What PMPs need to know about the Asian giant hornet

The large yellow-orange head and dark eyes and dark thorax
distinguish the Asian giant hornet from similar large wasps.
Photo courtesy Washington State Department of Agriculture.

If ever there was an insect pest designed to generate fear and panic, it would be the Asian giant hornet, Vespula mandarinia. The largest wasp in the world, with a sting once described like a hot nail being punched through the skin, we should give this wasp credit. It is one scary dude (or more accurately dude-ess).

Adding to the hornet's fearsome reputation is it's impact on honey bees. One of the favored foods for the Asian giant hornet is the brood and workers of social wasps and bees, including honey bees. In the fall hornets start actively searching for bee and wasp nests.  Once a nest is discovered, the hornets overpower the inhabitants, bite off their heads and consume the brood and honey [in the case of honey bees].

Commercial honey bee apiaries are especially vulnerable to hornet attack because of the close spacing of hives.  An apiary can quickly turn into a scene of pillage and destruction as wasps move from hive to hive.

So that's the essence of the bad news that you can read in most media accounts of the hornet. Here are a few things every PMP should know about this hornet as you talk with your customers. 

Background

The largest wasp in the world, the Asian giant hornet is
1 to 1 ½ inches long with a ¼ inch-long stinger.  Photo
courtesy Washington State Department of Agriculture.

The Asian giant hornet was first detected in September, 2019 on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, about 200 miles northwest of Seattle, WA.  In December, three months later, a dead wasp was found in the small town of Blaine, Washington (100 miles north of Seattle) and reported to the Washington Department of Agriculture.  It was confirmed as the first detection of Vespa mandarinia in the U.S.  As of last February according to the USDA, so far a total of six sightings have been confirmed from British Columbia and Washington State (September through December).

You need to know. So far this wasp is only found in Washington State and British Columbia.  There is practically zero chance that anyone outside northwest Washington and southern BC will encounter this wasp this year.  Most of your experience with this wasp will be explaining to customers why they are not the first house in their state to get Asian giant hornets, aka "murder hornets" (more on identification tips below).

Spread

Asian giant wasps from Japan (A, B), India (C.) and Washington state
(D) show some color variability, but all have the distinctive yellow-orange
head with dark eyes. Photo credits: Yasunori Koide, Wikimedia Commons
(A); Alpsdake, Wikimedia Commons (B); Chief Red Earth,
https://indiabiodiversity.org (C); Sven-Erik Spichiger, Washington State
Department of Agriculture (D). Composite image from USDA
APHIS response guidelines 2020.

Researchers are still unsure how the Asian giant hornet made its way to North America, but suspect that mated, overwintering queens may have been transported in soil-containing plant pots shipped from Asia. A similar route of entry was responsible for introducing another Asian hornet to France a few years ago.  Recent genetic analyses suggest that the wasp was introduced on at least two occasions very recently.

You need to know. Human transport of the wasp has occurred but it is likely a rare event.  It is more difficult to transport a social insect, because it must be transported either as a mated queen or as an intact colony.  Individual hornet workers do not survive long if separated from their colony.  In my opinion, this means that, given reasonable precautions, we shouldn't expect rapid spread of this wasp throughout the states.  On the other hand, it is estimated that the wasps would be capable of surviving in plant hardiness zones 6 and above, which means that about 2/3 of the U.S. may ultimately be capable of supporting this hornet.

Activity

Like our smaller, ground-nesting yellowjacket wasps, Asian giant hornets build underground nests that survive for one growing season.  Queens leave the nest with the coming of cold weather and overwinter in protected hiding places until mid-spring when they emerge and hunt by themselves. Small colonies are formed and by early- to mid-summer worker wasps are produced and cooperative nest building proceeds. Not until fall do these wasps go on their campaigns of slaughter and occupation of bee hives.

You need to know.  Most people will face little risk of stings from Asian giant hornets.  These insects are aggressively territorial only when their nest is disturbed. Nests are usually found in wooded areas and only occupied by guard hornets from mid-summer through the fall. If their biology turns out to be similar to our native yellowjacket wasps, most nest encounters (and stings) will occur after the nest grows in size in late summer and fall (September and October). There is a more limited time frame in the fall (October and November) when honey bee hives are at risk from attack by wasps.  Fall will be the time to be most concerned about stings and beehive attacks from these wasps.

