Slashdot Mirror
Universal "Death Stench" Repels Bugs of All Types
Hugh Pickens writes "Wired reports that scientists have discovered that insects from cockroaches to caterpillars all emit the same stinky blend of fatty acids when they die and that the death mix may represent a universal, ancient warning signal to avoid their dead or injured. 'Recognizing and avoiding the dead could reduce the chances of catching the disease,' says Biologist David Rollo of McMaster University 'or allow you to get away with just enough exposure to activate your immunity.' Researchers isolated unsaturated fatty acids containing oleic and linoleic acids from the corpses of dead cockroaches and found that their concoction repelled not just cockroaches, but ants and caterpillars. 'It was amazing to find that the cockroaches avoided places treated with these extracts like the plague,' says Rollo. Even crustaceans like woodlice and pillbugs, which diverged from insects 400 million years ago, were repelled leading scientists to think the death mix represents a universal warning signal. Scientists hope the right concoction of death smells might protect crops. Thankfully, human noses can't detect the fatty acid extracts. 'I've tried smelling papers treated with them and don't smell anything strong and certainly not repellent,' writes Rollo in an e-mail. 'Not like the rotting of corpses that occurs later and is detectable from great distances.'"
we will come! :) We don't care if other people build it either
-Mister cockroach.
Join the Mobile Infantry and save the Galaxy. Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?
So the solution to live cockroaches on my floor is dead cockroaches?
As someone living in a gentrifying neighborhood, any chance this works on hipsters?... (some ground up Converse All-Stars and stovepipe jeans?)
Joe? Are you alright? Joe? JOE?
What sort of stench does slashdotters emit that predominantly serve as a warning signal to females? And why is there no research on it?
new flies are examining the dead fly carcasses
And not the pizza's?
Quite interesting.
Bob the squirrel saw his cousin Sammy go in there. He saw what happened to Sammy. Bob does not want to end up like Sammy.
As an added reminder, essence of Sammy remains in the trap. Sammy juice. Yuck.
Doesn't work for me either! My car's windshield and hood are plastered with dead insects. You would think that would warn other insects to stay away but no, after every road trip, there are just MORE bugs splattered on my car. I call BS.
It creates a niche market for bee gas masks. Brilliant business strategy, I say.
My webcomic
Is this why there's an article today that RAID's days may be numbered?
it's Steve, you insensitive clod!
weinersmith
Ah I see your analogy about the puking part... I won't go anywhere someone has puked unless i'm really messed up... so given all the chemicals that i've sprayed in my garage, good chance they are probably tripping their antennae off.
A friend of mine would kill one roach, and stick it on a toothpick (or a "pike" as he called it) and stood it up on a bottle-cork at the entrance to a hole -- as an "example to the others!" He swore it worked.
I just thought he was crazy. Apparently he was on to something.
Dear Sir,
We are writing to you in relation to views and opinions that you articulated in Slashdot post #29465417 on 18th September last. Saids view on the mechanics of evolution were found by the committee to be grossly nescient and incorrect, and moreover demonstrating of a grievously lack of creative and logical thinking on your part. In the words of one committee member, and I quote: "WTF?!".
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P.S. We mean it about the underwear.
May the Maths Be with you!
Dry Land?
All that is necessary for the triumph of good is that evil men do nothing.
Isn't it cute to note that so many /. geeks are now also apparently insect experts
Great, finally there's a way to get these damn lobsters off my crops!
Well, that convinces me. The anecdote that you're not quite sure you've recalled correctly sure outweighs this report from scientists. Kudos!
Did you take your Cheerios with extra piss this morning?
I found his comment pretty entertaining. Just wish I'd read it before moving out of my old apartment.
Anything good on the winelist ?
The scent of a dead cockroach might repel other cockroaches. But throw a dead hooker in a ditch and see how fast the bugs congregate.
Have gnu, will travel.
[...] And until the stinky ant cleaned itself off enough, they would keep putting it back every time it left the pile.
That's awesome. I can use ants to keep any insect a prisoner?
Muhahahaha! Mosquitoes, the day of reckoning has come!!
...they discovered the "dead ant" smell that would signal the colony that "this one is dead, go put it on the pile." When they put the scent on a live ant, the other ants would carry it off to the pile, ignoring the fact that it was squirming the whole way there...
Later made into a major motion picture.
Damn hippies.
A few decades ago, Edward O. Wilson proved that ants mark their trails with scent by removing their organs individually and smearing them around.
Damn, those are some masochistic ants.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
> Get rid of kids and pets for a couple days
At first I thought you were talking about another useful side-effect of the boric acid.
She has an ear infection too, heard that rumor floatin' around earlier.
It's OK, as long as you're traveling faster than your wind.
I've lived places without ants. Despite its name, I've never seen an ant in Antarctica.