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Wednesday, June 16. 1993
FEATURES
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Bug raid
Wet weather spawns spring insect swarm
By Todd Puntney
Kansan staff writer
With squadrons of dive-bombing mosquitoes, armies of attacking ants, roaches as big as tanks and ticks that fall from trees like paratroopers, Lawrence is being invaded.
It is not a typical attack. There are no cruise missiles or battleships. In fact, the only bombs are the bug-killing kind.
Unlike other wars, this one was not caused by broken treaties or ethnic rivalries. It started with something simple: water, and lots of it.
Lawrence has received 20.4 inches of rainfall this year, 6.7 inches above average. Debbie Liddel, president of Advanced Pest Management, Inc., 1200 E. 25th St., said the unusual weather was bugging people as hordes of insects crawled inside to escape the rain.
"They're coming out of the walls," Laddel said. "They're just being flooded out of their homes and now they're going into structures."
Mark Gist, manager of Schendel Pest Control, 2416 S. Ponderosa Dr., sad spiders, termites, oriental roaches and ants were the biggest problems.
"This has been an exceptionally good year for ants coming inside," Gist said.
He said carpenter ants were the most damaging because although they do not eat wood, they destroy it.
Insects such as mosquitoes thrive in stagnant rain puddles. Jerry Schecher, manager of Clinton State, said mosquitoes would be probi-
"With all the standing water around, we've had a large mosquito hatch this year," Schecher said. Healthy vegetation provides homes
Healthy vegetation provides homes for insects, especially ticks.
Donna Kirk, Lawrence graduate student, and her boyfriend let their two dogs — both wearing flea and tick collars — out in the backyard for about ten minutes. When the dogs came back inside, Kirk discovered
the tiny invaders
"We were wrestling around with them in the bedroom and I looked down and found two ticks on the sheets," she said.
They eventually found more than 15 ticks on each dog.
The threat of tick-borne diseases is low in Lawrence, but Schecher warns people to be cautious.
"One or two ticks wouldn't disturb you too much, but when you start seeing four or five in clumps, you wonder where they come from." Kirk said. "They would have sucked them dry by the afternoon."
"The dangers of Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever are not that great in this area," Schecher said. "But any time you have an increase in the numbers of ticks, your risk liability goes up."
Doug Hesse/ KANSAN
Kirk said that chance still worried her.
"You don't really want to worry about Lyme disease," she said, "but it's always in the back of your mind."
People and animals are not the only targets. Schecher said some insects were attacking and defoliating trees.
"We have two large pine trees at the park entrance," Schecher said "Within four days caterpillars had completely gnawed the needles off both of them."
Other trees throughout the park were also affected, and he expects more problems in the future.
"Tent caterpillars work on nut trees and defoliate them," he said. "They'll be the next outbreak."
Not all bugs, however, thrive in wet weather. Grasshoppers are plagued by a parasite that proliferates during rainy seasons. A moisture fungus attacks the eggs of some types of bees, killing offspring.
Hal Brooks, another entomologist at the K-State Division of Cooperative Extension, said the sorghum-eating chinch bug does not do well in wet conditions either.
"The rain just beats the little nymphs to death," he said.
What can people do to defend themselves? Gist says cleanliness and sanitation could prevent attacks
Putting dishes away, wiping counters, emptying trash and sweeping can help keep bugs away, he said.
Another help is to clear debris such as branches, leaves and tall grass outside the home.
Above: Byron Alexander, assistant curator of the Museum of Entomology in Snow Hall, displays bees and beetles. He said the warm, wet weather would make bugs plentiful.
Right: A recent onslaught of hackberry butterflies infests areas around Clinton Lake. The butterflies latch onto plants but pose no threat to trees or people.
"Clean one-to-two feet around the edge of the house, so that there's no debris for them to live under," Gist said.
And if that doesn't work, hit them with chemical warfare.
Liddel said a professional could exterminate insects quickly. Insects such as cockroaches that sometimes seem indistinct often can be controlled with a few chemical treatments.
"Actually, I like cockroaches." Lidd sad said. "They're easy to kill."
The invasion, though, shows no signs of easing. The weather forecast for June through August calls for above-average rain, said meteorologist Paul Frantz of the National Weather Service in Topeka.
Schecher is pessimistic.
"We're going to live with the insects all year," he said. "It's only going to get worse."
First 'Eco-Mart' celebrates opening in Lawrence
Marsha Mace, Lawrence resident, takes recyclable goods to the new Wal-Mart. 3300 Iowa St. The store celebrated its grand opening Thursday.
Angie Lower / KANSAN
Environment focus of Wal-Mart;store is test for company
By Todd Puntney
Kansan staff writer
From its recycled asphalt parking lot to its solar powered sign, the new Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa St., was built with the environment in mind.
Patty Perez, Green Coordinator for the nation's "Eco-Mart," which opened on May 29 and had its grand opening last Thursday, said the store's design would help Wal-Mart help the environment.
Wal-Mart selected Lawrence over six other cities because of its reputation for being environmentally conscious.
"They chose Lawrence because of the people in our community," Perez said. "There's a lot of support and awareness of the environment here."
"This is just a test store," Perez said. "Hopefully more Wal-Marts will be built like this in the future."
The store will offer the same products as other Wal-Mart stores. The difference, Perez says, is in the design.
"This store is half a size larger than
our old one, but we plan to use half the energy," she said.
