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Why Did Tiger Woods’ Ex Demolish Mansion? Termites

Elin Nordegren, the Swedish ex-wife of pro golfer Tiger Woods, recently demolished the $12 million Florida home she purchased after her divorce, and is planning to rebuild a new home in the same spot very similar to the original.

People magazine reported the first property was torn down, in part, due to an infestation of termites and carpenter ants throughout the foundation. Before the house was demolished, Nordegren allowed the pieces from her original home to be collected by a local Habitat for Humanity group to be used on other projects. Now, Nordegren can rebuild the home from scratch, and design every nook and cranny to her liking.

USA Today, however, reported that the Habitat for Humanity group tried to salvage all of the materials from the original home, but found some of the wood was still crawling with termites and carpenter ants, making the materials unusable. Fortunately, the charitable group was able to reuse tens of thousands of dollars worth of cabinets, hardware and fixtures from the original property. Pest control services would have been needed to ensure the materials were clear of pests first.
 

Insect with Extra Set of Wings Found

MARSEILLE, France — A cicada-like creature called the treehopper has a third pair of wings in a reversal of usual insect evolution, French scientists say.

The findings by Benjamin Prud’homme and colleagues at the Institute of the Biology of Development in Marseille were reported in the journal Nature last May.

Insects’ wings vary widely, but it was believed they grew only from the second and third segments of the thorax. The treehopper’s “helmet,” which grows from the first thoracic segment, runs the length of the body, and has a range of colors, shapes and sizes.

Previous research suggested the helmet came from exoskeletal plates on the first thoracic segment. Prud’homme and his team say it is actually a fused pair of wings, although it is not used for flying.

The researchers say the treehoppers’ helmet is the first known example of new body appendages appearing in more than 250 million years of insect evolution.
 

BedBug Central’s Summit Featured on ‘Jeopardy’

BedBug Central’s 2010 North American Bed Bug Summit was featured as an answer on the popular TV quiz show “Jeopardy.” The question, which was asked in the “Animals in the News” category, was: “In Chicago there was a 2010 summit regarding these bloodsucking insects that once took over U.N. headquarters?” Visit Online Extras on the PCT Online homepage to watch this clip.
 

Visit the Online Extras on the PCT Online homepage to watch a video clip of this segment.