Tips to Keep Bears from Denning on Your Property

bear entering small space (photo from Bearwise)

from a news release of the Michigan DNR and Bearwise

Walk around your home and property and think like a bear. Where would you den up for the winter?

In the Lower Peninsula, the DNR is still getting nearly as many bear complaints as it did in July, particularly in the northwest part of the peninsula. “I suspect bears in the Lower Peninsula are a few weeks from denning, depending on the weather,” Jared Duquette, human-wildlife interactions specialist with the Michigan DNR, said.

Michigan is home to an estimated 10,300 bears in the Upper Peninsula and 2,100 bears in the Lower Peninsula.

BearWise gives plenty of practical tips on how to keep bears from moving in for the winter, including simply locking all ground floor and bear-accessible windows and doors. Bears can easily operate lever-style door handles but are stymied by round doorknobs. Extra bonus points: install doors to open out, not in.

BearWise also offers tips on how to scare bears away from your property. Bears may make themselves at home in garages, storage sheds or vacation homes that are vacant over the winter.

To a bear, these areas can seem like the perfect winter home. They’re dark, snug and often come with at least one built-in wall. Bears don’t have collarbones, so even adult bears can fit through what seems like an impossibly small opening. The general guideline is that if a bear can get its head inside, the rest of the bear can follow. Many homes in bear country offer bears lots of possibilities.

See more tips at Bearwise


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Tent Caterpillar Population Cycle High

tent caterpillar (photo by JHY)

a news release of Michigan DNR with additional information

Michigan is experiencing a heavy outbreak of forest tent caterpillars (FTC) this year, particularly in areas around Gaylord, Cadillac, Traverse City and Petoskey in the northern Lower Peninsula, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Tent caterpillars are not poisonous to touch and they do not bite. They are soft, and somewhat attractive with blue dots.

tree defoliated by tent caterpillars (photo by JHY)

Widespread outbreaks of FTC occur at intervals of 10 to 15 years. These outbreaks last for two to five years, with most running their course in two to three years. FTC epidemics commonly begin over large areas simultaneously. This is caused by favorable weather conditions preceding an outbreak. Population buildups often follow periods of unusually warm, dry springs. Fortunately, FTC outbreaks eventually subside as caterpillars succumb to parasites and other insect natural enemies.

Defoliation begins in early May in the northern Lower Peninsula and late May in the Upper Peninsula. Defoliation can be dramatic and becomes noticeable by early to mid-June. However, cool weather slows development and feeding, extending the duration of outbreaks.

"Defoliation from FTC normally does little damage to the tree," said Roger Mech, forest health specialist with the DNR. "FTC infestation will reduce the vigor of the tree, but the tree usually recovers within a few years, after FTC infestation dies down."

tent caterpillar web (photo by JHY)

Mech noted that most trees will develop a second set of smaller leaves around mid-summer, after the initial loss of leaves from FTC. He added that trees rarely die from FTC infestation alone.

Native flies play an important role in natural control of FTC, but fly populations tend to increase as a result, and can create another nuisance for the public. The DNR can provide technical advice to landowners and landowner groups experiencing FTC infestation. Landowners interested in technical advice should contact their nearest DNR office.

Aerial applications of pesticides may help reduce caterpillar nuisance during an FTC outbreak. Applications must be made at the appropriate time and by licensed experienced applicators. Once caterpillars are full grown and defoliation is nearly complete, pesticides are not effective. The DNR can help homeowners determine whether aerial spraying will be effective.

old tent caterpillar nest pulled open (photo by JHY)

When spraying is warranted, the DNR recommends the use of a biological insecticide called Bacillus thuringiensis (also known as Bt). The DNR recommends the use of Bt because of its environmental safety. Bt is a naturally occurring bacterium that is effective only against caterpillars and is registered as an insecticide by several companies. Only caterpillars feeding on leaves sprayed with Bt are affected. Spraying Bt on caterpillars will not harm them. It has no effect on other insects, birds, people, and other animals.

The pictured nest is almost empty of caterpillars. It is filled with frass, caterpillar excrement. The caterpillars have mostly cocooned. Now we just need to wait for the leaves to recover.

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Biological Pesticide Found for Zebra Mussels

zebra mussels attached to native clam photo from GLSGN Exotic Species Library/ USFWS

from the Schenectady Daily Gazette, "Biopesticide may solve zebra mussel problem," by Sara Foss, Nov 23, 2008

Zebra mussels feed on the bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens regularly, but an overdose is lethal. The bacteria is naturally present in lake water.

Dr. Daniel Molloy, director of the Cambridge, New York Museum’s Field Research Laboratory has developed the natural pesticide. “It’s a question of dose,” Molloy said. “If you go to a pipe, and add a million times more [Pseudomonas fluorescens], and create artificially high densities of bacteria, they will feed on it until they die.”

Malloy had previously developed a biological pesticide for black flies. He was approached by power companies to try to apply the same type of solution to kill zebra mussels. The invasive mussels clog pipes in power plants and water intakes. Malloy began hunting for a soil bacteria that was toxic to the mussels without success. He had no success, and was ready to give up, but the power companies asked him to continue (and provided funding). Within 8 weeks he found the Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Previous to this discovery the only practical methods of getting rid of the zebra mussels were chemical pesticides (toxic to many species), or the application of high temperature water which is expensive to maintain.

The bacteria also kills the invasive quagga mussel, a relative of the zebra mussel. is likely to be available next year, and will probably be sold through a commercial partner of the museum.

A full scale test of the product will be conducted next year at Davis Dam on the Colorado River, Arizona. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will determine if the bacteria can be used in a dam to kill quagga mussels.

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