The Weekly Buzz is a roundup of stories in the bug and pest industry. This week discusses Zika protection research, bees playing golf, water-resistant ant bait and more.
Grant used to improve Zika detection in Florida
An entomologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences will use a Florida Department of Heal th grant to improve Zika virus detection. In 2016, Florida saw over 1,000 cases of Zika virus, more than 250 of which were locally transmitted. There have been 4 travel-related cases reported so far i n 2017. Read more
Researchers are testing a new water-resi stant ant bait
Fire ant bait, for the most part, has gone unchanged since development in the 1960s despite typical breakdown in wet conditions. But now researchers are experimenting with a ne w water-resistant bait that’s been showing promise. Read more
More research to control the spread of mosquito-transmited disease
To control the spread of diseases like dengue, chikungunya, Zika virus and more, researchers at the Univ ersity of California Riverside are exploring ways to interfere with the Aedes aegypti mosquito’s reproductive stages after they feed on blood.
Cases of Leptospirosis under investigation in New York City
Three cases of Leptospirosis, a very rare disease transmitted through rat urine, are being investigated in New York City. These cases happened in the past two months in the Grand Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. Read more
Bees are playing golf now...kind of
To test the intelligence of bees, researchers attempted to teach them a game similar to golf. And it worked, as the bees were able to learn the game the same way humans learn golf and even use creative strategy for the more d ifficult holes. Read more
