It's the curse of pesticides: They kill more than just pests. Yesterday, I wrote a story about how beekeepers in the Worcester area are concerned over plans to use a common grub killer to beat back a tree beetle infestation because it is toxic to bees.
But at Northeastern University, a team of researchers are meeting success with a more natural form of critter control.
Rebeca Rosengaus, an associate professor of biology along with former Northeastern postdoctoral fellow Mark Bulmer and a team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have figured out a way to potentially control termites with using nothing more than a type of sugar molecule.
Here's how: The researchers knew that a tropical termite species can survive despite living in bacteria and fungus ridden nests. It turns out, the scientists discovered, the termite saliva and fecal matter contain a protein that destroys those bacteria and fungi.
But if researchers fed termites a glucose derivative, known as GDL, it inhibited the fungus-fighting proteins. Termites fed GDL in a lab died five days after being exposed to a fungus while 70 percent of those not fed GDL and exposed were still alive 12 days later. Their work was reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
One day, such an approach could be used to combat the $30 billion in damages that termites cause to homes, businesses and crops each year. Today, termites are often fought with chemicals that can spread to waterways and into living organisms. Rosengaus will continue experimenting with the molecule, especially in urban areas where termites are a particular problem.
"We're far away from saying this is the future of pest control,'' she said. "But it seems a very appealing alternative strategy."
thanks to the Boston Globe.
Sometimes people don't understand what pest prevention is. More often than not a lot of "Pest Control" services are just that, they control the problem. Not really identifying what the problem or infestation is or where it originated. Pest infestations come in many shapes and forms including rodents,
bats, ants, wasps, fleas, and so many more. Any type of pest
infestation is an irritation that all of us could live without and by
using some simple techniques you can highly reduce your chances of ever
having an infestation problem again. Pest invasions can result in a
large expense in both time and money and preventing infestations should
be on the mind of any responsible home owner. The following techniques
are based around the principle of removing the breeding grounds of
these creatures and making your home as unfriendly towards them as
possible.
Fortify your Home
Taking the proper steps to
fortify your home is a crucial step to infestation prevention as it is
almost impossible for your home to become infested by any creature if
they cannot gain access to your home. You can help hinder the efforts
of the pests by patching any holes in the walls, repair window sills,
screens, and securing any vents in your foundations. You should also
ensure that any cabinets or cupboards that contain food sources should
be secured and that not cracks are present. By taking these steps any
pesky invaders will find it almost impossible to gain access to your
home.
Remove the Temptation
If you take the time to ensure
your home is a hostile environment for the majority of these pesky
invaders you will be much less likely to ever encounter them. The first
step to this is to ensure there is nothing to attract these creatures
into your home. By removing food scraps, doing dishes, and taking out
the garbage often will diminish the possible food sources in your home
and make any infestation less likely to be successful. Cleaning your
kitchen and any other eating areas often will also reduce potential
food odors that can attract unwanted visitors.
Living Conditions
Most
of the pests in our world prefer specific living conditions for
breeding when they infest a home. Damp, dark, and moist areas are an
ideal breeding ground for these creatures to reproduce at an alarming
rate. Fixing leaky taps, sealing pipe holes, and cleaning up any spilt
water quickly can greatly reduce your chances of getting an
infestation. You should pay special attention to areas that are near
the bottom of the wall where the foundation and the walls meet as this
is the area where most of the invaders are likely to enter the home.