UCF entomologist Joshua King has won a 2023 Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for an innovation that kills fire ant colonies. The device does not use pesticides, helping keep the environment and other animals safe.
The Antheater is a mobile, high-volume machine that injects 150°F water directly into fire ant mounds without disturbing other species nearby. It has potential for controlling other ground nesting insects as well. The Antheater has been proven effective in defense of threatened and endangered wildlife affected by fire ants, including beach nesting sea turtles and Florida grasshopper sparrows. The system also has potential in urban, suburban, and agricultural settings.
View Related Expert Profiles: Go to Source
