The Pennsylvania Vector Control Association The Pennsylvania Vector Spreading News to the Vector Control Community Volume 15, Issue 1I September 13, 2017 Inside this issue: Birds Use Cigarette Butts for Chemical CWD Found in the Wild 2 in Clearfield County Warfare Against Ticks Equine West Nile Virus 3 Threat Remains Is this a cigarette habit with some benefits? A species of urban bird seems to harness the toxic chemicals in cigarette butts in its fight against nest parasites – although What’s Up: Region 1 4 there is a downside to the practice. What’s Up: Region 2 4 Constantino Macías Garcia at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and his What’s Up: Region 3 5 colleagues, have spent several years studying the curious cigarette habit in urban house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). Initial evidence hinted that nicotine and other What’s Up: Region 4 6 chemicals in the butts might help deter insect pests from moving into the nests – nico- What’s Up: Region 5 6 tine does have anti-parasite properties – but it wasn’t conclusive. What’s Up: Region 6 7 To firm up the conclusion, Macías Garcia and his team experimented with 32 house finch nests. One day after the eggs in the nest had hatched, the researchers removed Entomologists Discuss 7 the natural nest lining and replaced it with artificial felt, to remove any parasites Discovery’s “Mosquito” that might have moved in during brooding. They then added live ticks to 10 of the Documentary nests, dead ticks to another 10 and left 12 free of ticks. The High Tech Device 8 That’s Like a Bouncer for They found that the adult finches were significantly more likely to add cigarette butt Mosquitoes fibers to the nest if it contained ticks. What’s more, the weight of cigarette butt mate- Boozy Beetle: the 9 rial added to nests containing live ticks was, on average, 40 per cent greater than the Campor Shoot Borer weight of cigarette butt material added to nests containing dead ticks. Notification of Pesticide 10 The results suggest that the finches are using the cigarette butts to “medicate” their Treatments in Schools nests against the ticks, says Macías Garcia. ‘‘Ectoparasites such as ticks and mites cause damage to finches – for example, eating their feathers and sucking their blood,” Sustaining Members 11-17 he says. Advertising President’s Corner 18 “It’s fascinating, and an exciting example of animals being innovative and making use of the materials available to them,” says Steve Portugal at Royal Holloway, Universi- Editor’s Corner 18 ty of London. Special points of interest: However, Macías Garcia’s earlier studies suggest the habit is harmful too. “The butts cause [genetic] damage to finches by interfering with cell division, which we assessed Calendar of upcoming by looking at their red blood cells,” he says. events on page 12 “I think the anti-parasite effects the cigarette butts provide must outweigh any negative Remembering Jane problems they cause,” says Portugal. Huffman on page 18 “Alternatively, the genotoxic effects take long- Remember to like us on er to manifest, and the adult birds aren’t Facebook aware of any problem.” Article Credit: Natasha Khaleeq, newscien- tist.com, June 26, 2017. Photo Credit: Jerry Friedman THE PENNSYLVANIA VECTOR PAGE 2 CWD Found in the Wild in Clearfield County Submitted by: Tom Smith HARRISBURG, PA - Chronic wast- requesting permits for Unit 3045. “There is no vaccine to prevent deer ing disease has spread to free- or elk from contracting CWD, and The permits will become available very ranging deer in an area of the state there’s no treatment to cure infected soon, likely by July 13. where it previously had been detect- animals,” said Game Commission ed only in captive deer. These DMAP permits can be used to wildlife-management director Wayne Laroche. “However, if we can remove The Pennsylvania Game Commis- take antlerless deer on public and pri- the infected animals from this area so sion today announced a free-ranging vate lands within DMA 3 during any they are no longer coming in contact whitetail buck in Bell Township, established deer season. Hunters must with healthy deer or shedding the Clearfield County, has tested posi- acquire permission from private land- prion that causes the disease, we may tive for chronic wasting disease owners prior to hunting. be able to slow its spread and mini- (CWD). Harvest data from DMAP permits will mize its effects on deer and elk, and A news conference about the new augment CWD surveillance. the people who enjoy them. CWD-positive deer and the Game All known road-killed deer within “It’s important our response is as ef- Commission’s