Wave of mosquitoes prompted by late July rain making themselves at home in ...
Mosquitoes are back with a vengeance in southern Michigan, their ranks swelled by a perfect storm of alternating floods and dry spells .
“This is another batch of what we call summer flood water mosquitoes,” Dr. Michael Kaufman, professor of entomology at Michigan State University , said. “These bugs are the result of the flooding we had about two weeks ago.
"They take about a week or two to fully develop and start biting people, so this is just about perfect timing for them.”
The flooding occurred in the last week of July, when Ann Arbor received more than six inches of rain water in two days, and many other areas were similarly affected.
Brian Hayes of Sharon Township lives near marshland that is a traditional fertile breeding ground for the blood suckers.
“This is my fifteenth year here, and this year had been a very good year because we have a lot of predators that keep the mosquitoes at bay,” Hays said.
“But then in the first week of August we started seeing more and more, and then there were just a ton everywhere.”
According to Kaufman, the summer flood water mosquitoes will be around for a while. They have an average lifespan of about two weeks and can live for up to a month if the conditions are right.
Despite large numbers of mosquitoes, incidents of diseases borne by the insects have been low this summer.
Susan Cerniglia at the Washtenaw County Health Department said that while they don’t track mosquito numbers, they do track indicators for West Nile virus .
“Clusters of dead birds in certain areas can be a sign that the virus might hit an area,” she said. “We ask residents to report any dead birds, and there has been very little activity on our hotline this year.”
Last year there was one case of West Nile virus in Washtenaw County, and there have been no reported cases yet this year.
Kaufman said the summer flood water mosquitoes are not generally carriers of the virus, or Eastern equine encephalitis, another disease spread by mosquitoes. He did say dog owners should be wary of the bugs.
“They aren’t very dangerous to humans, beyond the annoyance of the buzzing and biting,” Kaufman said. “They are believed to carry dog heartworm, though, so pet owners should make sure their dogs are keeping up with their medication.
Dogs Nervous Chewing On Themselves - News
After a few days, you'll have all the pieces in place. Your new dog will know where he's supposed to sleep, eat and relieve himself. He's never had a chance to chew your new Manolos, but knows that's just what he's supposed to do with his toys.
He did say dog owners should be wary of the bugs. “They aren't very dangerous to humans, beyond the annoyance of the buzzing and biting,” Kaufman said. “They are believed to carry dog heartworm, though, so pet owners should make sure their dogs are
"Sometimes in pets they'll actually do licking behaviors, instead of biting or chewing. So licking of the feet or other areas of the body, in addition to the scratching that they do, or their ears. Those are real common place for allergens to manifest
Those cannot be handled for safety reasons, but they, too, feel the same effects of being euthanized as the non-biting and non-scratching dogs and cats. There is a group who traps the feral cats and cuts the top of an ear and sterilizes the animal and
After the debt ceiling agreement was signed by President Obama last week several federal programs now find themselves being steered towards the chopping block. But like flashy comic book characters in spandex tights the so-called “Super Committee” is
Problems and Solutions For Families With Biting Dogs | 4 Body & Soul
By Scott D Phillips
Ever had a problem with a biting family dog? Here’s some solutions to the problem. For young puppies, under 6 months old, there is,what is commonly refered to as ‘play biting.’ Many people believe that puppy biting is just one of the many ways a new puppy plays. But there other factors at hand. Puppies that are introduced into a new ‘pack’ may be feeling a bit uneasy about his or her position or ranking there. The bottom line in this debate is that puppies shouldn’t be allowed to use their teeth to bite people. Some suggest that when this occurs, a firm ‘no!’ is said to the puppy and he is placed back in the pen for a while with a favorite chew toy to give him/her the reinforced idea that chewing on people is unacceptable, but chewing on a puppy toy is fine.
Most dogs can be trained not to bite. While there many types of training programs to choose from, the ones that offer a face-to-face approach seem to be more effective at curbing the biting problem. One of the effective techniques that good trainers use is the ‘mother approach’. This technique imitates the ways a mother dog uses to train her pup. As the trainer is using procedures familiar to the puppy, they are much more responsive to it. One such technique is the Alpha Roll.
This technique is used by the mother or father dog in order to let the pup know who’s in charge. People can replicate this procedure by gently rolling the dog onto it’s back, firmly clutching it’s nose or snout, looking into the dog’s eyes, and firmly saying ‘NO!’ Some trainers even suggest growling loudly during the process. One must, however, be aware to take precautions in case the dog may want to bite. Depending on the size of the dog, one may want to use their own body weight to keep the dog on it’s back. The owner (the ‘Alpha’ of the pack), should keep the dog on it’s back, repeating ‘No!’ until the dog submits to your authority. Afterward just let the dog up and go about your business. Repeat this technique whenever the animal gets too big for it’s britches. It will soon get the idea that you are the boss, not him.
Older dogs or ‘teens’, (1 year old), if not disciplined not to bite, will progress to a more aggressive form of ‘play biting’. By this stage, the ‘playing’ is much more intense and may even have come to where the biting is breaking the skin. At this stage it is suggested that professional help be consulted. A professional dog trainer can explore techniques that should be able to modify your ‘teenager’s’ biting behavior. This is better accomplished before it progresses to vicious biting, and you wind up in court over a dog attack on a neighbor.
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