

We’re approaching summer bug season in many parts of the northern hemisphere, which in addition to sun and fun means lots of smelly insect repellant wafting through the air. The standard chemical ingredient in many conventional bug sprays is DEET, a neurotoxic chemical that, although it seems to work against annoying critters, is also working against you and your family’s …