Mosquitos are among nature’s biggest pests. Their bites itch, they’re annoying and they can carry diseases. But surprisingly, says Clemson professor Peter Adler, of the approximately 60 mosquito species that inhabit South Carolina, two-thirds of them DON’T bite humans. Some are adapted to reptiles, others to birds, and some don’t feed on blood at all. Of those that do, different things about people attract them: size, the amount of carbon dioxide they produce, even blood type! (Type A, you’re

Between the autumns of 2015 and 2017, 47 of South Carolina’s state parks experienced temporary closures due to damages sustained during severe weather events, including the Floods of 2015, Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Irma and the Pinnacle Mountain Wildfire at Table Rock State Park . February marked an important milestone: for the first time since the fall of 2015, every affected park was reopened. According to Phil Gaines, Director of the S.C. State Parks Service , the frequency and geographic

A child has drunk sweet-smelling shampoo. A senior has taken his wife’s prescription by mistake. A person comes to the emergency room after taking multiple medications at 3 in the morning. What to do? The Palmetto Poison Center is on-call 24/7 to help with cases from parents’ worries to questions from doctors unfamiliar with the effects of varying drugs taken together. March is Poison Prevention Month, and according to center Director Dr. Jill Michels, the Poison Center (1-800-222-1222) is

Cats are beloved pets by millions, but many people can’t have them because they live where pets aren’t allowed or are subject to other restrictions. However, over the last decade, a national phenomenon has sprung up to help cat-less cat lovers get their feline fixes: the cat café. Andres Ortega has opened a cat café in West Columbia, and there are similar cafes in Greenville and Charleston. The idea is that customers can come in to have a cup of coffee or other drink and a snack, and then go

Mark Wilbert has been the man the city of Charleston has turned to in case of emergencies. He helped people prepare for Hurricanes Matthew and Irma. He was there after 9 parishioners at Mother Emanuel were killed. Last August, he planned for a crowd of thousands in town for the solar eclipse. Now the former city Emergency Management Director has a new job. He's Charleston's first ever Chief Resilience officer. "We're the first city in South Carolina to actually have this position," said Wilbert

Poison ivy is a common plant in South Carolina that can make people miserable for weeks. Naturalist Rudy Mancke said the vine can both grow on the ground and can climb trees, which it likes to do. The itch and rash poison ivy (and its cousins, poison oak and the rarer poison sumac) produces can last for two to four weeks, according to University of South Carolina allergist Dr. David Amrol. He says it sometimes can be tricky to detect the rash’s source, because it doesn’t show up for at least 12

"O" is for Opportunity Schools. Dr. Wil Lou Gray, the state supervisor in adult education, created a boarding school for young people who could not attend public school or who had not gone further than the fifth grade. The school opened in August 1921 at the Tamassee DAR School in Oconee County to offer educational opportunities for undereducated young white women. For a decade the school operated during August on the campuses of Anderson, Erskine, Clemson, and Lander colleges. By 1931 it was co

Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville counts numerous musicians among its inmates. Such is their talent that they have attracted the attention of DeCoda, a New York-based chamber music group. For four years now, the prison has sponsored a program with the group in which DeCoda comes to work with the prisoners at Lee for a week to write and play music for an annual performance. DeCoda co-founder Clair Bryant, a native of Camden, is very impressed with the Lee musicians, and says they have

The halls of the University of South Carolina’s Maxcy College reflect the voices not only of many students, but of many languages. Maxcy houses the University’s International House, a living-learning experience for approximately 200 American and international students. The students derive many benefits from life in International House, from culinary and cultural events to speakers and grant and research opportunities. Faculty principle Dr. Dave Snyder says there’s always a buzz of many languages

James Island's Pinckney Park, with its colorful playground, iconic oak tree and tire swing, is less than a year old. But its history goes back 150 years. That's when a former slave bought the property just outside of Charleston. It's still thick with palms and pines that back up to a tributary of Parrot Creek. His name was Simeon Pinckney. "Most of the stories that my mother told of him was him straightening someone out for not doing the right thing," said Jerome Harris. He is the great- great