Identification

This may be the most useful information in this post, as most of a PMP's role will be reassuring the public that any big insects they see are NOT Asian giant hornets.

Since this is the world's largest wasp, the first thing is to measure its length.  Workers range from 20 to 40 mm-long (up to 1 ½ inches) and queens up to 45 mm (2 inches).  While coloration patterns can differ, the most distinctive and prominent feature is the yellow head that contrasts with dark eyes and thorax. See this useful chart published by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and this training slideset developed by USDA APHIS.

North American social wasps similar to Vespa mandarinia. (clockwise from left) A. European giant hornet (Vespa crabro); B. Bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata); C. Western cicada killer (Sphecius grandis); D. Eastern cicada killer (Sphecius speciosus); E. Pacific cicada killer (Sphecius convallis). From New Pest Response Guidelines for Vespa mandarinia, USDA APHIS, 2-2020.  

The closest relative of the Asian giant hornet is Vespa crabro, the European giant hornet. In the south and west, cicada killer wasps are the most common giant hornet look-alikes, reaching up to 1 ½ inches in length, but are generally more slender and lacking the large yellow-orange head and contrasting black eyes.

You need to know. There are lots of big insects that people will mistake for Asian giant hornets.  The chance of encountering one of these invasive hornets outside of Washington state is about zero right now. But be ready to put a name on the insects your customers will bring to you.

Hornet vs. Wasp

In this post I've used the terms hornet and wasp almost interchangeably. That is because hornets are a kind of wasp.  The term wasp refers generally to any member of the insect order Hymenoptera that is not a bee or an ant.  Most of the stinging wasps we think of as pests belong to the wasp family Vespidae.  The term hornet refers to vespid wasps in the genus Vespa.  In the U.S. we have only two species of hornet, the European giant hornet and (now) the Asian giant hornet. Despite its common name, the baldfaced hornet in the genus Dolichovespula is considered a type of yellowjacket wasp, so is not technically a hornet. 

You need to know. There are only two true hornets in the U.S., however, the smaller yellowjacket wasps and Polistes paper wasps are also social and will aggressively defend their nests like hornets and some bees.  Any of these species can be considered pests when their nests are built in areas where people travel or live.

Control

Japanese hornet-hunters wear special protective gear to excavate a nest.  These special suits are designed to be slippery so the hornet cannot hold on; and are made of tough fabric that keeps stingers from penetrating. Note the use of smoke to calm the hornets while removing brood for human consumption. Photo credit Nonaka, 2008. From USDA APHIS 2020.

A variety of approaches have been taken to control the Asian giant hornet, but none seem capable of eradicating the pest at this time.  The USDA APHIS recently published response guidelines for the Asian giant hornet which includes a summary of different control measures with pros and cons of their use. Pest management professionals who encounter this hornet should be aware that traditional bee protective suits are not adequate protection for the one-quarter inch stingers carried by this hornet. In Japan special suits are sold ($700-$900) to protect people exterminating or digging up hornet colonies for food.

You need to know. Killing individual wasps through baits or sprays will not control this species. Locating and exterminating the nest is what is being attempted in Washington state right now. Anyone who encounters a suspected Asian giant hornet should contact their state department of agriculture or a university entomologist.  Do not attempt to remove or kill a suspected Asian giant hornet nest without adequate personal protective equipment.

Where is West Nile virus this year?

If it seems you're hearing less about West Nile virus (WNV) this summer, you may not be imagining it.  Although mosquitoes have been abundant in north Texas this year, for some reason the virus has remained relatively quiet.

Where has WNV gone?

A paper written by epidemiologist Dr. Wendy Chung and colleagues in 2013 may offer some insights on the absence of the virus this summer. Those of us who lived in Dallas in 2012 may remember that summer as the worst human outbreak of WNV ever.  Nearly 400 cases were reported in Dallas County alone, and 19 people died of the disease. The epidemic was so bad that Dallas county resorted to spraying the entire county for mosquitoes by plane--something not seen in north Texas since an encephalitis outbreak in 1966.

