News Articles

 
Domino effect cited in warming of boreal wilderness
(August 25, 2009)

Aug 24, 2009 04:30 AM

CHARLES J. HANLEY, AP Special Correspondent

HAINES JUNCTION, Yukon–A veil of smoke settled over the forest in the shadow of the St. Elias Mountains, in a wilderness whose spruce trees stood tall and gray, a deathly gray even in the greenest heart of a Yukon summer.

"As far as the eye can see, it's all infested," forester Rob Legare said, looking out over the thick woods of the Alsek River valley.

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Wasps invade city
(August 25, 2009)

They're less likely to bite than a mosquito, yet are met with hysteria. And they're crashing our idyllic summer in unparalleled numbers

Nick Aveling, Staff Reporter, Aug 20, 2009 04:30 AM

Haley Cullingham was at work in her home office, tapping away at her keyboard while the afternoon sun backstroked through an open window.

In mere moments, her life would change – for an entire week.

She heard a faint buzzing. It was coming from inside the room.

Then, a tingling on her hand.

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RAT BITES KILLED BABY
(August 11, 2009)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

By Allen Powell II

West Bank bureau

The 3-month-old girl found dead in her Westwego home last week died of blood loss from the numerous rat bites she suffered, the Jefferson Parish coroner's office announced Wednesday.

In a one-sentence press release, Coroner Robert Treuting listed the cause of Natalie Hill's death as "exsanguination due to destruction of soft tissue secondary to murine activity." That means the baby died of blood loss because of the rat bites.

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Steven Graff speaks with Mike Nabuurs on Talk 820 Nabuurs And Friends
(August 4, 2009)

Originally aired on July 31, 2009.  Abell Quality Assurance Manager Steven Graff is interviewed once again by Mike Nabuurs on the Talk 820 morning talk show "Nabuurs And Friends".

Click the play button below to listen...

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Doyenne of death - Poisonous spider extends her web to GTA
(July 27, 2009)

Joseph Hall, HEALTH REPORTER, Toronto Star

She'll blithely poison and eat her own boys – after she mates with them, of course.

One of nature's most notorious predators, the black widow spider is as indiscriminate about her partners as she is about her meals.

Her abdomen is no bigger than the tip of a pinky finger, but her venom could kill a small child.

And now this fabled doyenne of death may be hanging out in a garage or park near you as the "northern" line of the species invades the Greater Toronto Area for the first time.

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Toronto garbage strike: Day 26 - CityNews talks to Dr. Yori Sasaerila about the rise of rats
(July 21, 2009)

Toronto residents are submitting video footage to the media of rats feasting on the garbage mounts in Toronto. CityNews interviews Dr. Yori Sasaerila, Entomologist / Technical Support Specialist at Abell, and explores the causes for the growing population of rats in Toronto as well as the risks they pose.

To view the interview online, click here.

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Dr. Yori Sasaerila Talks About Carpenter Ants on Global TV
(July 14, 2009)

In their natural surroundings, carpenter ants are beneficial insects. Excavation of galleries in wood has earned them their name. They are beneficial since they feed on many pests. In late spring and early summer, mature carpenter ant colonies produce winged adults. These swarm in mating flights, and may be a nuisance around homes at these times. You are most likely to see swarms of winged (reproductive) carpenter ants in May and June as this is their mating season. Read more about carpenter ants.

However the resident featured in this video had enough of carpenter ants infesting her home.

To watch the video from Global TV click here.

 
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Lack of ladybugs mean aphids run wild
(July 9, 2009)

Kenneth Kidd, FEATURE WRITER

1, 2, 3 4, 5, 6 7, 8, 9 10, 11, 12 Ladybugs came, to the Ladybugs' Picnic.

Or at least that's what they did in the old Sesame Street song. In Toronto gardens this summer, not so much. Which means another picnic, with different guests, is turning riotous.

The unexpected collapse of the ladybug population has left their usual prey, aphids, free to munch through countless roses, not to mention plants they normally eschew, like mock orange.

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CBC News French explores Toronto garbage and pest problem
(July 9, 2009)

CBC French News - The Toronto garbage strike creating a haven and feast for all types of pests - flies in particular. Steven Graff, QA Manager, shares insight on the hazards that flies pose to the public health.

To view the interview, click here.

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Abell QA Team are expert speakers at upcoming GFTC course
(July 8, 2009)

On May 4, 2010 Abell Quality Assurance Team members Steven Graff and Dusana Bondy were expert speakers for the "Pest Control and Management, Part 1: Standards and Regulations for the Food Industry" course held by The Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC).

Course description:

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