It sounds like something from the "believe it or not" category, but people give their bug collections for tax write-offs. But Cecil Smith, a scientist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, gets a package of bugs everyday. The bugs, all 129 of them, are on pins and dead. If you donate a collection of bugs to a museum or university and face an IRS audit, you would want Smith's opinion. The bugs come from all around the world. "Because these come from people that usually get to travel all over the world and collect things from different tropical localities, or very exotic places where we wouldn't be able to go, and they get to collect all these and keep what they want and the ones they don't want they donate to us and get a tax write-off," (says) Cecil Smith with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who values just one drawer of butterflies at about $1,500, and he has 5,000 drawers full of insects. He has processes about 750,000 insects at the University of Georgia, and some of them are brand new to science, the same insects most of us would crush with our feet. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Most of the state received plenty of much needed rains during March. There is now water standing in places that have been bone dry for months. But an entomologist with the University of Georgia Extension Service says standing water in ditches, creeks and swamps provide a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. She adds these aren't the only places with standing water that attract mosquitoes. "So anything that can hold water from old tires to bird baths, saucers up under potted plants, children's pools, clogged gutters, anything like that can hold water, can breed mosquitoes," (says) Beverly Sparks with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. To reduce mosquito numbers around your home, pour water out of old tires and other unwanted containers that hold water and remove them. Buckets that aren't being used should be stored away, so water won't collect when it rains. You should also remove leaves and other trash from roof gutters, so rainwater can flow through uninterrupted. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Subterranean termites do their dirty work underground, causing serious damage to homes, commercial facilities and government buildings. Since they live underground scientists have difficulty studying them using traditional field techniques. But since the mid-‘90s scientists with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have been using DNA fingerprinting technology to learn more about termites. The DNA research has already made some interesting discoveries about the movement of termites. "(They) aren't localized by geography. What that means is that a termite that you might find on Sapelo Island, which is in the south Georgia barrier islands, maybe closely related to a termite we find in north Georgia, which means they are being moved around much more rapidly than we thought they were." That was Dr. Tracie Jenkins with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences . The university scientist plans to conduct more research and use the findings from the DNA technology to develop new management strategies to save our homes and offices from destructive termites. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Every spring many people work long and hard trying to land a knockout punch to the painful fire ant, only to be frustrated when more fire ant mounds pop up to take their place. An entomologist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says to get rid of fire ants you have to get familiar with their diet and habitat. "We found that in the spring time, when the ant colonies are growing, they like lots of protein, and the queen has to have lots of protein in order for her to produce eggs. The larvae have to have protein in order to grow, and so we want to kind of capitalize on that biology of the ants and use protein or an oil based bait for fire ants," (says) Dan Suiter with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds it's also important to kill the queen, since everything a fire ant colony does revolves around the life of the queen. In other words, if you kill the queen you eventually kill the entire colony. JohnHarrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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The spring months find swarms of termites on the move across Georgia looking for a new home. Dan Suiter, an entomologist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, says a swarm takes place when a male and female termite move out to and start a family. "Termite swarmers are both a male and a female termite, and what they do is, when they leave the nest and they swarm or fly away, they'll hit the ground and mate and start a new colony in the area." Dan Suiter with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds Mother Nature helps thin out the swarming termites. Many are eaten by ants, birds and toads. Others die because of warm conditions, especially as the heat increases in May and June. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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