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When most people hear the word "plague," they immediately picture medieval Europe, wooden carts, and plague doctors in bird masks. It feels like an ancient historical artifact. The plague is still very much active today. Yersinia pestis (the bacterium that causes plague) has been quietly circulating in the wildlife of the American West for decades. A recent announcement from the New Mexico Department of Health: a wild rodent in Santa Fe County officially tested positive for

It just hit the news – Hantavirus is typically spread through the feces and urine of rodents. There has been mention of human-to-human transmission, but according to a 2022 paper reviewing that claim, “The balance of the evidence does not support the claim of human-to-human transmission.” It’s important to remember that Hantavirus is not a “flu-like symptoms” sickness. It can be, and in this case is, a lethal disease. Sure, it starts with flu-like symptoms but progresses qu

It’s officially winter, and while many of us are dreaming of cozy fires and hot cocoa, our six-legged (and occasionally eight-legged or four-legged) friends have the exact same idea. In the pest world, there’s a common misconception that once it gets cold, all the bugs just… disappear. I wish it were that simple! While some go into diapause (essentially insect hibernation), others decide that your heated facility or home is the perfect place to ride out the chill. Here’s the

I have a lot of google alerts for words relating to pest control. I typically skim through, look for any scientific articles and quickly delete. Then this one caught my eye. Ugh, here we go again, I think to myself. And yes, here we go again. Now, I get it. Pesticides are scary, especially when you call them “poisons”. Yes, they are intended to knock down the pest. Yes, some are poisonous (ingested). Yes, we want to make sure only the target animal is impacted by the pest

The Black Plague ravaged Europe starting in the 1300s, with some estimates of 60% of the population being killed. It’s a great history...

I heard a new term yesterday, and I figured it was an internet hoax. You know what happens next: I had to investigate and look it up....

Because I am constantly researching pest control, I am always looking up information on pesticides. Sometimes I am looking for a specific...

I slept like crap last night. I overslept this morning (aka hit snooze too much). I’m going to be in the field most of tomorrow so I’m...

I fly a lot for work and for fun. I’ve been flying since I was about three. Aside from being locked in a metal tube with 100 people you...

I’m probably going to get some pushback from this, but I don’t like birds. I admit that birds of prey, like raptors and owls, are very...

I wasn’t going to do it, but since it’s hit the headlines, and there’s been plenty of …. dubious info….let’s science this, pest control...

I’ve been doing a lot of training recently. It tends to happen this time of year because it’s a bit slower in the field and people are...