Cockroach Gets Cuddled

It’s not every cockroach’s fate to get lovingly pet and cooed over. On Thursday afternoon at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), a 150-year-old research institute and community resource for plants, bugs, and soil located between Whitney and Prospect, one lucky cockroach got the cutie treatment.

It was one of the Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches from the station’s Insect Information Office at CAES’ tour as part of this year’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas. Agricultural research technician Katherine Dugas invited attendees to stroke the huge insect’s back as she and Dr. Gale E. Ridge talked about social versus solitary wasps, elephant dung beetles, and insects’ alternating style of locomotion.

Before the tour got into motion, Dr. Lindsay Triplett, Plant Pathology and Ecology department head, led an introductory talk to the 30 attendees. Elsie Chapman raised her hand. She wanted to know about CAES’s role in citywide efforts to save New Haven’s Ash trees several years ago. Having lived in Wooster Square and served as president of the Historic Wooster Square Association, Chapman herself played a role in contacting agricultural experts to inspect and treat the trees. In the end, they ​“managed to save a little in Wooster Square Park.”

Triplett’s answer revealed a concept that would be echoed later on by another scientist. Rather than only (or even initially) pursuing chemical options, the researchers at CAES went with a biological solution. They released thousands of small predatory wasps to eat the Emerald Ash Borer beetle whose larvae had been killing the Ash trees in New Haven and across New England. Now, it seems the Ash Borers have largely moved on.

Later in the tour, plant diagnostician Felicia Millett told us more about the importance of diagnosing a plant before treating it in order to think of appropriate and creative solutions. Some disease-like phenomena are actually due to things like temperature changes. She showed us some Monstera deliciosa leaves with dry brown patches and asked us to guess what happened to the plant. Hint: The specimen had come in recently. 

The answer was sun scorch, from the heat wave this week that had us all in 100-plus temperatures.

Because Millett knew the problem wasn’t bugs or disease, she was able to suggest solutions like shading the plant during certain times of year.

The gigantic cockroach in Dugas’ hand crawled about slowly as Millett talked. Its long antennae wiggled around the air, gathering information. Due to its size and island origin, Dugas explained, it had the confidence not to scurry like other cockroaches. It weaved in and out of Dugas’ fingers with laidback ease.

“Oh my god, it’s excellent,” said Chapman about the tour, ​“I’m learning so much.” Her sister Carmen Blackshear Shortt sang similar praises: ​“It’s quite, quite educational. And [CAES] is huge, it’s much bigger than I thought it was.” She said the experiments were ​“phenomenal.”

Anyone around town who would like to learn more about the plants or insects in their lives can send in specimens to CAES by mail or in person (see here and here for instructions first). People with plant questions can also call (203) 974‑8601 or (203) 974‑8505 from 8:30am to 4:30pm Mondays through Fridays or send plant photos by email to [email protected] or [email protected] for identification, diagnosis, and advice. And for insect questions, you can call (203) 974‑8600 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

Jamie Cantoni, tour guide and an agricultural research technician for CAES, brought us through labs for mosquitos, ticks, and more with an upbeat attitude and pep in her step. ​“It’s fun to be in a science lab,” she said, and fun for people on the tour to see what the researchers were learning.

CAES is having their 115th Plant Science Day celebration on Wednesday, August 6th at Lockwood Farm (890 Evergreen Avenue in Hamden) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with educational demonstrations, bus rides to beautiful views, and activities for all ages. Everything is free.