July 26, 2019
Dinner and dancing will highlight a Gala in the Gardens event from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the opening of The Arboretum at Penn State’s H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens.
July 25, 2019
Centre County has seen a “dramatic increase” in hospitalizations over the past two years for an infectious bacterial disease primarily spread by deer ticks, according to a Mount Nittany Physician Group infectious disease specialist.
July 24, 2019
The 2019 Authentic Plant Pollinator Landscape Research for Educators (APPL-RED) Workshop at Penn State attracted thirteen K-12 educators from across Pennsylvania and beyond (one educator is currently teaching in the Spangdahlem region in Germany). The workshop allowed educators to work closely with members of Penn State’s Center for Science and the Schools and Center for Pollinator Research.
July 24, 2019
Sulav Paudel, a doctoral candidate in entomology and in international agriculture and development in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, traveled to Washington, D.C., in June to participate in two conferences aimed at advancing international agriculture and rural development.
July 22, 2019
Plants may induce "leaky gut syndrome" — permeability of the gut lining — in insects as part of a multipronged strategy for protecting themselves from being eaten, according to researchers at Penn State. By improving our understanding of plant defenses, the findings could contribute to the development of new pest control methods.
July 17, 2019
Honey bees are critical for crop pollination in the United States. The US is the first global producer of almonds and blueberries, and both of these crops require large numbers of managed honey bee colonies to maximize yields.
July 17, 2019
Governor Tom Wolf and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding were in Harrisburg to view the treatment being conducted across the Commonwealth concerning Spotted Lanternflies. They were joined by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), Penn State University, and USDA at a Harrisburg site populated with Spotted Lanternflies.
July 17, 2019
Pennsylvania state officials are asking for the public’s help in controlling the spotted lanternfly — an invasive insect that is both a nuisance and a threat to crops.
July 17, 2019
Pennsylvania is facing a bug problem. It’s the first state to be inhabited by the Spotted Lanternfly, and the little bug is causing a big issue. It may seem harmless, but the the insect is causing damage to Pennsylvania’s trees and crops, which is negatively affecting the agriculture industry, and quality of life for residents
July 17, 2019
Pennsylvania’s beekeepers can now get even closer to their six-legged friends. In April, Penn State University, with the help of Callowhill-based geospatial technology company Azavea, released a new tool called Beescape where keepers can get the buzz on their hives (sorry) with a “bee’s eye view” of their environment.
July 16, 2019
Coming from the small town of Limeport, near Allentown, a young Annalyse Kehs may not have thought much about international agriculture or feeding the world. But thanks to a project called PlantVillage, the Penn State rising senior not only is helping to address world hunger but is relishing the opportunity to travel to destinations such as Kenya and Rome to interact with farmers, researchers and policymakers.
July 15, 2019
Pollinators such as honeybees, wild bees, and pollen wasps contribute to one-third of the world’s food-crop production. However, the health and abundance of pollinators has declined in recent decades due to a range of factors that include pests, pathogens, pesticides, and poor nutrition. Farmers use pesticides to treat pests that would otherwise damage our food. Patterns, or “domains,” of pesticide use and pesticide effects on pollinators are linked in a complex system through a third domain, pollinator pesticide exposure. This framework can provide insights into options for reducing risks to pollinators while also improving pest management strategies for crops, as illustrated through the example of apple production.
July 15, 2019
Last year was one of the worst on record for West Nile virus in Pennsylvania. The number of cases jumped to 130, from 20 in 2017, and eight people died.
June 28, 2019
Malaria parasites develop faster in mosquitoes at lower temperatures than previously thought, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Exeter. The findings suggest that even slight climate warming could increase malaria risk to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people — including travelers — in areas that are currently too cold for malaria parasites to complete their development.
June 26, 2019
Malaria parasites develop faster in mosquitoes at lower temperatures than previously thought, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Exeter. The findings suggest that even slight climate warming could increase malaria risk to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people — including travelers — in areas that are currently too cold for malaria parasites to complete their development.
June 26, 2019
A roadmap for how to minimize pesticide risk to bees by Scott McArt
June 21, 2019
To help catalyze research and education in bee health, Dutch Gold Honey, based in Lancaster County, PA, endowed an Undergraduate Scholarship in Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences in 2010. This yearly award pairs students in the College of Agricultural Sciences with faculty mentors from the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research. The 2019 Dutch Gold Scholarship has been awarded to two students, Jacklyn Kiner and Matthew Poorman, whose projects seek to improve methods for bee management and public learning about bees.
June 21, 2019
It is quickly becoming a summertime ritual, albeit not a fun one, for homeowners living in southeastern Pennsylvania: trying to get rid of the swarms of spotted lanternflies that have taken up residence on their properties.
June 20, 2019
Researchers have been working for well over a decade to enhance the health of pollinators and now beekeepers, citizen scientists, and anyone interested in pollinator health can join in using a new online tool, Beescape.
June 19, 2019
Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, are testing to see if a species of wasp the size of a sesame seed could stave off a potentially devastating invasion of sap-sucking insects that could seriously affect California’s grape crops.
June 18, 2019
New and ongoing tree-fruit research in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences received a boost with the recent awarding of funds totaling more than $261,000 by the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Apple Program.
June 13, 2019
It’s easy to find evidence that the 17-year cicadas’ mating season has begun in Western Pennsylvania. Exoskeletons hang on tree branches, stray wings left by predators lie in the grass and, when it’s hot enough, unlucky males still searching for mates sing their ringing, high-pitched song.
June 13, 2019
If Youtube footage is to be believed, people have taken up arms against infestations of invasive spotted lanternflies by blasting the bugs with everything from pressure washers to rock salt, dish soap and even propane torches.
June 13, 2019
Truckers who don’t comply with a quarantine effort to restrict the spread of an invasive insect in Pennsylvania and nearby states can face fines of up to $20,000.
June 13, 2019
Woodpeckers, squirrels and other animals are getting stuck on the sticky tape used to trap spotted lanternflies, prompting an outcry from animal rehabilitation centers and other nature groups.
June 12, 2019
Ants adjust their social interactions to accommodate changes in population density, according to researchers at Penn State and Georgetown University. The findings suggest that ant colonies are capable of maintaining their sophisticated social organization despite potentially drastic changes in their environments.
June 10, 2019
Viruses, spread through mosquito bites, cause human illnesses such as dengue fever, Zika and yellow fever. A new control technique harnesses a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia that blocks replication of viruses and breaks the cycle of mosquito-borne disease, according to an international team of researchers.
June 6, 2019
Native to Europe and Asia, the cereal leaf beetle has made inroads throughout much of eastern North America, the midwest, and even Canada. The adult females have a long egg-laying period of 45-60 days, so the larvae can be present and damage crops for a significant period of time.
June 6, 2019
“None of the organic compounds work against spotted lanternfly,” said Heather Leach, spotted lanternfly Extension associate with Penn State.
June 6, 2019
For many Pennsylvanians, dedicating $2.5 million to the battle against an insect that significantly affects only 20% of our counties is a questionable investment. One reason might be their unfamiliarity with the spotted lanternfly, which so far has either failed to or just not gotten around to crossing the Susquehanna River in large numbers. To date, 14 counties have been placed under quarantine due to the insect’s presence reaching the level of infestation. The list of counties stretches from Monroe in the north to Dauphin and Lancaster here in the south.
