Commonly Used Acaricides Found Effective on Invasive Tick
The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), an invasive species in the U.S., is a threat to cattle and other livestock. A new study finds several pesticides used to manage other tick species are equally effective against the new arrival.
Need to Feed Mosquitoes? Head for the Freezer Aisle
In search of a simple, cost-effective way to maintain laboratory mosquito colonies, biologists at a mosquito control district in Florida have turned to food-grade frozen animal blood found at specialty grocery stores. They share the success of their new method for other cash-strapped mosquito-management operations in the open-access Journal of Insect Science.
New Method Makes for Faster Genetic ID of Eastern U.S. Termites
With multiple species of termites responsible for structural damage in the U.S., rapid identification is a critical part of management efforts. A team of researchers has developed a faster ID method that uses a genetic tool called inter-simple sequence repeats.
Where Dung Beetles Perch Says a Lot About Community Evolution
Research on dung beetle behavior shows many species, especially smaller ones, choose a "sit and wait" strategy for finding food, while only larger ones actively search for food by following animals. A pair of biologists suggest this behavior is a resource-partitioning strategy to reduce competition for scarce food.