What is a Bug Vacuum

What is a Bug Vacuum

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
What is a Bug Vacuum

What exactly is a "Bug Vacuum" and how does it help farmers?

Glen Hartman with the USDA explains, "bug vacuums" are more common that you think.

"If insecticides, resistant cultivars and biological control are analogous to the weapons of war on the soybean aphid, then the traps might be likened to a chief means of collecting valuable "intel" on the pests."

Suction trap data is also yielding valuable information about other insect species, including thrips and mosquitoes. Studies of nine mosquito species, for example, have revealed symbiotic bacteria that influence the biology, reproduction and ability of their blood-feeding hosts to transmit parasites and pathogens, opening the door to new ways of controlling those that cause human disease.

Other applications for suction trap data include tracking pest populations with traits for insecticide resistance, studying the effects of changing climate or habitat areas on pest populations, and detecting expansions of pests into new areas.

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