Detecting Pests By Eavesdropping On Insects

From Indonesia to Wisconsin, farmers all over the world struggle with a huge problem: pests. On top of that, it's tough for farmers to identify where exactly they have the pests and when. Reporter Lina Tran from NPR member station WUWM in Milwaukee joins host Emily Kwong to tell the story of how researchers in the Midwest are inventing new forms of pest detection that involve eavesdropping on the world of insects. Plus, hear what aphid slurping sounds like.

If you liked this episode, check out behind-the-scenes photos of Insect Eavesdropper experiments in Lina's digital story!

Interested in hearing more insect news? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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