#pests

Hands operating a pipette in a petri dish of liquid placed on a microscope stage.

Bug off! Protecting our collections from pests

The insects that clean up dead animal matter would love to get their mouthparts on our collections. Here’s how we stop them.

DNA key to next level management for pests and weeds

The Australian Pest Genome Partnership (APGP) is producing genetic data for Australia’s top pests and weeds.

Busy as a bee: new study confirms bees can help detect plant viruses

We love bees for their pollination and honey production. Now there’s new buzz around another task: monitoring crops for plant viruses.

Weevil genius: waging war on cabomba weed

A special weevil has been released in Queensland waterways as a biological control agent to get rid of cabomba, a fast-spreading weed wreaking havoc on our aquatic environment.

Dung beetles with benefits

A new species of Moroccan beetle has just arrived in our lab. Their job? To improve pasture quality and reduce fly populations. We’re expecting big things from these little creatures.

Mr Mice Guy: meet our researcher Steve Henry

Our researcher and mouse expert, Steve Henry, is at the forefront of finding a solution to Australia’s mouse plague.

four women facing the camera standing in a cotton crop with sunflowers

Sunflowers help researchers advise on managing cotton pests

We’ve planted sunflowers between rows of cotton to act as windbreaks and so that helpful insects to thrive and help deal with insect pests. In turn, this helps cotton farmers limit their use of harsh insecticides. It’s part of what’s called integrated pest management.

Top dog: stamping out yellow crazy ants

We’ve brought in the dogs to sniff out one of the world’s most invasive pests.

Saving baby turtles one nest at a time

We're working with Indigenous rangers in Cape York to give baby turtles the best chance of making it from nest to ocean.

Close up of a hoverfly on a yellow flower

Pollinators assemble! Superheroes of the garden

Forget Spiderman, the real heroes are living in your very own gardens. That’s right, we’re talking about insects.

Rainwater tank with damage to the top seive.

Top tips for making your water tank mozzie proof

New research revealed unsealed and damaged rainwater tanks could expose millions of Australians to the risk of mosquito-borne infectious diseases like dengue fever. So how can you keep your tank safe?

Science is in the genes, for our award-winning geneticist

Can you inherit a love of science? How do you make a weed less 'weedy'? What do these questions have to do with each other? There's only one way to find out.