Environment & Sustainability Archives - Page 5 of 8

Avoid using soft plastics where possible (Image: Karen Smith)

Buying back soft plastic recycled products

07/02/2023 Bruce Thompson 723 Views 0 Comments

By Bruce Thompson

It’s all about supply and demand. With an oversupply of soft plastics collected and not enough of recycled products being purchased, we need to look at what is required to ensure the recycling program continues.

In late 2022, many Australians who had been diligently collecting their soft plastics and taking them to Woolworths, Coles and Aldi supermarkets to place into REDCycle bins, woke to the news that REDCycle had temporarily ceased their collection service.… Continue reading

Damage caused by emerald ash borer larvae (Image: Troy Kimoto, Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

Environment & Sustainability Pest and Diseases

The dangers of monoculture

16/12/2022 admin 956 Views 0 Comments

By Denis Crawford

The arrival of an exotic herbivorous insect in an environment dominated by only a few plant species can be a recipe for disaster.

When an insect is introduced into an area with few natural pathogens, parasites and predators, that insect may become a severe pest.… Continue reading

Control Helicoverpa larvae with an IPM program (Supplied by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science)

Environment & Sustainability Pest and Diseases

Alternatives to pesticides

03/11/2022 Denis Crawford 758 Views 0 Comments

By Denis Crawford

Given the recent debate in the media about the future of pesticides in some parts of the world, it’s time to look at the alternatives to pesticides.

A recent series of articles in The Guardian“Toxic nation: Australia’s pesticide problem” highlighted several issues with pesticide use in Australia.… Continue reading

Environment Environment & Sustainability

Newsbuds

05/10/2022 admin 924 Views 0 Comments

Monitoring particulate matter with trees, shrubs and lichens

Cultural heritage in the form of historical buildings and their contents are heavily threatened by air pollution. Buildings surrounded by heavy traffic flows need constant monitoring to minimise the impact of exhaust gases and particulate matter on exposed surfaces.… Continue reading

Damselfly eggs are not safe underwater

Environment & Sustainability Pest and Diseases

Tiny wasps are the best pest control

04/10/2022 Denis Crawford 831 Views 0 Comments

By Denis Crawford

Tiny wasps that are barely visible to the naked eye are important biological control agents for various pests. If the wasps are so small, how do you know they are present?

I recently did some photography for a Queensland integrated pest management company that needed photos of Trichogramma pretiosum, a tiny wasp less than a millimetre long.… Continue reading

Predators such as assassin bugs occur in healthy systems

Environment & Sustainability Pest and Diseases

Why do we still have pests?

03/09/2022 Denis Crawford 793 Views 0 Comments

By Denis Crawford

I wrote an article in March 2009 titled ‘Why do we have pests?’ The main themes of that Pest Files were monoculture, invasive insects, suppression of beneficials, and resistance to pesticides. What has changed in the last 13 years?… Continue reading

Native bees are not affected by varroa mite (Supplied by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science)

Environment & Sustainability Pest and Diseases

The impact of varroa mite

03/08/2022 Denis Crawford 1181 Views 0 Comments Bee hives

By Denis Crawford

Varroa mite, the invasive parasite of European honey bees, has been detected in NSW. The current outbreak is very concerning but is there possibly a silver lining to this outbreak?

At the time of writing this article, the NSW outbreak of varroa mite (Varroa destructor) appears to be contained.… Continue reading

Environment

From food waste to soil food using machinery

09/07/2022 Bruce Thompson 870 Views 0 Comments

By Bruce Thompson

Australian households waste more than 2.5 million tonnes of food per year which equates to around 4kg per household per week. Although the various tiers of government would prefer all households to use compost bins, worm farms and bokashi systems to remove food waste from landfill, the reality is that machinery is required to make the process of food waste conversion to soil additive viable from a time-cost analysis perspective.… Continue reading

An example of the campaign materials used in Cobram to raise awareness about Qfly

Pest Management

Pilot program reduces fruit fly population in Cobram

09/07/2022 Horticulture Innovation Australia limited 857 Views 0 Comments

By Horticulture Innovation Australia

The Hort Frontiers Fruit Fly Fund aims to control the fruit fly populations that impact the productivity of Australian horticulture industries. At the core of the Fruit Fly Fund is the ground-breaking $60 million SITplus partnership. The SITplus program pulls together some of the world’s leading fruit fly experts and research organisations, to deliver an integrated solution to the management of Queensland Fruit Fly (Qfly).… Continue reading

Sap-sucking harlequin bugs cluster together as early-stage nymphs

Environment & Sustainability Pest and Diseases

Understanding insect life cycles

09/07/2022 Denis Crawford 1037 Views 0 Comments

By Denis Crawford

There is more than one type of insect life cycle. Understanding the life cycles of insects can help when managing pests and/or encouraging beneficial insects.

**Control pest caterpillars before they reach full size (Supplied by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science)**

In Pest Files of April this year I described the insect life cycle of ‘complete metamorphosis’ or holometabolous development, from egg to larva to pupa to adult.… Continue reading