Most of the cooking spices that we buy in the U.S. are imported, and those spices are often contaminated, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In an October 30 report, FDA reports its finding that 12% of imported spices are adulterated by filth. That means that there’s a fair chance that the spices that
VIEW MOREForensic science is a popular theme for TV shows lately. In the old days, we had “Quincy.” Now you can choose from many shows that offer the nitty-gritty, gruesome details of crime scene investigation; to name a few: “CSI,” “Forensic Files,” “Investigative Reports,” and “The New Detectives.” Sometimes these shows feature forensic entomology or the
VIEW MOREAt this time every year, we witness a cricket migration – from outside to inside. The cooler weather of fall sends crickets looking for places to spend the winter. They say that the worst cricket years occur when hot, dry weather is followed by late season rainfall. But of course, whether or not you consider
VIEW MOREQuestion I just discovered lots of small black specks all over my living room walls and drapes near the window. They look like cockroach droppings or fly specks or something similar but they don’t wash off. We have had a few fruit flies in the house. Could they be the cause of the spots? Answer
VIEW MOREWe know that Lyme disease is here to stay and we know that diagnoses of Lyme are becoming more common, but we had no idea just how common. The Centers for Disease Control which keeps track of such things has known since the 1990s that the number of cases nationally was underreported by 3 to
VIEW MOREAs I write this, we’re heading into day 10 of the latest government shutdown and we are learning more about who is being impacted and how. Even pest control is affected and not just because government customers are having second thoughts about the need for cockroach control in an empty cafeteria. During the shutdown, pest
VIEW MORECan’t understand why squirrels, raccoons, opossums and other so-called “nuisance wildlife” always seem to end up in your yard? Wild animals need food, water, and shelter just like people. If you provide it, they will come! Then they will likely cause damage, or carry parasites and diseases into your yard. When you have a problem
VIEW MOREYou might have thought that the bed bug scare was declining because you weren’t hearing about them as often anymore. Not so, according to Virginia Tech bed bug expert and professor Dr. Dini Miller. “We’re into bed bugs now and forever,” Miller said. Not only are bed bugs not declining, but the numbers of bed
VIEW MOREAs a result of legislation passed in June, New Hampshire residents who live in rental housing will soon have some direction and some recourse when it comes to living with bed bugs. The new law takes effect January 1, 2014 and addresses the ongoing debate of who pays for bed bug treatment in a rental
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