Bugs aren't bugged by flood
Not everyone is unhappy about the floods of spring.
To pesky black flies and blood-thirsty mosquitoes, the flood is the equivalent of a newlywed pad — a place to make lots of whoopee and raise a passel of baby bugs, said Rich Merritt, chairman of entomology at Michigan State University. "With two kinds of breeding environments of water in abundance, this is going to be a bad news year for mosquitoes, and a big year for black flies," Merritt said.
Mosquitoes breed in still puddles of water. Black fly larvae thrive in clean, flowing water. Rivers and steams that have washed over their banks are heaven for black flies, since the larvae cling to grasses and filter food from moving water. Floods, in effect, create a black fly smorgasbord.
Contact: Rich Merritt, MSU professor of entomology, 517-355-4665, merrittr@msu.edu, www.ent.msu.edu/People/faculty/merritt.htm; or Sue Nichols, University Relations, 517-353-8942, nichols@msu.edu
Quick action after flood can save family memories
Once the fear of electrocution or drowning fades and the property damage is tallied during a flood, it's the past that might be the greatest victim of a flood.
Photo albums, tucked away love letters, books and diaries, can not only be ruined by moisture, but they also can themselves be transformed from mementoes to dangerous toxic material, says a Michigan State University library preservationist.
"Materials such as these are valuable for personal reasons — not monetarily, but because they hold
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Contact: Sue Nichols
nichols@msu.edu
517-353-8942
Michigan State University
27-May-2004