Man has a long habit of tinkering with his natural habitat, often with unintended or unfortunate results. Kudzu, for instance, Planted in the United States to prevent soil erosion in the 1940s, went on to entangle telephone poles, trees and fences over seven million acres of the American South. Gypsy moths, a pest that devours oak and aspen trees, were originally brought to the U.S. in 1869 to breed stronger silkworms. But as our understanding of biology and genetics grows more sophisticated, so do our attempts to use plants and animals to rein in threats in our environment. The trick will be keeping the latest fixes from becoming back—sometimes literally—to bite us. By Hanna Kite from Time magazine
An End to Dengue Fever
Australian scientists working with Vietnam’s Ministry of Health are experimenting with tiny, one mm.-long crustaceans called “Mesocyclops,” which fight Dengue Fever by eating the larvae of mosquitoes that carry it. Villagers in Vietnam transferred the shellfish into mosquito breeding grounds where they are not usually found. Dengue Fever is notoriously hard to eradicate but since 2002. There have been no cases of the disease in test areas. Still, scientists are cautious about widening the program to other regions: in Africa, “Mesos” are carriers of the notoriously parasitic Guinea Worm.
The End of Land Mines
A Danish biotech company has developed a new way to detect land mines using genetically modified “Thalecress,” a member of the mustard family. The plant turns a deep red when exposed to nitrogen dioxide, a gas released by land mines. The grow-anywhere green, which scientists propose to sow from airplanes or handheld seed-shooters in heavily mined areas, could prove an inexpensive and safe solution for land mine detection—a boon to countries like Cambodia, which harbors an estimated four million land mines.
The End of Fire Ants
Instead of spraying another Kumquat tree with insecticide, Taiwan and Hong Kong could consider turning to Florida in the U.S.A. for and eco-friendly way to fight their recent invasion of fire ants. The Sunshine State’s weapon: the “Phorid Fly.” Phorid larvae, almost invisible to the naked eye, borrow into the ant’s head, grow and eventually decapitate it. The flies themselves are harmless to humans and animals.
Two Frogs Make a Right
When Australians imported Cane Toads from Venezuela in 1935 to eat the beetles that were destroying sugar cane crops, they didn’t count on the poisonous amphibians going after Kookaburras, snakes and native cats instead. Now, after decades and millions of dollars spent trying to eradicate the man-make plague, a solution may be at hand: the “Dahl’s Aquatic Frog,” native to Australia, can swallow infant and tadpole Cane toads without any apparent ill effects—not bad, considering a grown cane Toad can kill a dog in 15 minutes. Better living thru chemistry. Live long and prosper.
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