Busting Bugs: USDA Creates Online Tools to ID Pests
Do you work at a port or international border where identifying
potentially destructive agricultural pests is part of your job? Are
you a student or teacher interested in learning more about potential
and existing agricultural pests? Have you ever seen a creepy crawly
thing in your backyard and wondered if it might be an invasive
species? If you fit any of these descriptions, then ID Tools may be
just what you need.
Created by USDA-APHIS' Identification Technology Program (ITP), ID
Tools helps agency staff to quickly identify pests, including
insects, diseases, harmful weeds, and more, through an efficient,
online database system. ID Tools currently includes more than 30
websites covering a vast array of pests and pests associated with
specific commodities. These tools help to keep international cargo
and economic activity movioving as efficiently as possible at U.S.
ports of entry. However, ITP's ID Tools web site, which receives
about 12,000 visitors a month, is not for experts alone.
"One of our main reasons for creating ID Tools is to empower
non-experts including students, educators, and the general public
with access to expert information," said ITP Coordinator DDr.
Terrence Walters.
[<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwOTA0LjIyNTY1MjgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDkwNC4yMjU2NTI4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NzU4MTE5JmVtYWlsaWQ9aW5vdXllQHVtZC5lZHUmdXNlcmlkPWlub3V5ZUB1bWQuZWR1JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/08/14/busting-bugs-usda-creates-online-tools-to-id-pests/>Read
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http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/08/14/busting-bugs-usda-creates-online-tools-to-id-pests/
