Scientists are the reason WHY is the answerSpokane, WA, May 6, 2008 – For a company developing a new product to lure and trap wasps, hornets and yellowjackets, the main challenge is that the bugs won't sit down for an interview.
No one can assemble a focus group of these stinging pests and ask them what kind of fragrances or foods they like, what scents repel them, what colors catch their eyes or whether they would prefer to enter the trap from a top, bottom or side opening.
But thanks to the people and equipment in its insect research lab, Sterling International, Inc., the parent company behind RESCUE!® pest control products, has been able to glean these answers from the bugs and develop the new W·H·Y Trap for wasps, hornets and yellowjackets.
And that's good news for consumers and retailers who have been clamoring for such a product. Late in 2007, after six years of testing, Sterling's R&D team achieved the right combination of attractants and trap design that will catch 18 species of these stinging pest insects. The product is being introduced May 6-8, 2008 at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.
Sterling International employs seven scientists, including two Ph.D.s. and experts in fields such as entomology, chemical ecology, field biology, electrophysiology and organic chemistry.
Sterling's 4200 square-foot insect research laboratory houses a device called an Electro Antennographic Detector that allows the scientist to "read" an insect's mind through the antenna. Dr. Qing-He Zhang, director of R&D for Sterling, is one of only a handful of people in the world who know how to run this device. During the W·H·Y Trap development process, he tested various naturally-occurring substances on the antennae of close to 1000 insects.
Removing the antenna from a live wasp, hornet or yellowjacket, Dr. Zhang attached electrodes to each end and tested different scents to read the reaction on a computerized graph. Though detached from the body, the antenna remains "alive" for several hours. What this scent test cannot reveal, however, is whether the response was positive or negative – repellent or attractive. That's where field testing came in.
Finding a scent or substance that consistently lures an insect is not as easy as it may seem. It must be tested in different geographic locations and varied weather conditions. The field testing process can often take years to find an attractant formula that is universally effective.
The design of the trap is a huge factor as well. Though the attractant may draw the insects to the trap, the structure must provide an easy way for them to enter, while preventing their escape. In the case of the W·H·Y Trap, there are three attractants, two ways for the insects to enter, and no way out.
As the RESCUE!® scientists continue to get up close and personal with the bugs, the company aims to offer more environmentally responsible products in the near future.
The existing RESCUE!® products – Fly, Yellowjacket and Japanese Beetle Traps – are sold in the U.S. at Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowe's, True Value and Wal-Mart locations. Parent company Sterling International celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. The privately-owned manufacturing company's headquarters are located in Spokane, Washington.
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