Tag: pests

Following Up With A Ukrainian Musician And Smoky Mountain Firefly Magic, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, a Ukrainian musician reflects on what music means during wartime. And there’s a growing number of a certain kind of blood-sucking arachnid — and diseases that come with it. We also sit in on one of the natural wonders of the Great Smoky Mountains.

This week, a Ukrainian musician reflects on what music means during wartime.

And there’s a growing number of a certain kind of blood-sucking arachnid — and diseases that come with it. 

We also sit in on one of the natural wonders of the Great Smoky Mountains.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

An Update On Our Hammered Dulcimer Story

Last year, Folkways Reporter Clara Haizlett reported about the Appalachian hammered dulcimer, and its Ukrainian relative, the tsymbaly. Along the way, we met Ukrainian musician Vsevolod Sadovyj, who was in Ukraine as the country fought against the Russian invasion.

Haizlett recently caught up with the tsymbaly player over Zoom and brought us an update. 

Ticking Off The Trouble Of Ticks

Warm weather sends more people outside. But enjoying nature has it’s inherent risks, including ticks which can cause disease. Pictured is the black-legged tick, or deer tick, which can spread Lyme disease.

Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

With the exception of a cold snap on Christmas Eve, Appalachia had a mild winter. And now we’re paying the price, with a surge of ticks. Appalachian social media has seen a steady stream of complaints about the arachnids, Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome.

Producer Bill Lynch reached out to regional epidemiologist Daniel Barker-Gumm and Steven Eshenaur, the health officer for the Kanawha County Health Department, to learn more.

Firefly Magic In The Great Smoky Mountains

Not all bug stories are bad stories. Jacqui Sieber from WUOT takes us deep into the Smoky Mountains to watch lightning bugs, also called fireflies.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Patrick Couch and Kay, Frank Hutchinsen, Jean Ritchie, Hazel Dickens, Paul Loomis, and Tyler Childers.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and Twitter @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Traps Set to Detect Non-Native Pests in West Virginia

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has begun trapping and surveys across the state to detect any new, non-native pests and monitor the impact of…

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has begun trapping and surveys across the state to detect any new, non-native pests and monitor the impact of native agricultural pests.

According to the department, the aim is to detect specific exotic plant pests, diseases and weeds that are threats to forests and farmlands.

Agriculture officials say more than 100 insect-monitoring traps will be set in various trees and crops to screen for any new pests.

Traps will go in cherry, oak and pine trees as well as corn, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, soybean and small grains.

The pest survey, done in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, contributes to federal databases.

Prior surveys found 23 sites for the Spotted Wing Drosophila, a fly damaging to fruit.

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