CDC Releases Zika Virus Health Advisory
The CDC has released a Health Advisory regarding the Zika Virus in persons who are returning from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Miami, Florida. What is Zika virus? Zika Virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito. At this time, local spread of the virus in some areas of the continental United States are being investigated by the CDC and monitored closely. Key Facts:...
City of Commerce Sprays Area After Trapped Mosquitos Test Positive for West Nile
By Becky Pattillo COMMERCE, TX—The City of Commerce, with the assistance of Texas A&M University – Commerce, has been trapping mosquitoes and sending them to the Department of State Health Services as a precautionary measure to test for various diseases. Emergency Management Officials have been notified that additional mosquito samples have been returned with positive results for the West Nile Virus. At this time, no human cases...
How To Avoid Mosquito Bites!
In many measures, mosquitoes are one of the most dangerous insects in the world. Mosquitoes also transmit a host of other diseases, including West Nile virus, yellow fever, and dengue fever. There’s many reasons to take every possible measure to avoid mosquito bites even without taking into account their terrible, stinging itchiness. There is many ways to help prevent mosquito bites, but lets just include the most popular. One...
AgriLife Entomologists Urge Protection Against Mosquito Born Diseases
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologists are informing Texans on how to protect themselves from the mosquito vectors that spread Zika and other diseases. “The ongoing outbreak of the Zika virus has spread throughout most of South America, Central America and the Caribbean,” said Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Stephenville. “The effects this virus will have on the United States are not entirely known, but...
Water puddles: Mosquito Habitat
As rain continues in Hopkins County and temperatures steadily increase, I have felt recently the first mosquito bites of the season. As I reflect on vector borne diseases, I cannot help but to remember how complex and difficult task is mosquito abatement. During my days as a graduate student, I was involved in the Harris County mosquito abatement program using mosquito strains as reference for insecticide resistance. One of my...
LAYNESPORT LANDING – SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
LAYNESPORT LANDING – SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 Maybe this will be the last week of the Smoky Road information. Curtis Walker lives up on Smoky Road and called a few days ago. Curtis remembers one of the residents of Smoky Road, Asbury Smith, who was about 84 when he died in 1947. Asbury told stories about having to put tops on hog pens to keep the bears out. Curtis remembers twelve houses along a two mile stretch of the road. A few...
Mosquito Control in Texas
This time of the year, the temperature and high humidity levels are an invitation to outdoor activities where mosquitoes can be a problem. When it comes to mosquito control devices, about the only thing that works is common sense, says a former entomologist with Texas A&M University. Meanwhile, many Texas citizens are using devices or controls costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars that may offer only marginal control or...
Jots and Titles # 1369 by Eddie Trapp ,February 5, 2015
Recently I heard someone say that something “suited them to a T.” My little brain got to wondering where that phrase came from. Was it like a tight fitting T shirt? I just had to go to the trusty internet and found there are disagreements on the origin of the phrase. Some thought it was from the T shirt idea. Others said it came from a T square used to make perfect right angles. But, the majority agreed it was used as far back as...
Monkey Blood, July 24, 2014, # 1342
Ivan Eftink and some of his family come down from Missouri each winter to hunt hogs with me. Recently I got a text message from him asking if I ever heard of the antiseptic mercurochrome called by any other name. Sure, all we ever called it was monkey blood. Somehow that didn’t sound as scary as the longer, technical term of mercurochrome. Maybe he was having an argument with someone. Maybe he had heard of monkey blood and wanted to...
Prairie Mounds July 17, 2014, #1341
Just about all my life I have observed little mounds in pastures with sandy loam type soils. Most are about the size of a Native American’s teepee so it seemed natural that these early Americans would want to build a mound to keep water from getting under them while sleeping. Friday, I stopped by the County Agent’s Office to see if they had any information on these mysterious mounds. Manning (or womaning) the office was Mrs. Willie...
