Pestology Blog

Researchers have studied the oral toxicity of the artificial sweetener sucralose on German cockroaches, finding that a 20% sucralose solution significantly increased mortality rates, dehydration, and reduced gut bacterial diversity. This suggests sucralose might enhance existing pest control methods. Further research is needed to evaluate its efficacy in real scenarios.

The deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, is a significant vector for Lyme Disease and other illnesses, impacting public health due to its widespread distribution. Recent research on an mRNA vaccine tested in rabbits showed promise by hindering tick reproduction, suggesting potential for controlling tick populations through vaccination in various animals.

Histamine, a biogenic amine linked to allergic reactions, was studied in bed bugs and other arthropods. Researchers found histamine excretion in 5 out of 22 species, specifically in blood-feeding hemipterans like bed bugs. They established a correlation between blood consumption and histamine production, identifying bed bugs as significant indoor histamine sources.

It's common knowledge that insects are attracted to lights, especially at night. As PMPs, you may be even more familiar with this phenomena, using it against pest insects with technology like insect light traps (ILTs). In a recent study, researchers took this behavior and went to figure out exactly what was going on and why this occurs.

Don't believe everything you see on social media. A viral Reddit post claimed that a Sephora moisturizer attracted wolf spiders. Users speculated on its ingredients, but entomology experts debunked the idea, stating that the lotion does not contain spider pheromones. The increase in spider sightings is likely due to cold weather driving spiders indoors, not the body butter itself.

Research highlights the invasive red imported fire ant's (RIFA) significant ecological and economic impact, costing around $17 billion. New surveillance technology using AI and advanced robotics from Lanzhou University shows promise in locating RIFA nests more effectively than humans, potentially revolutionizing pest management in the future.