Article: Luring good bugs to feed on the bad. (use of baits that contain predator pheromones to control harmful insects)

Luring good bugs to feed on the bad

In recent years, chemists have characterized an increasing number of insect pheromones -- chemical attractants that bugs use to find each other. Already many are used commercially to lure pests to a trap or to confuse pests by attracting them to a bait rather than a mate. In fact, note Jeffrey R. Aldrich and his colleagues at the Agriculture Department's Insect and Nematode Hormone Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., of the more than 200 insect pheromones that have been identified, all but two have been for pests.

Until now. Aldrich's team has begun focusing on identifying and synthesizing the lures for an entirely ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!