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NEWS ABOUT: infestation

Miami Battles Giant Snail Invasion

'I had never seen anything like it,' resident says

(Newser) - Miami authorities are struggling to wipe out an invasion of Giant African Snails that are munching on plants and proliferating wildly, the Miami Herald reports. Last week, a pair of sisters tipped off officials to the slimy creatures, which can grow up to 10 inches long by 4 inches wide,... More »

Dreadful Beetle Sneaks Into US From India in Rice

And if it establishes itself here, we're in trouble

(Newser) - Finally, an airline inspection process we can all give the thumbs up to: US Customs and Border Patrol intercepted damaging khapra beetle larvae at O'Hare last week, which had traveled from India in bags of rice. It's an event that's been happening much more frequently, reports the... More »

Rabid Bats Plague Los Angeles

Infestation hitting one Ventura County man harder than everyone else

(Newser) - It's probably only a matter of time before someone writes a screenplay about this: Rabid bats have been invading Los Angeles in increasing numbers this summer. The city public health department says 12 have already been found, up from the eight to 10 typically discovered over a full year,... More »

City-Loving Mosquitoes Invade the US

Asian invaders like metro areas and bite during the day

(Newser) - Apparently mosquitos have big-city dreams, too. American cities are under siege by so-called "urban mosquitos" that are attracted to metropolitan areas, are ferocious, and bite during daytime. One big offender is the Asian tiger mosquito, which first arrived in the US in 1985 via eggs hidden in a shipment... More »

Spider Infestations Trigger Mazda Recall

Toxic spiders found dwelling in fuel lines

(Newser) - If you're not already an arachnophobe, a bizarre recall from Mazda might be enough to turn you into one. The Japanese automaker is recalling 65,000 vehicles in North America because of infestations of poisonous spiders, the BBC reports. The yellow sac spider—which has a mildly toxic bite—has... More »

Bedbugs Invade NYC Cinemas

Times Square theater temporarily shuttered

(Newser) - Popcorn isn't the only thing getting eaten at cinemas in New York City. The AMC Empire 25 in Times Square was temporarily shuttered Tuesday night while a team of exterminators tried to rid the place of blood-sucking bedbugs —two weeks after it had initially been treated for the pests.... More »

5 Creepy Facts About Bedbugs

They have a smell...that comes from their feces

(Newser) - Bedbugs are back in a big way, with infestations closing at least two stores in New York City recently. AOL News lists five things you should know about these creepy crawlers:
  1. They smell: If you can smell their sweet, musky scent, chances are you’ve already got an infestation
... More »

Victoria's Secret Store Infested: Bedbugs Are Back

Recent NYC store closures mark comeback

(Newser) - The recent closures of a Victoria's Secret and an Abercrombie & Fitch to rid the New York City stores of bedbugs are only the latest example of the strong comeback the blood-drinking bugs are making worldwide. Bedbugs were largely eradicated from the US in the 1950s, but now they're back... More »

Bedbug Dogs Sniff Out Bloodsuckers

Trained hounds in high demand as infestations rise

(Newser) - The resurgence of an old pest has created new jobs for dogs. Bedbug infestations have soared in American cities over the last four years, creating boom times for exterminators, especially those using canny canines trained to detect the tiny suckers. Handlers say the dogs can expertly sniff out infestations and... More »

One Serving of Cotton, Please; Hold the Poison

Genetic engineering unlocks protein that could feed millions

(Newser) - Scientists have developed a novel genetic engineering technique that makes the protein-rich seeds of the cotton plant easily edible, Time reports. The entire plant, including the seeds, produces a toxic chemical called gossypol that protects it from insects and microbes. “People, pigs, chickens—none of us can stomach gossypol,... More »

Crazy Ants Swarm Gulf Coast

Tiny, frenetic munchers invade homes, snack on electrical wiring

(Newser) - Billions of "crazy ants" are munching their way through Gulf Coast counties in Florida and Texas, the Wall Street Journal reports. The tiny insects, believed to have originated in the Caribbean, happily make their homes in human dwellings and are tough to dislodge once they move in. The... More »

Mormon Crickets: Earmark to Some, Real Plague to Others

(Newser) - Critics, most notably John McCain, have lambasted the latest omnibus spending bill for its 8,500 earmarks; one frequently cited provision is $1 million to fight Mormon crickets in Utah. “Is that a species of cricket or a game played by the Brits?” joked McCain over Twitter. But to... More »

Pine Beetles Eat Through Western Forests

Huge bug infestation doing more damage than wildfires

(Newser) - The biggest infestation of mountain pine beetles in decades is devastating huge tracts of forest in the Western states, USA Today reports; forestry workers say the bugs are killing even more trees than the wildfires ravaging California's forests. The larvae consume the inner bark of trees, usually lodgepole pines, killing... More »

10 Lies Homeowners Tell Buyers

Few are above making a fib or two part of the sales pitch

(Newser) - When a homeowner is desperate to sell and a buyer is ready to fork over the cash, the truth about a house is often swept under the rug, MSNBC reports. Watch out for frequent fibs when talking about:
  1. Personality of neighbors and the neighborhood.
  2. Status of home repairs (particularly the
... More »

$25K Sundae Comes With Mice, Roaches

NYC closes upscale dessert shop for health violations

(Newser) - An upscale dessert shop on New York's Upper East Side that serves $25,000 ice cream sundaes has been shut down for egregious health-code violations, including a dysfunctional sewage system, mounds of mouse droppings, and a thriving cockroach population, CBS reports. The shop, Serendipity 3, introduced the extravagant sundae, which... More »

Study Finds Rats Are Winning the Rat Race

New York rated most vulnerable to boom in rodent population

(Newser) - Rodent experts labeled New York the US city most open to large-scale rat infestation today, after conducting a nationwide survey that took into account climate, waste management, population density, and age of infrastructure, Reuters reports. New York's appearance atop comes months after a KFC/Taco Bell restaurant was overrun by rats... More »

Bedbugs Make Bloodthirsty Comeback

Once thought gone for good, pests are on the rebound in US

(Newser) - Despite admonitions about not letting the bedbugs bite, Americans are doing just that, and infestations are being reported across the country. Once thought wiped out by the now-banned pesticide DDT, the insects have been found in hospitals, schools, and even high-end residences, the Times of London reports. "Saturday Night... More »

They're Here

(Newser) - The Brood XIII cicadas are emerging throughout the Midwest in an every-17-year fit of Darwinian survival.  Scientists theorize that their abundance — they emerge by the millions per acre—is an evolutionary advantage: Because of their numbers, predators (primarily birds, insects and fish) cannot possibly eat all of them.... More »

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