Background Articles

Case counts for Oropouche virus are still low but rising dramatically. What's going on? And then there's a study that raises the possibility that insect bites aren't the only way the virus can spread.

The Northeast, which has warmed faster than the rest of the country, saw the biggest jump in mosquito days. Look up how mosquito season has changed in your town.

The article discusses the rise in tick-borne illnesses in Canada, highlighting a case of Powassan virus and the challenges in diagnosis and treatment due to limited awareness among healthcare providers.

The unusually hot summer weather in the Moscow region this year may trigger an increase in populations of invertebrate species, the regional Environmental Ministry said this week.

An Anchorage beekeeper has learned how to help his honeybee colonies survive to see spring, and he’s teaching others to do the same.

An entomologist who works with the N.W.T. government said mosquito populations throughout the territory are lower than average. That’s because most types of mosquitoes "love water," and conditions in parts of the territory have been hot and dry instead. 

Those studying ticks in Alaska currently are more concerned about non-native ticks hitching a ride on pets that arrive in the state from Outside, and infecting wildlife here.

A caddisfly was reportedly seen circling a Haines light bulb. A large mosquito was observed landing on a pile of wood. Armstrong says nowadays he sees fewer insects than in past years. Studies around the world confirm this observation.

Scientists say climate change appears to be a factor making Florida and other parts of the U.S. welcoming to non-native mosquitoes.

Researchers found pesticide-contaminated plants in nurseries in 15 states

The study is the first to examine the impact of LEDs in a real-world setting and the first to show the direct impact of light pollution on caterpillars. The caterpillars are less mobile than adult moths, and therefore show more precisely the local losses caused by light pollution.

Also dubbed the murder hornet, the invasive wasps threaten pollinators and have been found in communities along both sides of the Canada-U.S. border and on Vancouver Island. B.C. officials will focus on the Fraser Valley in their efforts to track and eradicate Asian giant hornets this year.

The climate crisis has caused a steep decline in butterfly sightings in the Rocky Mountain range. This decline is also consistent among other insect populations around the world. If this die-off continues, a great percentage of natural pollinators will cease to exist.

11,500 years ago, Norway experienced one of the fastest meltdowns the world has seen. Now scientists fear the same thing is happening elsewhere.

Asian giant hornets are the largest of all hornet species. This specimen was 1½ inches (four centimetres) long but they can be up to a centimeter longer and have a wingspan the size of a small hummingbird.

A lack of wild bees and managed honeybees is limiting pollination and yields for certain crops on farms in British Columbia and across the United States, a collective of researchers has found.

Sightings of the Asian giant hornet have prompted fears that the vicious insect could establish itself in the United States and devastate bee populations.

Clouds of the insects can stretch for miles, devouring vegetation and destroying crops. Locust experts say time is running out to get the swarms under control because they multiply so quickly.

Bark beetle experts say a recent cold snap has likely killed some spruce beetle infestations in northern B.C.