Chung and colleagues charted the course of the disease during 2012 and saw high infection rates of mosquitoes early in the summer, followed by a rapid increase in human cases. Looking back over previous years and case numbers, the researchers concluded that an unusually mild winter followed by rainfall patterns ideal for mosquito breeding in the spring (and a very hot summer--West Nile virus multiplies quickly in mosquitoes at higher temperatures) created ideal conditions for an outbreak.

So what's different about 2019? We had a relatively mild winter, with only three days at or below 28° F, and a wet spring--both conditions mosquitoes love. But the summer, at least by Dallas standards, has so far been cool.  Until this week, the DFW Airport weather station saw only two days over 100° F. By the end of July the area usually has experienced more than seven days over 100° F.

These graphs show 2019 mosquito abundance and Vector Index (V.I.) estimates compared to previous years. Although mosquito numbers are high this year, the V.I. has remained low for both Tarrant (=Fort Worth-top) and Dallas counties (bottom). In 2012 the V.I. exceeded the danger level of 0.5 for multiple weeks (blue dotted line). Source: Tarrant County Public Health and Dallas County Health and Human Services.

Predicting WNV

One of the tools used by health departments to predict disease risk for WNV is a statistic called the vector index (V.I.).  The V.I. is calculated weekly from mosquito trap data, and combines information on both average abundance of Culex quinquefasciatus (the main carrier of WNV) and disease incidence in the trapped mosquitoes.  A V.I. of 0.5 or higher for two or more weeks is considered a crisis indicator by some health officials.

The graphs shown here are provided by epidemiologists in Dallas and Fort Worth, and show both mosquito abundance and V.I. estimates for both counties. Despite higher mosquito numbers, the V.I. hasn't ventured above 0.1 for either Dallas or Tarrant counties this summer. Most of the season the V.I. has been closer to zero, hence less need for mosquito spraying and fewer people getting sick. In Dallas county this year there have been no human cases of WNV. Tarrant County (Fort Worth) reports only one case this year with a very low V.I., near zero most weeks (top graph).

According to statistics from the Texas Department of State Health Services, low WNV incidence seems to be true for the whole state this year with no reported human cases as of the end of July.  Harris County (Houston) also reports a light year for WNV, according to the acting director of Mosquito and Vector Control, Chris Fredregill.

Looking Ahead

With this week's string of 100° days in many areas will risk go up?  Certainly West Nile virus remains a threat to all of us through the end of the summer and into the fall; but this late in the season the chance of a major outbreak is probably low. On the other hand, hot weather favors the virus. It's no time to forget about mosquitoes. I expect Aedes mosquitoes (yellow fever mosquito and Asian tiger mosquito) to become more abundant after last weekend's rains.  This week is a good time to get out and dump standing water.  Although Aedes mosquitoes are not major disease risks, they cause most of the itchy mosquito bites we get during the day--and we don't want that.

Why Surveillance Reports?

Integrated pest management is just as relevant for mosquito control as it is for all other forms of pest control.  One of the principles of IPM is to base treatments on pest numbers.  Because mosquito monitoring is expensive and requires special expertise beyond what most PMPs possess, few companies monitor mosquito numbers or disease. However, high quality data may be available from your local health authorities, depending where you live. A pest management company can use this data to alert customers to times of higher disease risk and changes in mosquito abundance.

Every community's mosquito situation will be different.  If you are doing business in a larger metropolitan area, or a mosquito control district, you may have access to the kind of data shown here. To find out, contact your local or regional health department and ask if they provide reports of mosquito abundance and disease prevalence.

In Dallas, weekly reports may be obtained by emailing Epidemiology@dallascounty.org and requesting to subscribe to the weekly Arbovirus Surveillance Report. For Tarrant County, email RWHill2@tarrantcounty.com and request to receive the Arbovirus Surveillance Report Weekly.  Unfortunately, not all counties have equivalent reporting systems. Harris County provides mapping of areas with virus detection.  And the Texas Department of State Health Services provides weekly reports throughout the summer for the whole state.

An additional source of information for both PMPs and your customers is the Mosquito Safari website. At the Safari you can take a virtual tour of a field and a backyard and learn important facts about mosquitoes. 

If you need more intensive training, our Extension medical entomologist, Dr. Sonja Swiger, is offering classes this year for pesticide applicators wanting to prepare for their Public Health (Category 12) license.  In the fall she also offers several 3-day Master Vector Borne Disease Management Courses around the state.  To learn more, or to register, go to https://livestockvetento.tamu.edu/workshop-registration/ .

