Pests

Mosquitoes are masters of evasion when indoors, seemingly disappearing after you unsuccessfully try to swat them or grab them out of the air. That's where the Bzigo Iris comes in, as it tracks them and shows you where they are.

Inspired by a carnivorous plant, scientists have created a sticky spray that could kill pest insects as effectively as traditional toxic pesticides. And what's more, it's derived from plain ol' vegetable oil.

A worm-filled gel has been shown to protect crops from pests, without the use of environmentally-unfriendly pesticides. Its not-so-secret ingredient is scores of tiny nematodes, which ordinarily can't survive outside of their underground habitat.

When it comes to protecting crops via insect-blocking netting, you may think that the size of the holes in that netting is the most important factor. According to new research, however, the color of red netting makes an even bigger difference.

Just like any other organisms, crop-destroying soil microbes die if they get too hot. With that fact in mind, scientists have developed a new system in which soil-heating microwaves are used to kill such pests. It could one day replace pesticides.

The spotted-wing drosophila is a type of fruit fly that can destroy berry crops if not killed by insecticides. According to a new study, the smell of a crop-damaging fungus could provide an eco-friendly alternative to such toxic chemicals.

Although the gel of the aloe vera plant is used to treat sunburn, moisturize skin and boost gut health, its peels are usually discarded. New research now suggests that those peels could also be used, to make non-toxic insecticide for use by farmers.

Just like their field-dwelling counterparts, plants grown in greenhouses are preyed upon by flying insects. The Dutch-designed PATS system is designed to help, by sending tiny drones to chop those insects up in mid-air.

The spotted lanternfly is a serious invasive pest, causing considerable damage to crops such as apples, grapes and hops. That's why it's important to destroy the insect's eggs – which is exactly what the TartanPest robot is designed to do.

It's a sad fact that even though bees are essential to pollinating crops, they're also harmed by the pesticides used on those very same plants. Thanks to a new discovery, however, a bee-friendly pesticide could soon be cheaper and easier to produce.

It would certainly be logical to think that plants don't do well when exposed to forest fire smoke. New research, however, suggests that certain crops get hardier and more disease-resistant when liquid smoke is added to the soil.

It is believed that parasitic varroa mites may be one of the main causes of colony collapse disorder, which is decimating honeybee colonies. There may be hope, however, as a new chemical has been found to eradicate the mites without harming the bees.