Ask a Scientist

What do you call a bunch of ladybugs?

Asked by a teacher from the Bring Idaho Alive Class Answered by Gregg Losinski, Education & Communications Specialist ESER- Environmental Surveillance, Education, and Research Believe it or not, there is a specific name for a group of ladybugs! They are called a loveliness of ladybugs. The term used to describe such specialized naming words is Collective Nouns. When it come to groups of…

What is antimatter and how is it used?

Answered by Schematic representation of gamma radiation being split into electron particle (matter) and positron particle (antimatter) Jagoda Urban-KlaehnIdaho American Nuclear Society (ANS) Board MemberRadiation & Positron SpectroscopyIsotope Production & Co-AssayIdaho National Laboratory Antimatter might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s more fact than fiction. Antimatter…

What causes such sudden strong winds in Idaho that last for HOURS on end?

Question Asked by students from Beutler Academy Answered by Tim AxfordWarning Coordination Meteorologist – NWS Pocatello Here in Idaho, we’re no stranger to windy days, but so many of us just go through the windy days without thinking about what causes it and why are we so prone to windy days in Idaho? To understand what makes Idaho so windy, we’ll first have to get back to the basics and…

Ask A Scientist will be returning to the Post Register and the Standard Journal the week of August 23rd, 2021!

If you have a question you would like answered you can send it to: [email protected] During the summer ESER Education & Communications Specialist Gregg Losinski was able to take time and assist with Kid’s Camps at the Museum of Idaho. To learn more visit https://museumofidaho.org/camps/ Fish Dissection as part of Sr. Gross Science Camp Owl Pellet Dissection as part of Jr. Gross…

ASK A SCIENTIST IS TAKING A BREAK FOR THE SUMMER

It’s the end of the school year and time to thank our wonderful and informative panel of scientists and our generous sponsors who contribute so much to our Ask a Scientist and Meet a Scientist programs. Don’t forget to submit your questions to our panel of scientists during the summer. It’s easy! Just e-mail [email protected] TEACHERS, have you requested your NIE classroom papers for…

If White-tailed deer are more adaptable and numbers are flourishing in Idaho, do biologists fear the extinction of mule deer in Idaho? Also, do White-tail and Mule deer ever crossbreed?

Question Asked by Mrs. Kress’ Class at Tigert Middle School in Soda Springs Question Answered by Paul Atwood Senior Wildlife Researcher for Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game Mule Deer Photo by G. Losinski Mule deer are better adapted to live in dry, open areas and white-tailed deer are better living in forests that get more rain. Idaho is a large state with plenty of both of those types of habitats.…

How long are cheatgrass seeds viable?

Question answered by Kristin Kaiser, Plant Ecologist INL ESER Program Figure 1: Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in mid-July after it has produced seed and is now dead standing plant material found in the Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho. Photo Credit: Kristin Kaser Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is a highly invasive introduced winter annual. It has several common names like downy brome,…

Why don’t all clouds rain?

There is always moisture in the air in either a water vapor or liquid form. This moisture is invisible in the water vapor form. Moisture in the air becomes visible in the liquid form. Question Asked by student at Preston Jr. High Answered by Travis Wyatt Meteorologist National Weather Service Clouds form when air rises and cools, causing water vapor to change to liquid form. The same thing…

I’ve always been able to find active burrows with owls, but what is the best time to see owlets emerging?

Answered by Colleen Moulton – Wildlife Diversity Biologist for Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game Thanks to Don Busby for the images and question. There are fourteen species that call Idaho home at one time of the year or another. As our only species of owl that nests underground, burrowing owls start moving into the area in April, looking for a good burrow to call home for the breeding season. They…

Were the Annis Buttes and the Menan Buttes formed at the same time? Are they made of the same kind of lava rock as Craters of the Moon?

Question Answered by Charles Horsburgh retired Geologist Were the Annis Buttes formed at the same time as the Menan Buttes? They were, and are probably the oldest of what are generally known as the Menan Buttes. The Menan Buttes contains at least six volcanoes, including the Annis Buttes, the North and South Buttes, a non-descript butte between the North and South Buttes that has now been…

I’m a wildlife photographer interested in learning the best time of spring to have an opportunity to find badger cubs?

Answered by Jamie Utz – Wildlife Diversity Biologist – Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game Southwest Region Thanks to a special feature of reproductive biology, seasonal patterns of torpor, and certain behavioral tendencies of American badgers (Taxidea taxus), this is tricky question to answer. Badgers mate in the late summer or early fall. But once an egg is fertilized, the embryo exists in a sort of…

I saw that before each snowstorm this winter they sprayed something on the roads to prevent freezing. What is it and how does it affect our water after it mixes with snow and runs off?

Answered by Flint Hall Hydrologist for DEQ Dept. of Environmental Quality Deicers are applied to road surfaces, sidewalks, and parking lots for winter-time safety. Deicers work by reducing the freezing-point of water thereby melting ice, or, when sprayed on the road as a liquid (brine) before a snow storm, preventing ice from forming at all. A wide variety of chemicals are used; Sodium Chloride…

Since wild cats don’t hibernate, what do the lions and leopards do all winter? How do they stay warm?

Question Answered by Sunny Katseanes Public Engagement Curator Idaho Falls Zoo Photo by IE Productions Probably the question I get asked most frequently about the Idaho Falls Zoo is “What do you do with all those animals in the winter?” Believe it or not, they ALL stay right here at the zoo, from the tiniest little birds, to the alligator, to the penguins. About half of them, mostly birds and…

How does the Cyanide heap leaching process work and what are the potential impacts to the environment?

Answered by Bonnie Gestring – Northwest Program Director for EARTHWORKS Twin Creeks cyanide leach mine in Nevada Cyanide leach mining is a type of gold mining that uses cyanide to extract gold from the surrounding rock. First, the rock that contains gold (the ore) is dug out of the ground, leaving behind a large open pit. Then, the ore is crushed into small pieces. The crushed ore is placed in…

I heard the first bear was spotted at Yellowstone! Does the length or severity of the winter change the hibernation length, especially for bears?

Answered by Gregg Losinski – ESER Education Specialist and Human/Bear Conflict Expert Hibernation is a fascinating adaptation that many animals use to survive when harsh extremes are part of their environment. We think of hibernation in relation to cold, but there is a parallel process called estivation that occurs during very hot temperatures and allows animals like Idaho’s ground squirrel to…

What type of bees do we use here to make honey and what do they do over the winter?

Answer and pictures from the folks at Cox’s Honey European honeybees are what we typically call the bees that search out and gather nectar here in Idaho. This nectar is brought back to the hive and turned into honey. The breeds of bees commonly used around here are Carniolans and Italians. Each breed has its plus and minuses. The Carniolans are the most docile of these breeds. It takes a lot to…