Reading your first scientific review paper

Feeling scholarly? Today might be the day to kick off your shoes, put up your feet, grab a favorite beverage and read a scholarly review paper.

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management is a relatively new, open access (meaning free!) publication put out by Oxford Press and the Entomological Society of America.  Its purpose is to provide a place for researchers to publish reviews of the literature concerning significant pests.

Most of the papers appearing in the JIPM summarize current knowledge about the control of an agricultural or horticultural insect, weed or disease pathogen.  But this month a paper of interest to pest management professionals was published on brown recluse spiders.

Rick Vetter and Stoy Hedges, both long-time friends of the pest control industry, have teamed up to write a paper on current practical knowledge about the biology, importance and control of Loxosceles reclusa, better known as the brown recluse. Although both authors are well-published, Hedges admits the paper marks an especially sweet accomplishment for him, as his first paper in a refereed scientific journal.

What's a refereed article?

If you're a PMP and never read a scientific journal paper before, this could be a good one to start with.  But first, just what is a "refereed" journal article? If you've ever heard the old line, "publish or perish" as applied to college professors, the term publish generally refers to refereed journal articles or scholarly books. The "perish" in the saying is almost literal and refers to holding onto or losing your job as a professor. To avoid perishing professionally, it is almost universally true that professors must write refereed articles.

A refereed article is first and foremost a scholarly paper, written by someone who has become learned through study and/or research. Scholarly papers are not meant to entertain, but to precisely explore, inform or enlighten a reader on a topic.  Scholarly papers don't have to be dull or difficult to read (though many are), but they do have to be based on data, sound observation or logic. To ensure this is the case, all must go through a rigorous process of peer review and critique by fellow, equally qualified scientists or scholars.

To publish, Vetter and Hedges first wrote their paper and submitted it to the editor of the JIPM.  The editor then read the paper, made sure it was readable, whether the authors followed journal instructions, and whether it was appropriate for the journal. Once it passed the editor's initial review, willing reviewers with knowledge of spiders or urban pest control were identified and the paper was sent out for review.  Three (usually) reviewers read and commented on the paper, offered suggestions and told the editor whether they thought the paper was OK, whether it needed revision, or whether it was so bad it shouldn't be published. Only after it passed the reviewers' and editor's approval, was the paper approved for publication. Many, if not most, publications get rejected by reviewers at least once. If you look closely at these papers you can almost see the blood, sweat and tears... sometimes from both authors and reviewers.

By the way, reviewers are volunteers. If you are a professor or scholar who has previously published you might be asked to review a paper in your published field. This in itself is considered a scholarly activity and professors are graded by their institutions, partly, on how many papers they have reviewed in a given year. Reviewing a paper is a lot of work, but science could not advance without good reviewers.

The abstract

Most scientific publications have abstracts, usually at the beginning of the paper.  This is one of the most useful parts of a scientific paper. The abstract should summarize the reason for, and the key findings of, the paper.  Unlike a book description on the dust cover of a novel, the abstract should give away the ending. It should be short, but thorough enough to tell the reader what the paper is about, and its conclusions.  In a given year I read relatively few papers from start to finish, but I read a lot of abstracts. They are great time savers.

Vetter and Hedges' paper is a particular type of scholarly article called a literature review. Rather than writing about original research they conducted, they have summarized others' research and put that information into context. As the authors say in the abstract, "...we review biology and life history of the brown recluse spider as it relates to pest management as well as control measures as they pertain to an IPM strategy..." The best literature reviews are written by scholars who know their subject matter well enough to explain not just what another researcher published, but why it's important.  Literature reviews are one of the most important types of publications for new readers on a topic.

Citations

A literature review is typically peppered with citations--abbreviated references to refereed papers or books. You'll see lots in this paper. Citations generally include the first author, or two co-authors names, and the year of publication. For example, (Thoms and Scheffrahn 1994) refers to a paper by two researchers, Ellen Thoms and Rudi Scheffran, published in 1994 on the control of pests using Vikane gas.  The full reference citation is found in the section in the back of the paper, usually in the section labeled as References Cited. When the article has more than two authors it will be referred to by the primary author's name followed by et al. For example, Atkins et al. 1958 refers to a paper by J.A. Adkins and three other collaborators, Wingo, Sodeman and Flynn, published in 1958 on "necrotic arachnism" (spider bites that result in flesh-eating, slow-to-heal wounds).  Sounds like a real page turner.

