The Bookie Monster: attack of the creepy crawlies!

The British Library's Collection Care Blog has an article that Dick Eastman suggests "should be required reading for anyone who cares for old books. The information applies equally to books at home or at a library, museum, or any other archive."  

While many articles have been published in this newsletter and elsewhere about the damage to books by fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters, the article by Christina Duffy describes a different threat that is equally damaging: insects!

If you take care of books, you should read The Bookie Monster: attack of the creepy crawlies! article at http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/collectioncare/2013/08/the-bookie-monster-attack-of-the-creepy-crawlies.html.

The Bookie Monster: attack of the creepy crawlies!

[From the British Library's Collection Care Blog - - link above, also]

Have you ever been described as a bookworm?

We hope the only bookworms encountered in our reading rooms are of the Studious genus, but did you know that there are a whole host of pesky pests out there hungry for paper? Fires and floods are usually the scenarios we think of when we hear about damaged books, but books are also susceptible to pest damage. “Bookworm” is actually a generic term and doesn’t apply to any particular species, although it is often used to describe the Anobiid beetle (Anobium punctatum).

Figure 1: The larvae of furniture beetles, Anobium punctatum, attack wooden book boards, shelving, frames and compressed paper. Copyright DBP Entomology

Where the passionate reader sees inspiration and literary genius, the pest sees a delicious and satisfying papery meal. Holes in books and bindings, large chewed areas and scraped surfaces are all evidence of pest attack. Thankfully, damage like this is largely historic and it is a matter for conservation rather than pest control. Our Preservation Advisory Centre has produced a free information booklet on Managing pests in paper-based collections written by Consultant Entomologist David Pinniger. Although there are physical and chemical treatments to control infestation, it is much cheaper and far more effective to use preventive methods. Here we take a look at a few of the culprits.

Name: Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)
Likes to eat: Paper

Silverfish (or fish moths) are nocturnal wingless scaly insects (10-15 mm) associated with damp conditions and require a localised humidity above 70-80%. They are named in light of their silvery exterior and slithery fish-like movements. 

Figure 2: The silverfish is a primitive insect with three bristles called cerci at the tail end where the abdomen tapers. Copyright Aiwok

Post-meal evidence includes irregular holes in paper and ragged, scraped surface areas. If they are particularly greedy they will preferentially target areas with glue or ink which may be more nutritious.

Figure 3: Silverfish (sometimes known as fish moths) leave irregular holes in paper around a scuffed surface. Copyright DBP Entomology

[See link below for the complete article listing several other insect pests (with photos) - great article for saving great books!  This article was previewed on Dick Eastman's EOGN]

Pests will only usually damage material because they are seeking nutrition. Collection items boasting mouth-watering edible materials such as wooden boards, textiles, adhesives, gelatine and starch can satisfy the pickiest of pests. Prevention is always better than cure so it is important to be vigilant for the signs of an infestation. If you are unsure about a potential pest problem contact the Preservation Advisory Centre for some helpful advice.

Christina Duffy

- See more at: http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/collectioncare/2013/08/the-bookie-monster-attack-of-the-creepy-crawlies.html

Vaccinating Mosquitoes?

According to Debbie Hadley of About.com Guide:
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on Earth.
That's right, more deaths are associated with mosquitoes than any other animal on the planet. Mosquitoes may carry any number of deadly diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Mosquitoes also carry heartworm, which can be lethal to your dog. 

   Vaccinating Mosquitoes Can Ward Off Malaria by Jesse Emspak in Popular Science Magazine September 2013 issue.  It’s not the mosquito’s fault.  Malaria is actually caused by the Plasmodium family of parasites, which is carried unwittingly by mosquitoes.  John Hopkins biologist Rhoel Dinglasan’s team has found this Plasmodium, at a critical stage in its life cycle, needs to bind to a particular protein in the mosquito.  Blocking this protein will block transmission to humans!  But, how do you treat a mosquito… with a tiny little needle?  Here is the clever solution: vaccinate humans against this protein creating living mosquito treatment factories for years by the immune systems producing antibodies against that protein.  Thus when a mosquito bites a vaccinated human, it will suck up the antibodies blocking the protein and thereby preventing the mosquito from passing along the malaria disease!!!  Of course, at this point, this remains only a hypothesis and mosquito bites would be no less annoying.

