News tagged with natural insecticides

Worker ants paralyze and kill termites from afar

Worker ants from a particular species of African ants have potent venom that can paralyze and kill termites from a distance, according to a study published Dec. 14 in the online journal PLoS ONE.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Dec 14, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 10

Controlling whiteflies the natural way

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are showing Arizona cotton growers how to reduce their dependence on broad-spectrum insecticides by controlling sweetpotato whiteflies with greener alternatives.

Biology / Ecology

created Dec 06, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scientists develop new potato lines to wage war on wireworms

When wireworms feast on potatoes, the results aren't pretty: The spuds' surfaces are left punctured, pitted and unappealing. For the past few years, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and their colleagues have ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Sep 19, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scientists make turfgrass safer for animals, deadly for insects

The right combination of compounds produced by a beneficial fungus could lead to grasses that require fewer pesticides and are safer for wildlife and grazing animals, according to Purdue University scientists.

Biology / Ecology

created Sep 06, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Fewer aphids in organic crop fields

Farmers who spray insecticides against aphids as a preventative measure only achieve a short-term effect with this method. In the long term, their fields will end up with even more aphids than untreated fields. This has been ...

Biology / Ecology

created Jul 13, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Increased insecticide use in the Midwest linked to landscape change

The continued growth of cropland and loss of natural habitat have increasingly simplified agricultural landscapes in the Midwest. A Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) study concluded that this simplification ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Jul 11, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

'Killer spices' provide eco-friendly pesticides for organic fruits and veggies

Mention rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint and most people think of a delicious meal. Think bigger…acres bigger. These well-known spices are now becoming organic agriculture's key weapons against insect pests ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Aug 16, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 2