Pest control methods comprise targeted strategies and technologies used to suppress, manage, or eradicate populations of organisms considered pests in agricultural, urban, industrial, or stored-product settings. They include chemical control (synthetic or biological pesticides with defined modes of action), biological control (predators, parasitoids, pathogens), cultural practices (crop rotation, sanitation, habitat manipulation), mechanical and physical methods (traps, barriers, temperature treatments), and genetic or biotechnological approaches (sterile insect technique, transgenic crops expressing pesticidal traits). Within integrated pest management frameworks, these methods are combined and optimized based on pest biology, monitoring data, resistance management principles, and environmental and human health risk assessments.
The first sprayable insecticide made of RNA can target and kill ravenous Colorado potato beetles while sparing most beneficial insects, making it a promising environmentally friendly option.
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 30, 2025
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Researchers at North Carolina State University have shown a link between the size of cockroach home infestations and the levels of both allergens and endotoxins in those homes, with lowering roach infestation numbers through ...
Environment
Oct 25, 2025
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RPI professor and freshwater ecology expert Kevin Rose, Ph.D., in collaboration with other researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the Lake George Association (LGA), and Paul Smith's College, conducted the ...
Ecology
Oct 21, 2025
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In the search for eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic herbicides, researchers from Kyushu University, Japan, have identified a potent, weed-inhibiting compound in the leaves of the Manchurian walnut tree (Juglans mandshurica ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 16, 2025
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30
A single "sexy" gene could help us combat one of the world's most destructive fruit pests. By deleting the gene that lets female moths produce their mating scent, colleagues and I created an "unsexy" moth—and showed one way ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 15, 2025
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Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are worm-like parasites of the genus Meloidogyne that are found in many parts of the world. They attack the roots of plants, causing them to wilt and eventually die. It is estimated that crops worth ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 8, 2025
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A common soil fungus could help farmers reduce their reliance on synthetic fungicides, new research suggests, by producing natural airborne chemicals that suppress devastating plant diseases.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 29, 2025
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Scientists at Virginia Tech may have just made it easier to fight the world's deadliest animal: the mosquito. Only female mosquitoes bite because they need nutrients from blood to develop eggs. That drive makes them dangerous, ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 24, 2025
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74
Almost everyone who has a garden knows what a nuisance slugs can be. They are also one of the most destructive crop pests in the UK. Studies show that yields of many major crops, such as wheat, are severely reduced by their ...
Ecology
Sep 24, 2025
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A multinational research team has discovered a mysterious tubular structure—previously unknown in any organism—within Profftella, a symbiotic bacterium associated with a major global citrus pest. This discovery, made using ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 24, 2025
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