Latest news with #ClevelandMetroparks
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Poor' water quality detected at 2 local beaches due to predicted E. coli levels
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Poor water quality has been detected at two Northeast Ohio beaches Saturday, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District said, meaning it's best to stay out of the water. Not that it's great swimming weather this weekend anyways, but just beware. The affected beaches include Edgewater Beach and Villa Angela Beach. Northeast Ohio businessman fulfills dream of going to space The predicted E. coli concentration for Edgewater Beach is 139 MPN/100mL. The threshold is 80 MPN/100mL . The predicted E. coli concentration for Villa Angela Beach is 301 MPN/100mL. The threshold is 135 MPN/100mL 'Poor water quality predictions due to potentially harmful algae indicate that cyanobacterial species capable of producing toxins were found to be present at the time of sample collection. Beach postings will be updated by Cleveland Metroparks based on toxin concentration results,' the NEORSD said. It's so cold Cedar Point Shores waterpark isn't opening this Saturday either Additionally, the National Weather Service warned residents about dangerous swimming conditions Saturday along the lakefront from Erie County, Ohio to Erie County Pennsylvania. NWS Cleveland posted on X Saturday morning about the threat of dangerous swimming conditions due to a high risk of rip currents along with the potential for dangerous wave heights. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Dogs are being trained to weed out eggs of invasive spotted lanternflies in US
The spotted lanternfly, a leaf-hopping invasive pest first detected in the US a decade ago, has steadily spread across the East coast and into the midwest with little getting in its way. But now researchers are deploying a new weapon to slow it's advance: specially trained dogs with the ability to sniff out the winged insect's eggs before they hatch. Harmless to humans, spotted lanternflies can damage trees and fruit crops, and feed on the sap of over 70 different species of host plants. Since late last year, four of the dogs have been scouring parks in the Cleveland area in search of egg masses hidden around trees, shrubs, park benches, landscape rocks and bridge pillars. Each egg mass can produce 30 to 50 spotted lanternflies. So far, the dogs have uncovered more than 4,000 of the masses, meaning they've helped eradicate as many as 200,000 of the sap-sucking bugs that damage grapes, fruit trees, hops and hardwoods, said Connie Hausman, senior conservation science manager at Cleveland Metroparks. In just a few hours in April, the dogs found about 1,100 egg masses at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Hausman said. However, not just any dog can go out searching, she said. 'They all have wonderful noses, but they're not all eligible,' she said. 'They had to pass tests to prove their service.' The dogs were trained through a research project led by a group at Virginia Tech University, which is setting out to slow the spread of the insects that are native to eastern Asia and recognizable for their distinctive black spots and bright red wing markings. A grant from the US Department of Agriculture facilitated the project, unofficially called the Canine Citizen Science Study. Professors at Virginia Tech partnered with researchers at Texas Tech University to call on dog owners to put their pets to work. The four dogs working in Cleveland owned by local residents already had scent training before they worked with Virginia Tech to hone their noses to detect the spotted lanternflies. Once they spot a new mass of eggs, the dogs get a treat from their handlers who scrape away the mud-like masses. Female spotted lanternflies typically start to lay their eggs in late August through November, or until the first frost. While the adults freeze to death in the winter, their egg masses can survive. Spotted lanternflies can lay their eggs on a variety of surfaces, including tree trunks, telephone poles, rocks and the undercarriage of vehicles. Flint, a border collie, was trained to sniff out the offending bugs by owner and trainer Sally Dickinson, who attends Virginia Tech. Dickinson took Flint out to Virginia Tech's agricultural center to test out his sniffing skills. As Flint showed off his impressive olfactory capabilities, Dickinson encouraged dog owners to train their dogs to help eradicate the pests, no matter the breed. 'There is plenty of research out there that indicates that all dogs can smell,' she said. 'Maybe the 'smooshy'-nosed dogs aren't as good in the really hot weather to work for five hours straight, but they can definitely do it.' Virginia Tech News contributed reporting
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Four-legged investigators sniff out spotted lanternfly eggs to slow the spread of invasive pest