The old Wal-Mart, 2727 Iowa St.,
closed May 28. According to a sign posted in front of the old Wal-Mart, the 1/2-Price Store will occupy the building.
The air conditioning system uses refrigerants that do not deplete the ozone. When the store is closed, the cooling system makes ice in a storage room. During the day, air is blown over the ice and carried throughout the store through air ducts.
Skylights supplement electricity by reducing the store's dependency on fluorescent lighting. Sensors measure incoming sunlight and then adjust the electrical power, allotting more electricity for cloudy days than for sunny ones. Even the sign outside the store is solar powered.
A large pond behind the 122,000 square-foot building collects run-off rainwater and the water from the building's sinks and drinking fountains. After treatment, the water is used to irrigate the plants around the building.
The store does a lot more than just save electricity.
Wood was used to build most of the structure because it is easier to manufacture and less costly to the environment than other materials. The parking lot is made of recycled asphalt and signs are made of recycled plastic. Mats made from recycled tires welcome shopper at the store's entrance.
"The recycling center is not necessarily just for our customers," Benson said. "It's going to be more of a community project."
recycling center that accepts 16 types of recyclable material, including different grades of plastic and egg cartons, said Mike Benson, store manager.
Dina Naldtoa, Wellington senior,
said she was pleased with the format.
"I think it's good that they're recycle- and that's good for the environ-
Hakam Abual-Khair, Lawrence graduate student and a weekend supervisor at the center, said he anticipated about 100 tons of recycled material a month.
"We've had a great response from the community," Abual-Khair said. "From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on opening day, we had more than 600 pounds of glass brought in."
Another addition to the store is a
Perez said she was excited about the community response.
"So far we've been inundated," she said. "I was standing on there opening day and car after car would drive up with trunk-loads of stuff. I was thrilled that people were actually doing it."
The store also provides an educational center focused on the environment and recycling. As the Green Coordinator, Perez works with schools and community groups to increase ecological awareness. She uses a robot made of recycled materials to help her convey her message.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Local Music
Benchwarmers Sports Bar & Grill
1601 W.23rd St
That Statue Moved, Friday and Saturday
The Bottleneck
Soul Hat and Monterey Jack tonight. $4
Which Doctor with Mountain Clyde tomorrow. $3
Punkin Head with Blue Boy Orliss and the Stompers, Friday,
$4
Eve's Plumb, Monday,$1
Chubby Smith with the Spam Skinners and Ricky Dean, Saturday $4
Dos Hombres
Gusto's
Dos Hombreis
815 New Hampshire St.
Don Coons, Saturday
House Party III, tomorrow, $3 for 21 and older, $5 for 18- to 20-year-olds
Mambo Kings, Friday, $3 for 21- year-olds and over, $5 for 18 to 20-year-olds
Hockenberry's Tavern
1016 Massachusetts St.
Interstring, tonight, $4
Deb Ginnius, tomorrow, $3
Caribe, Friday and Saturday, $5
The Jazzhaus
THE EXAMINERS
926 1/2 Massachusetts St.
Month of Sundays, tomorrow, $3
Mountain Clyde, Friday, $3
Soul Shaker, Saturday, $3
Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers,
Tuesday, $4
Johnny's Tavern
401 N. Second St.
The Wild Ones, tonight
As One, tomorrow
Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall
642 Massachusetts St.
John Haiti with L.A. Ramblers,
$15.50 advance tickets, $17 door
Rick's Neighborhood Bar and Grill
623 Vermont St.
Fast Johnny, Saturday, $3
The Crossing
618 W. 12th St.
White Trash, tomorrow, $2.75
Danger Bob, Friday, $2
Local concerts
Lieber Center
Midwestern Music Camp jazz ensembles
11 a.m. Friday
Midwestern Music Camp junior
high concert, 11 a.m. Saturday
St. Lawrence Catholic Student Center
Doctoral recital with Ruth Krusemark, organ, 8 p.m. Tuesday, free
Source: Student Senate Recycling Guide
Swarthout Recital Hall
Swarthout Recital Hall Midwestern Music Camp staff recital. 8 p.m. Tuesday
Kansas City
Kemper Arena
Kansas City, Mo.
Alan Jackson, 7:30 p.m. Friday*
John Paul Fogel/KANSAN
Sandstone Amphitheater Bonner Springs Tim Allen, 8 p.m. Saturday* Tina Turner with Lindsay Buckingham, 8 p.m. Tuesday*
Starlight Theater Kansas City, Mo. Mannheim Steamroller, 8 p.m. tonight*
*Call Ticketmaster for information: (816) 931-3330.
Yello Sub
May 17th through August 13th
SUMMER LUNCH DEALS 11:00-2:00 Only
Only for Summer
One Sub Per Person for These Special Offers
No Coupons Needed, None Accepted (Except on Double Coupon DAY)
Monday
Doug Coupe Day
Wear a jacket or
50% or if between
11:00 am and well
12:00 pm
Tuesday
Turkey Tuesday
Choose any 4 *turkey*支
the Turkey Green Tur-
key, Turkey Club,
or Creamy Club plus four
Wednesday
Any Sub or Salad
from our new sam-
er Chiliout Menu
plus Ice cream,drink only
4.799
Thursday
Buddy Day
Bring your bud, buy
regular price for one
6" sub and get one of
equal value or less
CALL-INS ARE AST:
12th and Indiana 841-3268
Friday
Order any*6* sub
and get extra meat,
veggies, or cheese for
FREE!
Dine in only!
841-2782
23rd STREET AND LONDON