Tag Archives: rats

School Pest News, Volume 15, Issue 11, November 2015

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Kissing bugs and Chagas disease. By Wizzie Brown, Extension Program Specialist III Triatomine bugs, also known as kissing bugs, reduviid bugs and cone-nose bugs, are almost an inch long with elongated cone-shaped heads. The body is grayish-brown with a wide abdomen that has flattened sides. The flattened sides of the abdomen stick out beyond the wing margins and are marked with red, orange or yellow stripes. Nymphs (immatures) look similar to adults, but lack fully developed wings. There are other insects in Texas that look similar and can… Read More →

School Pest News, Volume 13, Issue 4, April 2014

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Moby Rat – How one image spurred a blog post by Dr. Mike Merchant and email chatter with Dr. Bobby Corrigan I can tell you that fishermen aren’t the only ones to exaggerate when it comes to biggest-catch stories. I’ve heard lots of tales. “I swear that cockroach that flew at me was 6 inches long!” “That rattlesnake was as big as my leg!” And, maybe most impressive, “The rats in our neighborhood are as big as cats!” Nearly everyone and their brother’s got a story about the… Read More →

School Pest News, Volume 12, Issue 9 December 2013

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Using the holiday break As the year comes to an end and students are out of school for two weeks. For most of us it’s a time to be with family and friends; however, before you go on break there are few items you should look into. 1) Winter is the time for colds and flu. Use the break for extra cleaning and disinfecting. According to the CDC, there is a big difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning with soap and water is adequate to remove dirt and… Read More →