Like all of us, scientists have egos; and having your name first in the list of authors is a badge of honor. Being first usually means that you led the study or done most of writing on the paper.  Surprisingly, being last in a list of authors is often considered second best. Last place is often reserved for the supervising professor (if the first author is a student), or someone responsible for securing project funding. Being stuck in the middle of a long author list is like being the "middle child"--more likely to be overlooked and forgotten.

Let's Read

That's really all you need to know to read this paper. It's more engaging (and you are less likely to fall asleep) if you use a highlighter to mark things new to you, or which might be relevant to control of these spiders. For example, several years ago I did some insecticide tests on brown recluse spiders, so I was especially interested in the review of insecticides that others found effective. I also know from talking with fumigators that spiders are notoriously hard to kill with fumigants. So I was interested to learn that Thoms and Scheffran determined that a 1.5X rate of Vikane was needed to kill brown recluse spiders. I highlighted both of these sections.

Lastly, remember that even writers of scholarly papers are ordinary people--sometimes a little geekier or nerdier than some of your football-watching buddies, but still just people who put their pants on one leg at a time. Even scholars make mistakes, overlook data, and draw bad conclusions. Even though peer review is a rigorous process, it's not perfect. To me, that makes reading science papers more interesting. It means that they should always be read critically, with an eye to your own experience and to common sense.

When you're done, take the paper and file it. I have a My Library folder on my computer. This article went into a sub-folder on spider papers.  Whatever system you use, put it somewhere you can find it later. Otherwise you will forget most of what you've learned and highlighted.

So grab a cold one and dig in. There's a lot to learn about spiders in Vetter and Hedges 2018.

West Nile virus risk high in north Texas

Residual insecticides applied via backpack mist blower
sprayer can provide 3-4 weeks of mosquito control  during
times of peak mosquito activity.

July and August are typically the months of highest risk from west Nile virus, and true to form the past few weeks Dallas and Tarrant counties have seen a major increase in not only mosquitoes themselves, but infections within the mosquitoes.

After the major outbreak of WNV in 2012 in north Texas, some health officials made a decision to use something called the Vector Index (VI) as a form of threshold to ramp up mosquito control efforts.  Based on when human cases started to soar in 2012, and on suggestion from the CDC, a VI of 0.5 was determined to be a good threshold to consider going from ground based spray efforts to aerial spraying.

Two weeks ago the VI exceeded that threshold in both Dallas and Tarrant counties.  Both counties publish very interesting reports, available to the public, that include graphs to show  the latest mosquito counts and VI numbers.  To see the trends in Dallas and Fort Worth areas, check out the graphs below.  In the first graph, the Vector Index is the heavy red line.  Last week it exceeded the 0.50 threshold, although there was a drop this week. Note also the numbers of mosquitoes this summer (red bars) compared to average trap catches in 2012 (for the past four weeks, higher than 2012 averages shown by the blue bars). In Tarrant County (Fort Worth and surrounding communities) the VI (green line with triangle points) was likewise up last week, over 0.60 (new data is not yet published).  Note that the most recent 1-2 data points are preliminary estimates and may change as all the data is calculated.

These data are why there is discussion about aerial spraying this week.  In 2012 the number of human cases of WNV in Dallas county reached almost 400, and there were 19 deaths attributed to WNV. Serious business. Last week DCHHS issued a health advisory to the public, and this week the Dallas County commissioners voted to authorize the health department to prepare for possible aerial spray operations should conditions warrant.  

Where does all this leave the PMP who provides residential mosquito control service?  Municipal mosquito spraying actually complements, rather than replaces, mosquito control work on the ground done by professionals.  Aerial spraying generally provides better coverage of the tree canopy where WNV carrying mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus in north Texas) live and mostly feed. Municipal truck mounted ULV sprays provide some control of lower level mosquitoes (Aedes mosquitoes that potentially transmit Zika and dengue fever, among other diseases), but they typically do not provide high level control in backyards or areas protected from spray coverage.  In that sense, the best control of Aedes mosquitoes is accomplished by your boots on the ground, looking for and treating or eliminating mosquito breeding sites, treating doorways, and treating shrubbery and other mosquito resting sites that are difficult to reach from the street.

