Pest

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a novel form of pest control using nanoparticles derived from plant viruses to deliver pesticides deep into the soil, targeting parasitic nematodes at the root level of crops. This approach promises to reduce the need for excessive pesticide use, lower costs, and minimize environmental impact, marking a significant step forward in sustainable agriculture and precision farming.A new nanotechnology-based pest control method allows for deep soil delivery of…

Billionaires: They’re just like us. That’s what Elon Musk reminded us of when he started using X, the social media network that he bought for $44 billion, to resolve his personal tech support problems.Mr. Tweet Fumbles Super Bowl TweetThe saga began over the weekend when Musk posted about the problems he was facing with his Windows PC on X. The billionaire was miffed that he couldn’t complete the setup process without apparently creating a Microsoft account, which he didn’t want to do because that meant “giving their AI…

It’s always fun to find a creative solution to a problem. Who doesn’t need some fun when dealing with problems, right? So, with this thought in mind, how would you solve a mice problem at your building? Well, the landlord from today’s story figured they would solve it with a cat. Maybe they tried to recreate Tom and Jerry in real life? Anyway, not only was this quite a creative solution, but it was also discussed in a hilarious chat, which was shared by one of their tenants on X.More info: XSome problems require…

Picture of a bee. Credit: Emilie Ellis and Stuart CampbellNew research from the University of Sheffield indicates that nocturnal pollinators like moths, could visit as many plants as bees, and also deserve considerable conservation and protection measures.The study discovered that compared to bees, moths may have lower resilience under the strain of urbanization, due to their intricate life cycle and more particular plant needs. However, despite facing these risks, moths make a significant contribution to the support of…

The boys are back in town. Except, technically, they’re not “boys,” but hermaphroditic land snails. Also, the “town” in question is three separate counties in central and southern Florida. Let’s try this again: Giant African land snails, a potentially devastating invasive species, have re-appeared in three Florida counties.Octopuses Caught on Camera Throwing Shells at Each OtherIn Broward County, just north of Miami, one of the gargantuan gastropods was found earlier this month. To try to halt the spread of the mollusks,…

Pest control companies face unique challenges when striving to optimally manage their fleet, staff, inventory, and customer relations. That’s where business analytics software comes in–a digital solution that can help such businesses increase efficiency and profits in record time.  Leveraging the power of data analysis, these tools provide actionable insights that lead to informed decision-making processes and optimizations across an organization.  Curious about how this all works? Follow along as we dive deeper into the…

Mason Burns was walking through Vancouver's Downtown Eastside on Wednesday night when he noticed something moving out of the corner of his eye. What he saw made him do a double-take before pulling out his phone to record it.Dozens of rats scurried across the alley and through puddles, sniffing around several dumpsters and rooting through torn plastic bags."I have never seen that many rats in one place," said Burns. The video was taken near Columbia and Hastings Streets on Wednesday night, and while Burns wasn't too…

A leading pest control agency in Texas, SafeHaven, in collaboration with Merge Electric Fleet Solutions, announced Tuesday that its EV pilot program found that deploying a Ford F-150 Lightning reduced CO2 emissions by 78% compared to its current Ford pickup. Ford Lightning reduces pest control agency’s emissions SafeHaven Pest Control teamed up with Merge, a fleet electrification service and financing company, to run an electric vehicle pilot program to determine the best fit for…

One in five animal species on the planet are beetles, with around 400,000 species officially described but scientists believing there could be as many as 1.5 million different types of these resilient little bugs on Earth. And with short lifespans of between a few weeks to a few years, they’ve developed some clever mechanisms for survival.For instance, darkling beetles have the ability to produce a lubricant for their leg segments, countering environmental drying of their exoskeletal joints, while the bombardier beetle’s…

Image Credit: Terrence O'Brien / Engadget The filter is probably the star of the show, by the way. Often it’s what brings the most character to the sound of a synth, and this one delivers. It’s variable state, going from low pass, to band pass to high pass. But it can also combine those…