For Good of the Colony, Sick Honey Bee Brood Sounds the Alarm
Honey bees detect and remove brood afflicted with parasites or pathogens. A new study shows that part of this "hygienic behavior" relies on chemical signals emitted by unhealthy brood, and brood coming from colonies bred to be more hygienic are more effective in signaling for their own removal.
Study Explores How Flower-Eating Katydids Pick Their Meals
Research in Singapore on katydid florivory could have applications in agriculture or even weed control.
Fluid Termite Bait Aims to Combine Best of Both Management Methods
A new termite-control method currently in development looks to combine the advantages of a liquid insecticide application with the comprehensive impact of existing solid termite bait systems.
Insecticide Netting Could Keep Beetles Out of Your Breakfast Cereal
A new study shows that long-lasting insecticide netting could have promising applications in stored-product facilities to protect foods like wheat, corn, and soybeans from insect pests.
Insect-Based Chicken Feed Can Benefit Farmers and Environment
A new study on insect-based chicken feed, made from black soldier fly larvae, finds an improved cost-benefit ratio and return on investment compared to soybean- or fish-based chicken feed.
Tastes Like Chicken: Hydrogel Shows Promise as Yellowjacket Bait
Existing baits for yellowjackets require fresh meat as an attractant, but a new study finds that hydrogel makes an adequate substitute, absorbing insecticide and giving a tactile resemblance to meat to effectively bait yellowjackets in the same manner.
Testing Shows Dry, Red Sticky Traps Improve Spotted-Wing Drosophila Monitoring
A new study finds spotted-wing drosophila prefer red, glue-covered monitoring traps made of plastic rectangles or spheres compared to the most commonly used clear deli-cup traps. The findings will advance the pursuit of more efficient and effective monitoring techniques for the pest.
Fruit DNA in Invasive Flies’ Guts Could Help Track Their Dispersal
A recent study at North Carolina State University shows that DNA analysis of spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) flies can detect whether they fed on strawberries as much as seven days prior. Researchers hope the proof of concept will lead to more accurate analysis of the invasive pest's dispersal in the field.
Study Shines a (Fluorescent) Light on Invasive Fruit Fly Trapping
To estimate the catch rate of traps for invasive spotted-wing drosophila fruit flies in tart cherry orchards, researchers at Michigan State University first marked thousands of flies with fluorescent dust and released them. Then they counted the recaptured flies under ultraviolet light.
Study Shows Common Fungicide Impairs Silkworm Silk Production
A study in Brazil finds that a common fungicide can impair the oxygen consumption and silk production of silkworms if applied to their preferred food source, mulberry leaves.
Study Shows Rapid Evolution in Lab-Reared Insects
A wide variety of insects (such as mosquitoes, shown here) are raised in the laboratory. A new review of research on lab-reared insects shows that they evolve rapidly as they progress through generations raised in artificial environments.
Do Chestnut, Lemon, or Peppermint Scents Repel Spiders?
In a study on three commonly cited natural spider repellents, both chestnut and peppermint oil showed apparent repellent effects on two species of spider but not on a third. Meanwhile, lemon oil did not have a significant effect on any of the three species included in the study.
Domestic Sea Trade Aids Wood-Boring Beetles’ Range Expansion
A study by entomologists in Italy found that the abundance of bark- and wood-boring beetles outside their native range but still within the same country is correlated with levels of trade at nearby sea ports, suggesting domestic sea transportation plays a role in insects' intra-country range expansion.
New Ingredient Improves Pheromone Lure for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Researchers at USDA's Agricultural Research Service identified a chemical that enhances capture of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) in pheromone traps
In Search of Soybeans Resistant to the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
The Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is a major pest; USDA researchers hope to breed a resistant soybean.
Some “Green” Oils Can Stop a Bed Bug—But Many Can’t
Most Essential oils don't work to control bed bugs, although there are a few exceptions