response will be held DMA 3, and a portion of the deer har- fective and efficient as possible to at- on Thursday, July 13, at noon at the vested by hunters, already are tested tempt to curtail this disease before it Game Commission’s Harrisburg each year for the disease. The Game becomes well-established in an area headquarters. The news conference Commission is looking to increase this where it not only is a threat to our will be available to view on the sampling effort and obtain more- deer, but also our elk,” Laroche said. Game Commission’s social media precise harvest-location information. pages. Cooperation from hunters will be an While CWD poses a serious threat to Pennsylvania’s deer and elk, there is The CWD-positive buck was shot by important first step to make this hap- no strong evidence it can be transmit- a wildlife conservation officer June pen. ted to humans. As a precaution, how- 7 on State Game Lands 87 because The Game Commission also plans to ever, hunters are advised not to eat it showed signs of being diseased. use sharpshooters in DMA 3, in a the meat from animals known to be Preliminary tests indicated the buck small, focal area where the CWD- infected with CWD, or believed to be was CWD-positive, and the final positive deer was found, in hopes of diseased. results confirm the buck was infect- stopping the disease before it has a ed with CWD, which always is fatal chance to grow and spread. There already is a prohibition on re- to deer and elk. moving the high-risk parts of harvest- In Pennsylvania, CWD has been an ed deer from any DMA. Hunters who The buck was within Disease Man- increasing threat. The disease also harvest deer and take it to a meat agement Area 3 (DMA 3), which exists among wild deer in the area of processor or taxidermist within a was established in 2014 after sur- southcentral Pennsylvania defined as DMA are making certain that deer veillance by the Pennsylvania De- Disease Management Area 2. Twenty- are available to the Game Commis- partment of Agriculture detected five free-ranging deer tested positive sion for CWD surveillance. CWD at two captive deer facilities for CWD during 2016. And an addi- in Jefferson County. tional four CWD-positive deer have Laroche said cooperating deer hunt- ers within DMA 3 will play a key role Because this buck was located near been detected since, raising to 51 the in the CWD surveillance to take place the center of the 350-square-mile total of CWD-positives detected within there. If the harvest locations of sam- DMA 3, the DMA will not need to the DMA 2 since 2012. pled deer are known, it will be possi- expand. While the spread of CWD within Penn- ble to more precisely target manage- However, the Game Commission is sylvania is a concern statewide and a ment actions, he said. immediately taking steps to in- threat to the state’s deer and its deer- It doesn’t cost anything to drop deer crease CWD surveillance within hunting tradition, this latest CWD- heads off for sampling, and if a sam- DMA 3. positive within DMA 3 is a concern also because of its proximity to Penn- ple tests positive, the hunter will be The Game Commission will be allo- sylvania’s elk range, which abuts DMA notified. cating Deer Management Assis- 3. More than 100 elk are tested for Game Commission Executive Director tance Program permits within DMA CWD each year and, thus far, the dis- Bryan Burhans said it’s important to 3. Each hunter can purchase up to ease has not been detected among the respond quickly and directly to the two of the 2,800 DMAP permits any- state’s elk. where hunting licenses are sold by (Continued on Page 10) THE PENNSYLVANIA VECTOR PAGE 3 Equine West Nile Virus Threat Remains Submitted by: Tom Smith PARSIPPANY, N.J. — The risk for “The numbers are likely much great- “It’s a multistep protection process,” West Nile virus remains. New data er,” he said. “Some states only report said Hankins. “Vaccination against reveals that in 2016, there were 377 West Nile virus cases if the disease is West Nile is key because it’s shown to equine West Nile virus cases across presented in neurological form.” be so effective, but horse owners also the United States — an increase of need to be aware of, and eliminate, 152 cases from 2015. Horses are at For horses that have not been vac- risk of exposure to a potentially in- the highest risk for contracting cinated or are overdue for vaccination, fected mosquito population.” West Nile virus during peak mos- West Nile-Innovator can help provide quito season, which occurs July the added protection horses need to West Nile does not always lead to through October in the United stay healthy.