Geese on School Grounds

NYS IPM Type: Community IPM Fact SheetAlthough beautiful in flight and valued as a symbol of the wild, Canada Geese (referred to hereafter simply as geese) have become an increasing issue on lawns and other open turf areas. Geese occur as subspecies and populations, each with distinctive breeding, wintering, and migratory behaviors. Populations that cause problems are usually what have become known as resident or local-breeding geese. Most of these birds belong to the physically largest subspecies that many had believed to be extinct. Scattered flocks were re-discovered in the middle of the 20th century, and extensive introduction efforts followed within both the historic range of the subspecies, and areas where they were not known to have previously existed. These introductions were very successful, and geese now occupy not only most marshes and similar wild habitats, but also urban and suburban landscapes that readily meet the major habitat requirements for geese: an open area with a wide view, turf for grazing, and a nearby body of water

The Role of Private Enterprise in Wildlife Damage Control

In addressing the role of private enterprise in wildlife damage control, I will not be bringing the final word or a comprehensively exhaustive report. Rather, I will be presenting some perspectives as the representative of a firm with extensive involvement with wildlife damage control as a business. My comments will be divided into why, what, how, and the future

Strengthening relationships between state university extension systems and nuisance wildlife control operators

The land-grant university extension system is an American success story. The general mission of extension is to be a research-based information broker between the university and public stakeholders. Examples of successful long-term partnerships between extension and industry include agriculture, structural pest control, and the green industry (turfgrass and landscape management). There is, however, the potential for the development of another partnership with the relatively new industry of private sector nuisance wildlife control. To help inform my thinking on the current status and potential of such relationships, I queried 12 wildlife extension specialists (most with extension positions at land-grant universities), 17 county extension educators in New York State, and 7 private-sector nuisance wildlife control operators (NWCO). I asked them for descriptions of interaction between NWCOs and extension and whether they viewed these relationships as productive. I also asked what were the challenges to successful interactions. Finally, I asked for their perspectives on what NWCOs and extension can do for each other. They reported to me that many positive interactions already have occurred between extension systems and the NWCO industry. Such interactions included technical and educational support, classroom and workshop speakers, collaboration on research projects, publications review, committ ee service, and referral-making

Wildlife Damage Management Outreach and Research Activities, NYS IPM Program, 2014 & 2015

The management of wild vertebrates in pest situations is an increasing concern. NYS IPM Program staff was involved in numerous activities in 2014 and 2015

Developing a Curriculum for the Nuisance Wildlife Control Industry in New York

The nuisance wildlife control industry continues to expand in New York State. Each year during the past 5 years, approximately 1,200-1 ,400 private Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCOs) were given authority to handle wildlife conflicts by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). These NWCOs were required to complete a trapper education course, and a personal interview or exam prior to obtaining a permit. The education and experience requirements for NWCOs varied by region in New York. The goals of this project were to: (1) develop a core curriculum for individuals who desired to handle nuisance wildlife and charge a fee for service, (2) standardize license requirements across the state, (3) enhance professionalism and training of individuals involved in the NWCO industry, and (4) develop a test bank of questions for administration of an examination. Existing educational programs from throughout the United States were reviewed for content and suitability in New York State. A core educational manual was developed by staff with Cornell University and a DEC review team. The curriculum will be piloted during 2003 in conjunction with legislative changes that mandate training for NWCOs in New York State

Tick IPM Outreach and Research Activities, NYS IPM Program, 2018

NYS IPM Type: Project ReportTicks and tick-borne diseases have become a significant public health issue in the Northeastern United States, including New York. With Lyme disease representing the number one vector-borne pathogen in the US, researchers are working to better understand the biology and ecology of ticks, while the medical community works toward improving diagnostic techniques and treatment. Despite these efforts, individuals continue to encounter ticks that may harbor pathogens. Therefore, starting in 2014 the New York State IPM Program established a new priority to develop, confirm, and/or promote methods for reducing the impact of ticks in community settings in a measureable way. By providing education about tick biology and ecology, combined with recommendations for personal protection, the goal is to reduce human interactions with ticks. To this end, the Community IPM program has engaged diverse audiences in learning about tick and host management, conducted research, assisted other organizations in disseminating their message, and applied for and received monies to create a tick outreach campaign, Don’t Get Ticked, NY, launched in 2018

School IPM Outreach and Research Activities, NYS IPM Program, 2017

NYS IPM Type: Project ReportNYS schools need assistance in reducing risks to children and others from both pests and the overuse of pesticides. In 2017, NYS IPM Program activities have resulted in school personnel becoming better informed and able to implement IPM in their school districts. Managing geese on school grounds was the focus of a demonstration project and associated outreach. A school IPM assessment tool was developed and began to be piloted. A phone survey of BOCES health & safety officers is providing input into school IPM outreach and implementation. The NYS IPM Program made several blogs and tweets throughout the year with IPM stories of relevance to the state’s schools and childcare facilities. NYS IPM Program staff made visits to several schools trouble shooting specific pest-related situations, collaborated with Cornell faculty on research of relevance to school IPM, and were involved in statewide, regional, and national collaborations involving school IPM outreach

Arthropod Phylogenetics in Light of Three Novel Millipede (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) Mitochondrial Genomes with Comments on the Appropriateness of Mitochondrial Genome Sequence Data for Inferring Deep Level Relationships

Background Arthropods are the most diverse group of eukaryotic organisms, but their phylogenetic relationships are poorly understood. Herein, we describe three mitochondrial genomes representing orders of millipedes for which complete genomes had not been characterized. Newly sequenced genomes are combined with existing data to characterize the protein coding regions of myriapods and to attempt to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships within the Myriapoda and Arthropoda. Results The newly sequenced genomes are similar to previously characterized millipede sequences in terms of synteny and length. Unique translocations occurred within the newly sequenced taxa, including one half of the Appalachioria falcifera genome, which is inverted with respect to other millipede genomes. Across myriapods, amino acid conservation levels are highly dependent on the gene region. Additionally, individual loci varied in the level of amino acid conservation. Overall, most gene regions showed low levels of conservation at many sites. Attempts to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships suffered from questionable relationships and low support values. Analyses of phylogenetic informativeness show the lack of signal deep in the trees (i.e., genes evolve too quickly). As a result, the myriapod tree resembles previously published results but lacks convincing support, and, within the arthropod tree, well established groups were recovered as polyphyletic. Conclusions The novel genome sequences described herein provide useful genomic information concerning millipede groups that had not been investigated. Taken together with existing sequences, the variety of compositions and evolution of myriapod mitochondrial genomes are shown to be more complex than previously thought. Unfortunately, the use of mitochondrial protein-coding regions in deep arthropod phylogenetics appears problematic, a result consistent with previously published studies. Lack of phylogenetic signal renders the resulting tree topologies as suspect. As such, these data are likely inappropriate for investigating such ancient relationships

Wildlife Damage Management Outreach and Research Activities, NYS IPM Program, 2012 & 2013

The management of wild vertebrates in pest situations is an increasing concern. NYS IPM Program staff was involved in numerous activities in 2012 and 2013

Controlling Squirrel Problems in Buildings

Tree-dwelling squirrels are among the most familiar, enjoyable, and frustrating wild animals in our immediate surroundings. While adding a touch of nature to even some of the most urban environments, they can be a headache to gardeners and bird feeders and destructive to buildings. They even cause power outages by climbing into electrical transformers and substations