After my 25 years of Integrated Pest Management techniques and more traditional pest control practices, I think this vaccination idea is not so practical.  I suggest that we just get rid of the mosquitoes.

What Doesn't Work for Controlling Mosquitoes

Despite what your friends tell you, some popular mosquito control methods have no significant impact on keeping mosquitoes in check. According to Wayne J. Crans, Associate Research Professor in Entomology at Rutgers University, these often-touted mosquito solutions are not worth your time or money.

1.    Bug zappers. Though the satisfying sizzle you hear from this modern day insect torture device will convince you it's working, don't expect much relief from backyard mosquitoes. According to Crans, biting insects (including mosquitoes) generally make up less than 1% of the bugs zapped in these popular devices. Many beneficial insects, on the other hand, do get electrocuted.

2.    Citrosa plants. While citronella oil does have proven mosquito-repellent properties, the genetically-modified plants sold for this purpose do not. In tests by researchers, the test subjects bitten as often while surrounded by the Citrosa plants as without them. In fact, mosquitoes were observed landing on the leaves of Citrosa plants during the study.

3.    Bats and/or purple martins. While both bats and the colonial purple martins will consume mosquitoes, the offending insects make up a small percentage of their natural diet. Assertions about these insectivores being effective mosquito controls grew out of misrepresented and misinterpreted data from unrelated studies. While providing habitat for bats and purple martins has its value, don't do it if only to reduce your mosquito populations.

4.    Electronic devices that transmit sounds to mimic male mosquitoes or dragonflies do not work. Crans goes so far as to suggest "the claims made by distributors border on fraud." Enough said.

So, what can we do?

    1. If you want to keep  mosquitoes under control around your home, you  need to be vigilant about dumping any standing water  every few days.  Just a few inches of water is all it takes for a female to deposit her eggs. Tiny mosquito larva develop quickly in bird baths, roof gutters, thrash can lids, and old tires dumped in vacant lots.

    2. Avoid going outdoors between dust and dawn.

    3. Use mosquito repellents like DEET.

    4. Insecticides can be used to help control mosquitoes.  Some products are designed to be applied directly to water to control mosquito larvae, while others are used more broadly to control the adult mosquito.

    5. Community, city or county agencies provide control as a service to the public and may apply pesticides by trucks or planes.

 

Cicadas: Are they Locusts or Katydids?

Order HOMOPTERA: 
Cicadas, Aphids, Leafhoppers


Cicadas are not Locust nor Katydids!

Cicadas are members of the order Homoptera and are physically distinguished by their stout bodies, broad heads, clear-membrane wings, and large compound eyes (see photo below).

Cicadas are recognized as the loudest animal in the world.  Cicadas are probably best known for their buzzing and clicking noises, which can be amplified by multitudes of insects into an overpowering hum. Males produce this species-specific noise with vibrating membranes on their abdomens.  I am sure most have heard the loud chirping of cicadas in the summer evenings, especially while driving in rural areas.  The "songs of cicadas" are like a child's lullaby to put one asleep during the night.  Cicadas can be heard as far as one mile away!

Cicadas are also famous for their penchant for disappearing entirely for many years, only to reappear in force at a regular interval. There are some 3,000 cicada species, but only some share this behavior (the 13-year and 17-year cicadas are examples).  The dog day cicada emerges each year in mid-summer.

Have you ever noticed the cicada "shell" or exoskeleton?  That shell is the outer exoskeleton of the final molt from the nymph stage to the adult.  

On the night of emergence, nymphs leave their burrows, locate a suitable spot on nearby vegetation (often tree bark), and complete their final molt to adulthood.

Adult Tibicen Cicadas

For more information on these amazing insects visit -  http://www.cicadamania.com/ and here is a long list of links to all kinds of sites you can visit including a link to a site about Cicada Killer Wasp, the mortal enemy of cicadas!  And here is a link to frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about cicadas -  http://www.cicadamania.com/faq.html .