A One Of A Kind Approach To Eliminating Pests

A One Of A Kind Approach To Eliminating Pests

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The main strategy behind the US Department of Agriculture's plan to help eradicate unwanted pests that can affect people, animals, and crops hinges on an interesting idea, namely to focus only disposing of the male population of the given insect so that it can no reproduce. In the 2009 year-end review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on the use of heavy-duty chemicals that attracted males, thus seriously controlling the pest population.

The agency reported that, just north of Guam, the entire oriental fruit fly population on one tiny island in the Pacific was destroyed through the use of this compelling attractant. The main reason the experiment was conducted was to try and determine what sort of effects the chemicals would have on the insects. Methyl eugenol, a laboratory devised chemical compound, has proven to be nearly irresistible for the male members of the fruit fly families, and it has repeatedly been shown to lure them away from nearby crops. With the extermination of the male populace the insects were no longer able to reproduce so eventually died out completely in the area.

These synthesized attractants, along with ever-increasing list of lures coming from female insects themselves, prove effective in attracting males in their particular species, according to the Agriculture Department's recent studies. Other species in which attractants have been developed include houseflies, lesser peach borers and cabbage loppers. This discovery allows the department to then attempt to draw out males with chemo-sterilants. These compounds will render the males incapable of reproduction.

Classifying the make-up of the luring substance, is now the endeavor of research scientists, in order to develop a more reasonably priced, synthetic alternative. This new method of chemo-sterilization among pest populations is showing promising results, according to the federal government. Previous experiments done on a number of pests, including houseflies and boll weevils, have also shown some success.

Another strategy that is being used sometimes, especially to sterilize male screwworms, is to use gamma radiation that kills this pest that afflicts livestock. There have also been a few applications that were successful in the southeastern part of the country in the last few years. Basically, after sterilizing the males in a laboratory, scientists released a huge quantity of these sterile males into the general screwworm population. Female screwworms are only able to attempt mating one time in their life, so if they try and do so with a sterile male the egg will never hatch.

Agricultural insects such as houseflies, cotton pests and boll weevils could be a thing of the past, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The battle against boll weevils is progressing as an attractant chemical has been discovered in male weevils, and a chemical repellent synthesized in cotton has also been discovered. Several years ago, millions of dollars of crop insurance was spent, according to the Agriculture Department. Hundreds of thousands of crops, growing on millions of acres, have been insured from natural disaster loss, according to the agency.

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