The Question: I believe we have freshwater jellyfish in the lake where we live. I have never seen anything like them in Massachusetts before. Do they sting and are they safe to swim with? Submitted by: Anonymous, Massachusetts, USA The Short Answer: Although freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) have tentacles with stingers, the tentacles are so [...]
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Why are These Yellow Jackets Dying in My Garage?
The Question: I first noticed in my garage that a lot of small bugs that look like small yellowjackets were lying around dead around the windows inside the garage. First I thought that the spiders that live there were catching them, but I’ve never seen these yellowjackets in this area before. I don’t know where [...]
What is this Jelly-like Blob Under My Dock?
The Question: I was swimming in the lake behind our house with a friend one day and we found a thing attached to our dock and it appeared to be brown fish egg sacks. But with closer observation it turns out to be a jelly like substance. What is it? Submitted by: Kali, Tennessee The [...]
Who is Making This Chirp and Splash?
The Question: I work at a home office in a housing development situated in hilly northern New Jersey. It’s near a group of small ponds – which I think are natural ones – surrounded by a perimeter of patchy woodland. There are places where people’s back yards go right down to the water, and walking [...]
Do Octopuses Have Venom?
The Question: I saw a TV show where they mentioned that an octopus grabbed its prey and injected some sort of venom – is that true? Submitted by: Rick, New York, USA The Short Answer: The genus Hapalochlaena, the blue-ringed octopuses, are some of the most venomous animals on earth – and some of the [...]