Jia-Wei Tay, Assistant Professor in Urban Entomology
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PAST PROJECTS

Enhancing biological control of citrus pests with improved ant control technologies
We developed and evaluated biodegradable hydrogel bait made from alginate, which comes from brown seaweed, that could potentially revolutionize ant management in different environmental settings, i.e., agricultural, urban, natural settings. Hydrogel bait encapsulates sucrose solution containing tiny amounts of pesticide, allowing ants to feed from the hydrogel surface. Compared to conventional sprays, the use of this novel baiting technique dramatically reduced the amount of pesticides applied to the environment.




Ovaries of the (A) treated and (B) untreated queens of the Pharaoh ant :
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Histological studies of ovaries in Pharaoh ant queens before and after treatment
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My Ph.D. (2010-2014) dissertation focused on ant social regulation (caste influences), nest relocation behavior in response to a variety of disturbances to a nesting site, and the effects of a juvenile hormone analogue on egg production, and microscopic morphology in the ovaries of the Pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis, one of the most successful invasive pest ants. 
Graph: Colony growth dynamics and queen production in the Pharaoh ant colonies
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Slide show: Asian subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi


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