Rolled Cardboard Makes a Handy Insect-Sampling Tool
A group of researchers gets creative with some simple materials: strips of cardboard, rolled up and tied with string. Affixed to tree trunks or limbs, the "trunk refugia" show promise as a simple and inexpensive tool for sampling tree-dwelling insects and arthropods.
Spotted-Wing Drosophila: New Seasonal Activity Model Will Aid IPM Efforts
Seven years' worth of trapping data for the invasive spotted-wing drosophila in Michigan offer an enhanced view of the pest's seasonal activity and abundance patterns, a boon for fruit growers and integrated pest management pros in temperate regions.
Large-Scale Study Points to Simpler Trap for Monitoring Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs
Tested in more than 100 locations across the U.S., a clear sticky-panel trap proves effective in attracting brown marmorated stink bugs, putting an easier-to-use tool in the hands of growers and IPM professionals for monitoring populations of the invasive pest.
Trap Modifications Collect Mosquito Waste for Virus Detection
Public health officials could soon be able to detect viruses in mosquitoes in the wild much more quickly and easily—thanks to the insect equivalent of a urine test. A new study in Australia shows that two kinds of commonly used mosquito traps can be readily modified to collect mosquito excreta, or liquid waste droplets, to be tested for signs of viruses.
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.
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 Confirms Effectiveness of Cheap, Simple Traps for Citizen Science Project
By Kaine Korzekwa By asking members of the public to capture and send beetles in for research, scientists at the University of Florida are using “citizen science” to get a […]
Scientists Identify Pheromone for Bed Bug Traps
The arms of Regine Gries, a biologist at Simon Fraser University, have provided blood meals for more than a thousand bed bugs each week for five years while she and […]
Stink Bug Traps in Gardens may Increase Damage to Tomatoes
The invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an important pest of fruits and vegetables. To counter them, some home gardeners use pheromone-baited traps that are designed to attract, […]