Mosquito and Fly Research Unit : Media Inquiries

Media Inquires from 2008

Numerous media seek information on mosquito repellent research.
On May 27-30, a wide assortment of media outlets contacted chemist Ulrich Bernier, ARS Mosquito and Fly Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, for information on mosquito repellent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Among the media contacting Bernier and/or publishing stories about the research were the Daily Telegraph (UK), National Public Radio, Houston Chronicle, Associated Press, Science News, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, CBS News, Chicago Tribune, Scientific American, redOrbit, Royal Society of Chemistry,News-Medical.Net, Informify News, eCanada Now+, Daily Tech, and Science magazine.

Washington Post
On July 23, Jennifer Huget, a reporter with the Washington Post, contacted the ARS Information Staff, Beltsville, MD, requesting mosquito research information. She was provided contact information for several ARS researchers, including chemist Ulrich R. Bernier, ARS Mosquito and Fly Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL.
New York Times inquiry:
On February 20, Cory Reiss, Washington correspondent for The New York Times, contacted Ken Linthicum, director, ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, about the February 16 ARS News Service item "Model Successfully Predicts Rift Valley Fever Outbreak." Reiss interviewed Linthicum for a story about the success of the model in helping predict a recent outbreak in Africa.

The New York Times
On May 30, Dan Kline, entomologist, Mosquito and Fly Research Unit, ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, was interviewed by John Pike, a freelance writer researching an article for the New York Times. Pike was mostly interested in the use of traps to control mosquitoes, how many are needed, and which might be most effective.

New Scientist
On March 12, Will Knight, reporter, New Scientist, contacted the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Information Staff for details about high-velocity "air curtains" in passenger walkways to provide a barrier to keep problem insects from entering airplanes. Knight was given additional information and referred to Robert K. Vander Meer, acting research leader, ARS Mosquito and Fly Research Unit, Gainesville, FL. Knight was prompted by an ARS News Service item on March 9, "Air Curtain" Blocks Unwanted Insect Pests From Airplanes. New Scientist is a weekly science magazine that has been published in the United Kingdom since 1956. It also publishes a U.S. edition and claims a worldwide readership of more than half a million.
USA Today
On March 9, the Money section of USA Today carried a story about an air curtain demonstration at Miami (FL) International Airport showing the effectiveness of air curtains developed by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation. The ARS Information Staff supplied data used by writer Chris Woodyard. Robert Vander Meer, acting research leader, ARS Mosquito and Fly Research Unit, Gainesville, FL, was quoted in the article. On the same day, the ARS News Service carried an item entitled, "Air Curtain" Blocks Unwanted Insect Pests From Airplanes.