Scientists have recently discovered a new and effective method of pest control that innovative companies may soon be using. The method was derived from vinegar flies, which possess a gene that develops a waterproof coating on their bodies, allowing for protection against microbes and other environmental stress factors – including insecticides. The gene has proven to be essential for regulating the hormone which is responsible for producing wax on the vinegar fly’s body.
The ‘Spidey’ Gene
The gene, nicknamed Spidey (named after everyone’s favorite wall-crawling comic book character), allows the flies to develop a protective coating of wax over their shells, live longer, and avoid getting stuck to soft surfaces.
The discovery was quite unexpected, as scientists had not anticipated that the hormone would play such an important role in the development and maintenance of wax-producing tissues.
Experts from Allison Pest Control have pointed out the difficulty of directing water-based insecticides at certain insects whose waxy coating protects them against chemically-treated spray attacks. It is this problem that the new discovery aims to correct.
How it can Help a Freehold Exterminator
Removing or negating the ‘Spidey’ gene in vinegar flies could lead to a significant alteration of insect physiology, leading to removal of the layer of wax that protects other species of flies, cockroaches, etc. This will improve the effectiveness of water-based extermination methods used by your top Freehold exterminators at Allison Pest Control.