The Spotted Wing Drosophila fly (SWD) is a quickly spreading across the United States of America. As SWD numbers get larger the number of fruit crops gets smaller. Aijun Zhang, a chemist working with the Agriculture Research Service, Invasive Insect Biocontrol, and the Behavior Laboratory in Beltsville Maryland, has found a solution to the SWD problem, Methyl benzoate. Methyl benzoate is emitted by snapdragons and petunias, to attract bees. SWD, unlike bees, is repelled from Methyl benzoate, and can even be killed by Methyl benzoate.
Zhang was not working on creating a repellent for the SWD when he first started this project. He started the project with the intention of finding the compound in Apple Juice that attracted flies including the
Zhang was not working on creating a repellent for the SWD when he first started this project. He started the project with the intention of finding the compound in Apple Juice that attracted flies including the