[Rearview] Stories and Statistics Of Interest to Pest Control Operator

TERMINIX PRESENTS 3D LARGE FORMAT FILM ‘BUGS!’

This spring, audiences throughout the country viewed the hidden world of insects in macroscopic detail in the new 3D large format film "Bugs!" Terminix, the film’s presenting sponsor, underwrote the film in order to educate children and adults about the vital role bugs play in the ecosystem.

"It seems only natural for us to be associated with this film, given our knowledge and expertise with insects of all types," said Steve Good, vice president of sales and marketing for Terminix. "Although our business focuses on controlling termites and pests in homes and businesses, we have always promoted the importance of insects living in their natural environment."

The film, produced by London-based Principal Large Format and distributed by SK Films of Toronto, was shot for movie screens that are 90 to 120 feet in size, much larger than conventional cinema screens. To take advantage of the large format screen, many of the insects were magnified up to 250,000 times their normal size when photographed.

"Bugs!" follows the life cycle of a praying mantis and a butterfly, one predator and one prey. It takes place in the tropical rainforests of Borneo in Southeast Asia and includes footage of more than 40 tropical insects. Seen from an insect’s perspective, "Bugs!" uses a new way of photographing in 3D so that the viewer feels a part of the insect world and surrounding environment, rather than an observer.

"An important part of our culture at Terminix is to promote the awareness and education of the insect world," Good said.

Teachers and students can take advantage of the pest library at terminix.com, which provides characteristics, behaviors and habitats of more than 80 different pests. There is also "Just for Kids" section that includes games, activity sheets and other items to help educate children about specific bugs.

English actress Judy Dench narrates the film.

"Bugs!" will be shown in IMAX and large format theaters across the country. Theaters already presenting the film include the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and the Cinemark IMAX in Dallas.

For more information, visit www.giantscreenbugs.com.

THERE’S NO MASKING MOUSE LUST

According to a report from HealthScoutNews, a picture may be worth a thousand words for humans, but for mice it’s more like one good sniff.

New research shows that pheromones can tell a mouse a whole lot about another mouse — including whether it’s male or female, its social status, whether it’s a relative or whether it’s a good candidate for mating.

Mice have poor vision, explains Lawrence Katz, study author and a professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center. So, the information they receive from pheromones is critical for mice to tell each other apart.

The findings reveal intriguing new insights into the way not only mice but other mammals navigate their world, Katz says.

A wide range of animals, from dogs to elephants, detect pheromones using a specialized sense organ, called the vomeronasal organ, located in the nasal cavity.

Receptors in the vomeronasal organ send information to the brain.

Katz and his colleagues fitted 12 male mice with hair-thin electrodes in the "accessory" olfactory bulb, the portion of the brain that processes signals from the vomeronasal organ. The "accessory" olfactory system is separate from the main olfactory system, which enables mammals to smell all the other scents of the world, from flowers to fire to food.