hotmale
February 19th, 2005, 21:13 PM
The discovery of the chemical scent that female German cockroaches use to attract males may lead to better methods of detecting and killing the pests, according to a new study reported in the journal Science.
The German cockroach is the No. 1 pest in U.S. homes, especially in low-income, urban neighborhoods, study co-author Coby Schal said. Roaches are drawn to rooms containing water, which helps spread bacteria that cause stomach illnesses. Dead roaches or roach feces release proteins that cause allergies, bronchial infections and asthma, he said in an interview.
Insecticide-laced food and sprays are commonly used to combat cockroaches. Cardboard boxes, or ``roach motels,'' with a sticky substance inside, can be inefficient traps because roaches get stuck to them by accident instead of being lured there by bait, Schal said.
Researchers found that the female German cockroach emits an airborne, perfume-like chemical, or pheromone, when she is ready to mate, co-author Wendell Roelofs said in an interview. She then waits for males to come to her.
The researchers have submitted a patent application for a synthetic version of the sex chemical, said Schal, a professor of entomology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
Continued... http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aHT_GUpphW_s&refer=us
:)
The German cockroach is the No. 1 pest in U.S. homes, especially in low-income, urban neighborhoods, study co-author Coby Schal said. Roaches are drawn to rooms containing water, which helps spread bacteria that cause stomach illnesses. Dead roaches or roach feces release proteins that cause allergies, bronchial infections and asthma, he said in an interview.
Insecticide-laced food and sprays are commonly used to combat cockroaches. Cardboard boxes, or ``roach motels,'' with a sticky substance inside, can be inefficient traps because roaches get stuck to them by accident instead of being lured there by bait, Schal said.
Researchers found that the female German cockroach emits an airborne, perfume-like chemical, or pheromone, when she is ready to mate, co-author Wendell Roelofs said in an interview. She then waits for males to come to her.
The researchers have submitted a patent application for a synthetic version of the sex chemical, said Schal, a professor of entomology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
Continued... http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aHT_GUpphW_s&refer=us
:)