Last month, the National Pest Management Association released the Public Health Pest Index, its bi-annual forecast focused on the health threats posed by insects and the infectious diseases they carry.
One of the locations cited on that index was Cleveland. The index noted that the mild and wet winter could mean an increased occurrence of ticks and cockroaches.
Those changes track with some patterns that scientists have observed in recent years, including the impact that climate change is having on the proliferation of insects.
Thursday on the “Sound of Ideas,” we’ll talk to an entomologist about how a warming climate, as well as more rain in the Midwest, is likely influencing the spread of mosquitoes and other insects that can carry life-threatening diseases like West Nile virus.
Then, we’ll pivot and talk to some individuals who are actually embracing the cold.
“Cold plunges” are becoming more and more popular, whether its icing down sore muscles after a workout, or dipping into your own ice bath to clear the mind.
We’ll meet some local “polar bears” who submerge themselves in the Chagrin River on a near-weekly basis, even when the temperatures drop below freezing.
Finally, another episode of our music podcast “Shuffle.”
Guests:
- Megan Meuti, PhD, Associate Professor of Entomology, The Ohio State University
- Claire Hilbers, Competitive Ice Swimmer
- Christopher Bazzoli, MD, Emergency Physician, Assistant Professor
- Josh Sherman, Founder, Local Polar Plunge Group
- Theresa May, Musician
- Amanda Rabinowitz, Host and Producer, "All Things Considered" and "Shuffle"