As you and your technicians visit mosquito control customers this summer, keep in mind that you carry some of the most effective tools in the war against mosquitoes.  This summer, with Zika fears and WNV threats, what you do is more important than ever.

IPM Experience House: A training venue for pest control professionals

The structure for the planned IPM Experience
House already exists.  The house is an old
dormitory that will be remodeled as an extension
facility for pest control training.

How many hours have you spent in classrooms trying to improve your professional knowledge? Can you guess how many PowerPoint presentations you have sat through for the sake of CEU credits?  Now ask yourself, how many hours have you spent practicing new skills under the supervision of a knowledgeable teacher--someone who provided immediate feedback on your performance? Most of us would probably say we’ve spent a lot more time sitting than doing.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with a good classroom presentation.  But most of us also need hands-on instruction to help us grow and retain new ideas.  That’s the idea behind the IPM Experience House, a planned training facility at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas.

IPM Experience House will be modeled after similar training facilities at the University of Florida and at the Orkin House in Atlanta, GA.  The idea is to provide a site where PMPs can practice new skills while getting feedback from teachers and fellow students. 

Wall cut-aways in the Orkin House remind
technicians what's behind the walls of a home.  

Features of the House will include wall cutaways to see normally hidden construction features, actual and mock insect damage, and sites to practice pesticide application.  The facility will include both an existing house retrofitted specially for pest control training, and an outdoor pavilion.  The pavilion will provide a year-round site to observe and interact with different construction features, such as crawl spaces, chimneys, and various foundations and walls.  The house will include a residential and commercial kitchen, hospital room, hotel room and possibly a mock daycare room. 

Besides the visible structure of the house, a critical part of Experience House is a behind-the-scenes curriculum.  Each feature of the house will be built with a learning objective and lesson plan in mind. The House will be set up to allow for different lessons to be tailored to each group.  Apprentices and technician trainees will have a set of training exercises for beginners, while advanced technicians and certified applicators will have more advanced courses to choose from.

An outdoor pavilion, similar to this structure at the
University of Florida's Pest Management University, is
planned as part of Phase II of the project.

Some have asked, why Dallas?  Why not build in College Station?  Since at least 1980 Texas A&M has had an urban entomology presence in Dallas. The Dallas Center currently houses two urban entomology staff, including myself and Janet Hurley, with the school IPM program.  In addition, Dallas is a regular training site for the Ag and Environmental Safety Department when training new technicians.  The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is also a major Texas pest control market.  Of the almost 15,000 certified pesticide applicators, techs and apprentices in Texas, about 28% work within a 1.5 hour drive of the Center.  This means that businesses can minimize training time and travel expenses by having a training site that is convenient and local.

IPM Experience House is further evidence of the Texas A&M University System’s commitment to the pest control industry. Experience House will complement the new Center for Urban and Structural Entomology and the Philip J. Hamman Termite Control Training School at the Texas A&M main and Riverside campuses, respectively, in Bryan/College Station. Together with the hiring of a new endowed chair of urban entomology, these activities reflect a time of tremendous growth for the relationship between the Texas pest control industry and the University.

The IPM Experience House has been, and will be, a team effort.  Since last year a group of 16 local business owners and industry reps have met as an advisory committee to craft a vision and a plan for the project. Out of this committee came a fundraising campaign and draft blueprint for the site.  By taking advantage of an existing building on the AgriLife campus, a currently unused student dormitory, the committee realized that building costs for the project could be kept to a minimum.  We estimate the cost of remodeling the existing dorm and constructing a 50 x 100 foot outdoor pavilion will be $250,000.  So far, through the generous donations of individuals, our local associations, and local pest control businesses and support industry, we have raised approximately $170,000 in external donations toward this cost.  The committee and I hope to start construction within the next six months.

We still need your help to make Experience House happen.  While Texas AgriLife is providing the land and the existing building, and a significant chunk of start-up dollars, it’s up to the pest control industry to help make this new training facility a reality.  If you or your company are interested in giving to IPM Experience House, click here to download a pledge card.  To learn more about the project, and see a blueprint of the building, visit http://citybugs.tamu.edu/experiencehouse