Wood Boring Insects Resources

Published in 2025, this book is the essential guide for everything related to pest management. $225/$199

Psocids, or booklice, are small insects that can infest homes and stored grains, causing contamination and damage. Recent research shows that lowering humidity below 50% effectively kills psocids within 16 days, supporting pest management strategies. Psocids are often overlooked, yet nearly all homes inspected in North Carolina had them present.

Biodiversity surveys are crucial for understanding ecosystem organisms, recording species abundance and diversity to guide conservation efforts. Traditional visual methods can be biased, leading to the development of environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance. Recent research highlights dung beetles as effective invertebrate DNA (iDNA) samplers, offering improved monitoring of terrestrial fauna.

The Ig Nobel Prize awards, particularly Dr. Richard Vetter's recognition for studying arachnophobia among entomologists, reveal that even experts can fear spiders. A survey of 41 entomologists showed varying degrees of fear and negative experiences with spiders, highlighting the paradox of their phobia towards eight-legged creatures despite their expertise with six-legged insects.

In the March 2024 episode, Mike covers research on the impact of artificial sweeteners on German cockroaches, Ellie covers a study on histamines produced by blood-feeding insects, and Laura talks ticks!. Read more about the research discussed on the episode here.

By identifying claims and near misses, enhancing your safety program, evaluating new equipment, and utilizing available resources, you can create a safer environment for your team. Remember, safety is an ongoing process of improvement.