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Man blows up apartment spraying for bugs
I always wondered when something like this would happen. Those fumes are flammable.
A New Jersey man trying to exterminate insects in his apartment blew it up instead, the New York Daily News reported on Monday.
Isias Vidal Maceda was unhurt in the incident, but 80 percent of his apartment was destroyed, Eatontown, New Jersey police told the newspaper.
The accident occurred as Maceda was spraying for pests in his kitchen. Somehow the bug spray ignited a blast that blew out the apartment's front windows and triggered a fire that quickly spread, the newspaper said. I always wondered when something like this would happen. Those fumes are flammable. ... more -
Farmers helper: the flying cockroach
LUBBOCK, Texas - Loathed by homeowner and restaurateur, the lowly cockroach is gaining some respect in the agricultural community.
Researchers in South Texas are beginning to sing the praises of a flying cockroach from Asia that has shown a voracious appetite for pests that plague farmers. They concede, however, that most people would still be revolted at the sight of the helpful predator.
"It just brings out this visceral reaction in people," said Bob Pfannenstiel, an entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "There's too much cultural antipathy just because of the other cockroaches."
The other cockroaches include the German variety, a common breed that doesn't fly and is often seen scattering from countertops when kitchen lights are flicked on.
The Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, is almost identical in appearance to the German variety and is also active at night. But instead of leftover pizza, it feasts on insects harmful to crops.
They first appeared in Florida in 1986, and the species has expanded its range ever since. They've migrated to southern Georgia, Alabama and up the East Coast.
They ventured west into Texas in 2006, and became the most common predator of bollworm eggs in the state's Rio Grande Valley region. The bollworm threatens cotton, soybean, corn and tomato crops.
Pfannenstiel has counted as many as 100 roaches per square meter in soybean fields. In one instance, he found 14 cockroaches on a single leaf. None damaged the plants.
About 86 percent of the pests' eggs — which Pfannenstiel and colleagues placed out in fields to conduct research — were gone within 24 hours.
"I saw them feeding more than any other predator," Pfannenstiel said. "It was truly a spectacle. It was unbelievable, and I'm sure they were feeding on more than eggs."
The cockroach also eats the eggs of the beet armyworm — a pest to cotton, cabbage and a variety of other crops.
South Texas cotton producer Jimmy Dodson said he's thankful the Asian cockroach is helping reduce pests in the region's cotton fields.
"The enemy of my enemy is a friend," said Dodson, whose family farms 9,000 acres of cotton. "When you have an ally in (reducing pests) you're not going to run them off. We need all the help we can get."
Scientists have studied predator insects in agriculture for years but not much research has been done at night. Pfannenstiel, who researches beneficial insects, plans a long-term study to determine whether the cockroach remains a predator all its life.
"Without studying what goes on at night, we would never have observed some of our most important predators in cotton and soybeans," he said. "It's interesting that the cockroach could be a benefit to farmers." LUBBOCK, Texas - Loathed by homeowner and restaurateur, the lowly cockroach is gaining some respect in the agricultural community. ... more -
Japanese chain restaurants plagued with cockroach problems
KFC, Yoshinoya, and Bamiyan, three massively abundant chains in Japan have had complaints that cockaroaches are showing up in their meals.
Bamiyan was the latest to all of a sudden have cockroach ramen...
At the KFC, a roach got deep fried apparently and got mixed in the chicken...
Another reason why the greedy Colonel should never have tried to spread America's fast food woes to Japan. KFC, Yoshinoya, and Bamiyan, three massively abundant chains in Japan have had complaints that cockaroaches are showing up in their me... more -
Zombie Slave Cockroaches Revived By Brain Injection
The classic way to get rid of zombies - a shot to the head - could work after all. But instead of blasting the walking dead's head off with a shotgun, injecting specific chemicals directly into the affected's brain might be a more humane and more sucessful option, albeit a slightly riskier one, depending on how close up you want to get.
A new study has shown that cockroaches that turned into "zombies" after being stung by a parasitic wasp can be revived with an antidote. The wasp, being much smaller than the cockroach, has evolved a fine sting that can deliver a venom cocktail directly into the cockroach?s brain. The poisons effectively turn the cockroach into a zombie.
The cockroach is not entirely paralysed, but loses its ability to escape. The wasp then grabs it by the antennae and pulls it into its burrow and lays an egg on its abdomen. The cockroach sits still while the wasp's larva hatches, chews a hole into its belly, and slowly eats its living host from the inside over a period of eight days.
When an Israeli scientist began experimenting with injecting stung cockroaches with chemicals that mimic certain neurotransmitters in the brain, he uncovered some startling results.
"The cockroach begins to walk spontaneously again, especially when injected directly into the brain," says Libersat.
Is there anything a cockroach can't survive?
(Other than being stamped on, obviously...) The classic way to get rid of zombies - a shot to the head - could work after all. But instead of blasting the walking dead's hea... more -
Robots Infiltrate, Influence Cockroach Groups
Here is a link to a story about cockroaches--the robotic variety. They can even fool real cockroaches, and you can read about it here.
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Joe Gets Wild
Joe pays a visit to the Indianapolis zoo to hang out with the keepers and get wild with the dolphins, elephants, snakes, cockroaches, and parrots. Joe pays a visit to the Indianapolis zoo to hang out with the keepers and get wild with the dolphins, elephants, snakes, cockroaches, ... more
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