Nature
Net News
June 2007
Bugs That Bug Us
"Nature will bear the closest inspection.
She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf,
And take an insect view of its plain."
Henry David Thoreau
| Dear Reader, Isn’t it funny how the insect world has worked its way into our vocabulary? You might tell someone to "quit bugging you"; or that someone else has "gone buggy" or that the Nature Center was "swarming with" kids. What is it about these minute members of the natural community that gets under our skin? Summer is a great time to observe insects, but it is also a time to take care! Some insects might get a little too close for comfort – and cause problems for unsuspecting humans. Use this month’s Nature Net News to find out more about mosquitoes and ticks and what you can do to be safe in the natural environment. And be sure to visit Bethel Horizons to discover more than bugs on the trials, at exhibits or with a summer camp experience. Enjoy! Kathe & Betsy The Folks at Nature Net |
Not all mosquitoes, ticks and bees are truly bothersome? Only female mosquitoes feed on blood; only deer ticks carry Lyme disease; and most male bees (drones) do not have stingers!
What to
Do This Month:
Listen for the 17-year
cicadas, who began their adult emergence about a week ago.
Remember to remove any stagnant water in your yard to avoid hosting mosquito eggs or larva.
Join the the Henry Vilas Zoo's Feast with the Beasts on June 16th.
Pick up a Nature Passport and start exploring the many wonders Nature Net sites have to offer.
Check out the Nature Net Calendar of Events for more fun family programs.
Tricks of the Trail for
Parents:
Bugs at Bay
Though some insects can truly bug us, with a few precautions and some
advance preparation, your outdoor explorations can be virtually "de-bugged". First, dress for the trails by wearing light colored clothing which makes it easier to spot insects; and long pants tucked into socks
can prevent insects from crawling up your
legs. Once you're out of the wild, do a ‘group check’, having each person
check another for insects on your body, front and back, or in your hair.
If anyone has picked up a tick, this is a great time to spot and remove
them since they generally do not attach to your skin during the first
hour. As for repellants, DEET is still the best known insect
deterrent though many people have an aversion to its toxicity. As an
alternative, lemon grass and eucalyptus oils have been proven effective:
mix essential oil of either with rubbing alcohol (or witch hazel or
olive oil) in a 1-to-10 oil-to-alcohol ratio. Apply this to
exposed skin or to a bandana tied around your neck.
There are other suggestions listed on
EarthEasy.com
but please remember to check with your pediatrician for a
doctor’s advice on prevention and remedies.
Instant Outdoor Expert:
Don't Bug Out
It seems lately the simple itching, welts or "gross-out" factor caused
by mosquitoes and ticks pales in comparison to the more serious health
concerns highlighted in the media. Knowing more about these creatures' life cycles, biology
and the true risks, however, can help keep you and your family prepared and
educated.
Mosquitoes: There are about
50 Wisconsin mosquito species, all of which (if female)
require a blood meal to nourish their developing eggs. In general,
these members of the Order Diptera (flies), feed on nectar and plant juices. Depending on the species,
females deposit their eggs in small pools of water or
on low ground to await flooding. Once the eggs hatch,
the larvae (or "wrigglers") live underwater, then pupate and emerge
several days later as adults. The entire egg-to-adult process takes
10-14 days. Considering the species most known to transmit West Nile
Virus (WNV) lives and breeds within a 1-3 mile
radius, your best defense is eliminating backyard
breeding grounds.
More ideas are offered by
Professor Phil Pellitteri of the UW Insect Diagnostic Lab. Despite documented presence of
WNV in Wisconsin,, only 1% of mosquitoes carry the virus; and if
bitten by an infected mosquito, there's only a 1% chance of serve
illness. Educate yourself on WNV symptoms with detailed information from the
American Mosquito Control Association.
Ticks: Luckily there are only two species of these eight-legged
arachnids found in Wisconsin: the deer tick and the American dog or
"wood" tick (see a
comparison on the DNR's EEK! website). Of the two, only the smaller deer tick is known to carry
and transmit Lyme disease. Both species have a two year
life cycle: spring-hatching larvae feed on mice or birds, then overwinter until
the following spring when they go through a nymph stage before becoming
sesame-seed-sized adults. Ticks cannot jump or fly but wait on grasses
(at about the height of a deer belly) for a host to happen by. If
you find a tick attached to your skin, the best removal process is,
using a tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and
gently pull it straight out. Most often, 18 hours of feeding is required
to transmit the spirochete bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, so
early detection and removal is the best defense. Find out more about
Lyme disease from
HealthLink.
Check out UW Extension's
"Outdoor Hazards in
Wisconsin" (.pdf) for more information on bugs and other creatures that
bug us. Or, expand your bug knowledge with UW's
Insect Ambassadors.
Eco-Exercise:
Bat & Mosquito
Though people try to avoid mosquitoes, many birds and other insectivores,
including bats, are constantly trying to keep up with and catch
mosquitoes - for lunch! Here's a game you can play with friends
and hone your listening skills at the same time: Stand in a circle
with one person designated as the bat (wearing a blindfold) and a second
person as the mosquito. The mosquito must buzz at all times as the bat
tries to capture her by listening for the buzzing. All other players
should gently keep the bat and mosquito in the circle and make sure no one
gets injured. Once the mosquito is tagged, a new bat and mosquito can be
selected to move into the center of the circle to play again.
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
Bethel
Horizons
Bethel Horizons provides many unique opportunities to explore and
discover the wonders of nature and strives to teach the importance of
the earth's wild places by reconnecting people to the earth in which we
live. In addition to Bethel Horizon's ever-popular Summer Camps, visitors
may enjoy displays related to prairie, forest, wetland habitats and other
various seasonal subjects, including a bird-feeding station which allows close views of area birdlife.
Hike the more than 5 miles of trails to experience the
cliffs, forests, prairies and wetlands within Bethel Horizons’ 548 acres.
Three self-guided trails are available with trailheads marked and signs along the trail to help you on your way to discovering
the earth’s wonders! Come and explore! Horizons’ offers year-round Adventure
and Team-building programming for all ages and abilities, in addition to
diverse Workshops
and Special Events.
Bethel Horizons Nature Center
4651 County Highway ZZ Dodgeville,
WI 53533
(608) 935-5885
Chenille
Bumble Bee
The slow-moving and bumbling bumblebee has long been appreciated as
pollinator and was once believed to be a messenger to the gods. Remove this
friendly insect from your list of "bugs that bug us" and create a buzz
in your house with this adorable craft:
Push the tip of a yellow chenille stem into the end of a 2-inch styrofoam egg and wrap it around the entire egg. Next, wrap black chenille stems between the yellow to create stripes. Cover each end of the bee body by shaping black chenille stems into circles and pushing the ends into the body. Secure with glue. Now, create legs from 6 short chenille pieces and antennae from two 6-inch pieces of craft wire with the tips curled. You can make wings of wax paper or wooden teardrops from the craft store, painted white. Add finishing touches by gluing on google-eyes and if desired, a paperclip hanger.
Suggested Reading:
"The Honey Bee and the Robber" by Eric Carle (age baby-6)
"Tito and the Mosquito" by Loti Scagliotti (age baby-6)
"Are you a Bee?" by Judy Allen (age 4-8)
"Bugs Are Insects" by Anne Rockwell (age 4-8)
"Eliza and the Dragonfly" by Susie Caldwell Rinehart (age 4-8)
"The Life Cycle of a Mosquito" by Bobbie Kalman (age 4-8)
"Parasites! - Ticks" by Kris Hirschmann (age 4-10)
"When the Bees Fly Home" by Andrea Cheng (age 9-12)