The spotted lanternfly, a leaf-hopping invasive pest first detected in the U.S. a decade ago, has steadily spread across the East Coast and into the Midwest with little getting in its way. But now researchers are deploying a new weapon to slow it's advance — specially trained dogs with the ability to sniff out the winged insect's eggs before they hatch. Since late last year, four of the dogs have been scouring parks in the Cleveland area in search of egg masses hidden around trees, shrubs, park benches, landscape rocks and bridge pillars. Each egg mass can produce 30 to 50 spotted lanternflies. So far, the dogs have uncovered more than 4,000 of the masses, meaning they've helped eradicate as many as 200,000 of the sap-sucking bugs that damage grapes, fruit trees, hops and hardwoods, said Connie Hausman, senior conservation science manager at Cleveland Metroparks. In just a few hours in April, the dogs found about 1,100 egg masses at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Hausman said. Not just any dog can go out searching, she said. 'They all have wonderful noses, but they're not all eligible,' she said. 'They had to pass tests to prove their service.' The dogs were trained through a research project led by a group at Virginia Tech University, which is setting out to slow the spread of the insects that are native to eastern Asia and recognizable for their distinctive black spots and bright red wing markings. The four working in Cleveland owned by local residents already had scent training before they worked with Virginia Tech to hone their noses to detect the spotted lanternflies. Once they spot a new mass of eggs, the dogs get a treat from their handlers who scrape away the mud-like masses.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
Four-legged investigators sniff out spotted lanternfly eggs to slow the spread of invasive pest
CLEVELAND (AP) — The spotted lanternfly, a leaf-hopping invasive pest first detected in the U.S. a decade ago, has steadily spread across the East Coast and into the Midwest with little getting in its way. But now researchers are deploying a new weapon to slow it's advance — specially trained dogs with the ability to sniff out the winged insect's eggs before they hatch. Since late last year, four of the dogs have been scouring parks in the Cleveland area in search of egg masses hidden around trees, shrubs, park benches, landscape rocks and bridge pillars. Each egg mass can produce 30 to 50 spotted lanternflies. So far, the dogs have uncovered more than 4,000 of the masses, meaning they've helped eradicate as many as 200,000 of the sap-sucking bugs that damage grapes, fruit trees, hops and hardwoods, said Connie Hausman, senior conservation science manager at Cleveland Metroparks. In just a few hours in April, the dogs found about 1,100 egg masses at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Hausman said. Not just any dog can go out searching, she said. 'They all have wonderful noses, but they're not all eligible,' she said. 'They had to pass tests to prove their service.' The dogs were trained through a research project led by a group at Virginia Tech University, which is setting out to slow the spread of the insects that are native to eastern Asia and recognizable for their distinctive black spots and bright red wing markings. The four working in Cleveland owned by local residents already had scent training before they worked with Virginia Tech to hone their noses to detect the spotted lanternflies. Once they spot a new mass of eggs, the dogs get a treat from their handlers who scrape away the mud-like masses.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dogs trained to detect this invasive species in Cleveland Metroparks
CLEVELAND (WJW) – It's that time of year again — the spotted lanternfly is making its way back to Ohio. This season, however, the fight against the invasive insect is started a little earlier with help from a few four-legged recruits. The Cleveland Metroparks is using four trained dogs to help detect spotted lanternfly egg masses. Angler breaks his own record with massive invasive species catch Officials said the dogs have proven to be more effective than humans in some forested areas. They said dogs can sniff out the eggs which are typically found on plant surfaces and can be scraped off and destroyed. Early detection helps control the spread. Park officials said each mud-like mass contains about 30 to 50 eggs, so destroying them is a more effective way to control the population. FOX 8 caught up with Juno, an 8-year-old black lab and her volunteer handler near the Ohio and Erie Canal Reservation in Cuyahoga Heights on Wednesday. 'We've been doing scent work already so she already understands the game. This was just a matter of adding in another odor to her repertoire,' volunteer Tara Gifford said. 'It's been a lot of fun to get out and do these searches in the parks. It also makes you feel good to be able to do something meaningful, help the environment, help the community.' Families share story that brought them together for Donate Life Month The spotted lanternfly, which can be mistaken as a butterfly, was first seen in the Buckeye State in 2020. The eggs will begin to hatch in early May with adults expected to emerge in about two months, attracting flies and wasps and damaging plants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has previously encouraged residents to kill the invasive insects. Learn how to report a sighting on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
