Archive for December, 2016
Bumblebees Find Flowers By Sensing Their Electric Fields
While most of us probably think that bees find flowers to pollinate by sensing their bright colors, shape, and unique scents. However, that’s not entirely true. Flowers give off electrical signals, which bees can actually sense, and it is these electrical signals that bees actually use to help them navigate to the right flowers. Scientists…
Read MoreFirst Ever Insect To Physically Possess A System Of Gears
An interesting garden insect moves with the help of a set of mechanical gears. That sentence may sound strange, but researchers believe that they have found the first ever insect to a physical constitution that operates in a fashion similar to mechanical gears. We are all aware of the mechanical gears that make engines operate,…
Read MoreZika Virus Causes 6% of US Babies to Be Born With Birth Defects
A recent study revealed that a significant number of babies (6%) will or already have likely been born with birth defects caused by the Zika virus. This number includes women who don’t know that they have the virus, only to find that their newborn has microcephaly. In the study, which included 442 pregnant women, researchers…
Read MoreResearchers Debate Over The Cause Of Gigantism In Polar Spiders
You may not have known about the spiders that thrive in arctic environments, but they do exist. Actually, the spider-like creatures that have been spotted in arctic waters are not spiders, rather they are classified as a type of arthropod know as pycnogonids. These arctic bugs can grow to astonishing proportions with body lengths reaching…
Read MoreA Zika Vaccine Is On The Horizon
Normally vaccines take years to produce, and then a particular vaccine must be properly tested and licensed. However, researchers attempting to develop a vaccine for Zika say that a vaccine could be on the market sooner than normal. A mere ten months after US government politicians convened to discuss how Zika should be funded, researchers…
Read MorePest Prevention Tips
A few prevention tricks can help keep pests from dulling the shine of this year’s décor: Shake off trees and garlands. Carefully inspect them for pests or eggs that can hide in branches before bringing them indoors. If copying a DIY natural decoration from Pinterest or other craft site, inspect all foliage outside the home…
Read MoreChild Battles for Her Life After Doctors Gave Her an IV Bottle Infected with Insects and Fungus
Usually one goes to the hospital so they can get treatment to help them feel better from whatever ailment put them in the hospital. But, as many people know that is not always how things work. Doctors and hospitals themselves are not perfect, and there are numerous examples people actually getting sicker in the hospital…
Read MoreNew Possible Insecticide Found in Bacteria
We find a great deal of our pharmaceutical ingredients right in our natural environment. Scientists recently discovered a new class of peptides called rhabdopeptide/xenortide peptides (RXPs) produced by the bacteria Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus that are able to kill insect larvae. Out in nature this bacteria works symbiotically with its nematode host to survive, which involves…
Read MoreA Man Brutally Attacked By A Colony Of Wasps Prompts New Research Into The Common Wasp And Its Environment
Paul Brown, an insect expert, has never had any cause to fear wasps. That is until a few weeks ago when Paul found himself standing on a wasps’ nest. Initially he thought he was standing on some leaves and fungus until Paul heard a faint buzzing. The buzzing soon turned to tingly sensations all over…
Read MoreThe Tiny Pirate Bug Packs a Big Punch
You can’t always judge a book by its cover. Powerful creatures can often come in tiny packages. Such is the case with the pirate bug. The minute pirate bug is so small that it can be difficult to spot with the human eye. They are only 1/8 of an inch long when fully grown, so…
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