Killing It In The Egg: A Termite Bait Story
Termite baits can wipe out a colony in about 90 days, but the colony's eggs are gone by day 30. Why? A new study investigates and fills in a missing piece of the puzzle in understanding how termite colonies collapse when exposed to a chitin synthesis inhibitor.
What’s That Termite? Artificial Intelligence Might Have the Answer
A team of researchers in Taiwan has developed software driven by machine learning to accurately identify specimens—both soldiers and workers—of four different termite species. Their goal is to enable smartphone app termite ID for pest management pros and adapt the software's use to additional species.
Mystery Growths on Termites Lead to Major Review of Ectoparasitic Fungi
A new report in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America details 34 species of fungi that specialize in parasitizing termites—an effort spurred by researchers puzzling over mysterious growths on the underside of termites collected in South America.
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.