Chlordane to Heptachlor to Dieldrin to Kepone/peanut butter to Mirex to Ferramicide to boiled water-. the course of scientific progress! Readers should know that Dr. Tshinkel in his magisterial Fire Ants book delightfully documents the 'fire ant wars' with all its ups and downs. Also shown are several color photographs of Southwood Plantation. An indispensable book for the shelves of myrme-philes.
Thanks for the kind comment, and the plug for my fire ant book! Indeed, the fire ant wars make interesting reading. In reality, there were two simultaneous wars--- the "war" against fire ants, and the war between science/environmentalism and pork chop agropolitics fueled by hysteria.
Your account of the wars in your book was in turns informative, entertaining, and dismaying! The latter because it showed how politics gets into everything!
Another charming description of scientific research, enhanced with a subtle sense of humor and a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption. Good to know that fire ants, like many critters with a bad reputation, don't deserve it. One should always question such assumptions. Thank you, Dr. Tschinkel
Chlordane to Heptachlor to Dieldrin to Kepone/peanut butter to Mirex to Ferramicide to boiled water-. the course of scientific progress! Readers should know that Dr. Tshinkel in his magisterial Fire Ants book delightfully documents the 'fire ant wars' with all its ups and downs. Also shown are several color photographs of Southwood Plantation. An indispensable book for the shelves of myrme-philes.
Thanks for the kind comment, and the plug for my fire ant book! Indeed, the fire ant wars make interesting reading. In reality, there were two simultaneous wars--- the "war" against fire ants, and the war between science/environmentalism and pork chop agropolitics fueled by hysteria.
Your account of the wars in your book was in turns informative, entertaining, and dismaying! The latter because it showed how politics gets into everything!
I hope you provide us readers an account someday.
A charming story! Beware 0f insubstantiated prejudices.
Another charming description of scientific research, enhanced with a subtle sense of humor and a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption. Good to know that fire ants, like many critters with a bad reputation, don't deserve it. One should always question such assumptions. Thank you, Dr. Tschinkel