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Scientists Use Sex-Crazed Bugs As Pesticide
ByronScott writes "In today's 'gross news' category, some female insects just might be getting lucky. As an alternative to toxic pesticides, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created 'super-sexed' sterilized male leafhoppers to knock bug boots with females in the wild, resulting in decreased populations. Yes, that means that the female bugs will miss out on the joys of motherhood, but the idea that the insects will be having some fun instead of being gassed to death by poisons is pretty cool."
from tfa "uval and his team are using a high-protein, bacteria enhanced “stud” breakfast to feed to the males before they’re released." The bugs aren't genetically super sexed but due to eating habits are more attractive.
every anarchist is a baffled dictator. Benito_Mussolini
Sterile insect technique. Developed in the 1950's.
"I bless every day that I continue to live, for every day is pure profit."
nuff said.
So... and where can I get such a breakfast?
The sterile insect technique dates to the 1950s, and has been used with great success in suppressing the screw-worm (eradicated in the US in 1982). An animal infested with screw worm maggots can die simply from the tissue damage as the maggots "screw" into their flesh. It's one of the few species against which there is an intentional attempt at extermination, and I can't disagree with it.
The technique inspired the Nebula Award-winning science fiction story The Screwfly Solution. In the story, the technique does not so much go wrong as horribly right.
But then again, I could be wrong.
doc: "Good news Is youre gonna get laid all the time, but you wont be able to have kids"
Guy:"Doc dont hold back, whats the bad news?"
Actually, usually for database designers it's a one to zero relationship.
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck