Eastern Larch Beetle Outbreak Just Keeps Going When Winter’s Not So Cold
The current outbreak of eastern larch beetle in northern Minnesota is going into its 18th year, and researchers have found that at least some eastern larch beetles are able to reach maturity without requiring an overwintering period. In short, warmer winters mean eastern larch beetle is killing trees faster than it can be managed.
Bait-Stricken Termites Still Heed Call to Molt in Their Central Nest
A recent study at the University of Florida found that termites baited with an insecticide known as a chitin synthesis inhibitor will still follow their natural compulsion to return to their central nest to molt, an important factor in the efficacy of such baits.
This is What 2,000 Termites Eating a Model House Looks Like
A visual analogy created by termite researcher Thomas Chouvenc, Ph.D., illustrates the damage termites can wreak upon a house. Given a small, two-dimensional wooden replica of a house (30x20 cm, 2 mm thick), a colony of 2,000 Formosan subterranean termites took only three weeks to consume it.
Study ID’s Several Bed Bug Repellents That Could Keep Your Luggage Pest-Free
Travelers' luggage is an attractive harbor for bed bugs, which then hitch a ride to new locations. In the search for effective bed bug repellents, researchers at Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Bedoukian Research, Inc., have found that DEET as well as several naturally derived compounds could protect luggage from attracting stowaway bed bugs.