Category: Nature

Posted on

SOCCER BEES?

This article is provided by: Go-Forth Pest Control

YES BEES! Scientists recently conducted a study on bee’s “cognitive flexibility” and “observed complex behavior”. Basically they wanted to see how well they could critically think and understand, as well as observe how they behaved in response. So they came up with a soccer experiment!

Here you can see exactly how they do this with a basic reward system. This type of experiment has been performed among several mammals to evaluate the same things: critical thinking and behavior. In this case they provide a pseudo bee to show other bees how to obtain the reward. You can see that the bees watch, experience, and learn from that bee and are capable of figuring out the reward system.

On top of this, they are able to teach other bees what they learn! This isn’t too surprising if you consider their waggle dance, a form of communication honey bees have to tell them where a new source of food is in relation to the sun. The excitement over this is really about being able to teach an unknown method to a bee, and watching those bees teach it to other bees, AND THEN seeing bees innovate better ways to obtain the reward.

Bees have been facing a rough time for a while now, so every bit of good news is exciting for these guys. If you’re interested in helping bees, the EPA has plenty of information on how the public can help. Check it out and help a bee today!

Posted on

The Inauguration of Donaldtrumpi

This article is provided by: Raleigh Pest Control

No, the title isn’t misspelled. There was a recent discovery of a moth which has been named the Neopalpa donaldtrumpi. Vazrick Nazari, a biologist and researcher from Ottawa, Canada, is the one who discovered this moth which seems to share Donald Trump’s signature hairstyle. The real reason why he named the moth after Donald Trump can be read from the article he wrote:

The new species is named in honor of Donald J. Trump, to be installed as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017. The reason for this choice of name is to bring wider public attention to the need to continue protecting fragile habitats in the US that still contain many undescribed species. The specific epithet is selected because of the resemblance of the scales on the frons (head) of the moth to Mr. Trump’s hairstyle.

 Wall Street Journal compiled this about the moth:

This isn’t the first time Donald Trump has honored a new species with his name. Not too long ago a species of caterpillar was discovered, and can be observed as Donald’s hair in motion:

There is now a bug that wears the same hair as Donald Trump, and a bug that simply is Donald Trump’s hair. Though Trump isn’t the first president to honor a newly discovered species. Barack Obama was the inspiration for a lichen fungus discovered in 2007. The fungus was officially published and named in 2009 as Caloplaca obamae, due to Obama’s “…support of science and scientific education.” Before that, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld were also honored with the discovery of several different Agathidium beetles. The names of those beetles are A. bushi, A. cheneyi and A. rumsfeldi. This type of beetle is known for it’s mold-diet, but was strictly named after these politicians as homage.

Know of any other bugs or species named in honor of presidents and famous people? Leave a comment about what you think!

Posted on

Eco-Friendly Graffiti

This article is provided by: Go-Forth Pest & Lawn of Winston-Salem

Graffiti can be found everywhere, from train sides, walls of buildings, sidewalks, wherever you find urbanization you don’t have to look hard for graffiti. In several places there are celebrated works that are part of the town, but for many the act of tagging is either overlooked or even frowned upon. People find graffiti more often to be a form of vandalism, and overall harmful to our environment from the aerosol can spray. Whether you’re environmentally conscious or looking to do something unique, this Eco-friendly way to do graffiti is for you!

The above is the work of artist Jennifer Ilett, who was requested by Sprout Guerrilla to team up and create works of moss graffiti. Biodegradable, none of the fumes that aerosol paint comes with, and completely sets your work apart from others. This stuff is great if you’re looking to just do straightforward painting, or if you want to work with a stencil. If this has caught your attention, it gets better: This stuff is completely DIY and easy to make!

As you can see, this stuff goes on straight like paint. Everything you need to make this stuff can be found in a local grocery store, save for actual moss. To make moss graffiti the challenge you’ll have to overcome is finding suitable moss that will stick to concrete walls. If you’re interested in making your own moss graffiti, this stuff is so easy there’s a simple wikiHow to help you out. It lists exact ingredients, how much you’ll need, and tips on what you’re looking for when scavenging for moss. You can also find tips on growing the moss, so that your art stays fresh and healthy for as long as you want.

What do you think? Comment with your thoughts on if this sort of thing could still be vandalism or just general thoughts on it!