Pest Management Professional, September 2018

DID YOU KNOW FORMOSANS FOUND IN LA MESA Thrasher Termite Pest Control recently discovered a new colony of Formosan subterranean termites Coptotermes formosanus in La Mesa Calif half a mile from the original 1992 outbreak Unlike native subterranean termites the termites we observed were extremely active didnt flee when disturbed and the soldiers went into attack mode notes Garrett Thrasher owner and general manager of the San Diego Calif based firm They had hollowed out large areas of structural wood always staying just beneath the exterior paint and unnoticed by the homeowner MORE ONLINE MyPMP net 2018 08 13 formosans found in la mesa TEXAS A M INTERNATIONAL AID FOR RIFA Entomologists at Texas A M University are building on their recent experience helping Australia establish a control plan to combat an infestation of red imported fire ants Solenopsis invicta also known as RIFA at press time they are helping a team in South Korea do the same Dr David Ragsdale says he expects to continue to receive inquiries from other countries as RIFAs spread will continue because of world commerce Most overseas shipping containers are not airtight he notes and thus are not ant proof MORE ONLINE MyPMP net 2018 07 26 texas am expertsassist south korea with red fire ant invasion PHOTOS ORKIN PEST CONTROL DR GERALD WEGNER COURTESY OF AND COPYRIGHTED BY GENE WHITE PMIMAGES@ EARTHLINK NET PEST TRENDS Compiled by Heather Gooch PMP Editor Orkin study This is your brain on bugs T o determine how the human brain reacts to seeing insects and other pests Atlanta Ga based Orkin Pest Control partnered with the Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Tech on a scientific research study Georgia Tech researchers discovered that pests seen in a home elicited the neurological reaction of strong disgust an emotion associated with avoiding contamination and disease One of several cockroach on food images shown to study participants We expected to find that the study participants were afraid of pests reports Orkin entomologist Dr Mark Beavers The reaction of disgust is actually very significant as many of the common household pests shown in the study can contaminate food and spread disease Its amazing how the human brain has adapted to the potential problems posed by many of these pests and reinforces why we all should take precautions to keep such pests away from where we live work and play Georgia Tech researchers used a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging fMRI machine to monitor participants brain activity and heart rate Inside the fMRI machine researchers showed participants a series of video clips depicting insects and animals in different environments They were shown common household pests including cockroaches bed bugs flies spiders and rodents as well as video clips of frightening animals including sharks lions and crocodiles With nearly every participant the pest videos triggered a reaction in the brains insula a region deep in the cerebral cortex associated with disgust The amygdala a portion of the brain associated with fear was only triggered by videos of frightening animals Insects in the home produced more disgust in the brain than insects in the wild especially cockroaches says Dr Eric Schumacher director of Georgia Techs Center for Advanced Brain Imaging Our research suggests that we may be conditioned against pests in the home because they may be associated with contamination or illness Twenty adults 12 women and eight men participated in the study They also ranked their own anxiety while viewing videos of pests using a handheld rating device and through a post scan survey At press time Georgia Tech is pursuing publication of the study in a medical journal A video showing the study in action is available on Orkins YouTube channel PMP MORE ONLINE YouTube com watch v vFDyjqKMzds 26 September 2018 Pest Management Professional mypmp net