Patrick Thomas of the Bronx Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society talks about scent enrichment programs for big cats held in captivity, and how perfumes are used in the field to assist in learning more about wild animals. Hat tip to Jane!
The odor of cilantro mixed with burned rubber and dirty socks
The Maryland organic farmer is suffering from an infestation of stink bugs—crop-consuming pests emitting the odor of cilantro mixed with burned rubber and dirty socks. They began destroying his fields of peppers and tomatoes in 2010. Now, they've invaded his Adamstown home, where Mr. Biggins crushes them by hand and has trained his English Shepherd, Coadee, to eat them.
— Got stink bugs? Read more at Out of Odor: Offensive-Smelling Bugs Put U.S. Farmers on the Defensive at the Wall Street Journal.
Natural and artificial foot odors
The researchers, led by Fredros Okumu at the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, are developing traps using natural and artificial foot odors to lure mosquitoes and prevent them from spreading diseases like malaria. Their project was just awarded a grant from Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
— Read more at Stinky Feet Odor May Prevent Malaria Deaths at Yahoo News.
A very pleasant, citrus-y grapefruit odor
The CDC is working on a new insect repellent using nootkatone, which is found in Alaska yellow cedar trees and citrus fruit. Listen to the story at NPR. Hat tip to Joe!
Sex and violence
Sex and violence, or at least death, are the key to reproduction for the orchid Satyrium pumilum. Research led by Timotheüs van der Niet at the University of KwaZulu-Natal shows that the orchid lures flies into its flowers by mimicking the smell of rotting flesh.
— Read more at Orchid Lures Flies With Scent of Rotting Flesh at Science Daily.