Coworker says smashing Japanese beetles will attract more?
Coworker says smashing Japanese beetles will attract more?
Hello,
I recently had a coworker mention, " You can't just smash Japanese beetles because it will only attract more through a pheromone they release when dying."
Is this actually a thing or is he misremembering some old gossip's tale?
Thanks, DrHugsyMcFur
Evolution: Here’s a scent released on death, go travel to it so you can also die.
I think I remember something about other insects that may get triggered to attack when one is killed. (I am not really sure though. It might have to be a stingy-type insect, but I couldn't Google anything about it.)
Honey bees release isoamyl acetate- banana runt flavor- when they sting
I've had more luck flicking and smashing than anything else.
I think it's BS. Logic would say it's BS because of evolutionary purposes of pheromones, which would made in glands, and in almost any other case used for attracting LIVE mates. If you suddenly smashed one, then the worry is you're busting their pheromone sac or whatever and attracting more? Specious.
I'm suspicious haha. I looked it up anyway and can't find any proof of that, only the negative.
Wasps can emit alarm pheromones that inform other wasps that it's in trouble. Smashing it can I think also cause this. https://phys.org/news/2015-12-arms-social-wasps-alarm-pheromones.html
Those are colony insects that have a cooperative survival strategy. Japanese beetles don't do that as far as I'm aware.