A new design of fly trap was on show at the Mubende agricultural show in Uganda. A wire cage contains a piece of ageing fish and a chameleon. The smell of the fish attracts unwary flies and mosquitoes, which rapidly form a meal for the chameleon. The trap's inventor claims that a chameleon can easily consume 200 flies per day and the design is proving so successful that the idea is spreading fast. Back to Headlines Ladybirds that walk to work French researchers have found a way of breeding ladybirds that can't fly, which ensures that they stay around to eat pests.
Ladybirds make ideal on-farm predators since both larvae and adults feed on other insects.
The problem comes, however, when the insects grow wings and fly away. But now scientists at the National Institute of Agronomic Research in Antibes have produced mutant, multicoloured Asian ladybirds that are unable to fly. In tests the flightless ladybirds have already proved successful in keeping pests off cucumbers and melons. Back to Headlines British beef ban European agriculture ministers have voted for the ban on British beef exports to be lifted. Back to Headlines Weather hits India's potato and onion production Unseasonal rain damaged over half the potato crop in India's principal potato-growing state, Uttar Pradesh.