The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has detected a population of spotted lanternflies in Monroe County. The invasive insects excrete a sticky liquid that can grow a ‘sooty mold’ deadly to plants.
Rural Michigan
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Black flies are swarming in northern Michigan and the U.P.
Black flies are tiny insects that are commonly found in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula near bodies of water. While male black flies don’t bite, the females do, which can cause a painful, itchy rash.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan rolls out relief for dairy farmers hurt by bird flu
The Michigan Department of Agriculture is offering financial assistance to dairy farms that have been impacted by the recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
Posted inMichigan Government
What farmers want from Michigan’s next U.S. senator
Members of Michigan’s agriculture industry outline what they’re watching in Congress as negotiations over the latest farm bill ramp up and U.S Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a longtime champion of farming issues in Congress, prepares to retire.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan’s ‘queen of ag’ is retiring, risking Democratic U.S. Senate seat
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s electoral dominance in Michigan was fueled by her crossover appeal to Republicans in the state’s agricultural industry. Farmers haven’t settled on a successor.
Posted inMichigan Government
Severe weather costs Michigan millions. Can funding meet demands?
Michigan is grappling with increasingly expensive climate-related weather incidents and disasters. But the state’s primary recovery fund is $15 million short of projected costs.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Siting law will help Michigan towns reap economic benefits of wind, solar
Rural communities are the best places to harvest wind and solar energy and these technologies can be major windfalls for these communities.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Eight Michigan beaches reopen after E. coli levels drop, six others closed
Health officials said eight Michigan beaches are safe for swimming again after water samples showed decreased E. coli levels. One beach reopened briefly then closed again and five others joined the closure list Friday.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Get ready for amorous mayflies, Michigan, and the smelly crunch of love
If they haven’t already, Michiganders, especially those near lakeside communities, may soon see swarms of mayflies, aka fish flies. While annoying, they’re harmless. The same can’t be said for another summer pest: mosquitoes.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Over 31,000 salmon euthanized after disease detected at Michigan hatchery
Over 31,000 Atlantic salmon were killed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources staff after being infected with bacterial kidney disease, or BKD.