By: Ashley Loudat, 7th grade, Sam Rayburn Middle School

Description: Ashley determined the maximum height at which fire ants would come to get food. She set out different types of food and then measured the height that the fire ants came to get that food.

By: Jacob Glenn, 7th grade, Jane Long Middle School

Description: Jacob used several types of household products to determine which ones controlled fire ants the best. He used products such as epsom salt, PeptoBismol®, and oranges. Jacob made a transect to determine the initial numbers of fire ants i n a mound, he then presented the household product to the mound. Finally, Jacob counted the remaining fire ants after exposure to the household product. Jacob determined that pepto bismol was the best household product for fire ant control. He believes that maybe the effect of the PeptoBismol® is due to its color.

By: Dena Hollnagel, 7th grade, Jane Long Middle School

Description: Dena collected pillbugs from nature and placed them in a cardboard box containing different colored areas, such as purple, brown, and black. She then recorded what color the pillbugs went to after thirty minutes. The pillbugs preferred brown. Dena believes pillbugs go to brown because they are found in the soil.

By: Christopher Petty, 7th grade, College Station Junior High School

Description: Christopher determined the effects of caffeine on brine shrimp. He collected brine shrimp and placed them into an aquarium. He then crushed up No-doz® pills and put them in the experimental aquarium and monitored its effects. He also had a control aquarium in which the shrimp were not given No-doz® pills. When comparing the controls and the experimental shrimp, Christopher saw an increase in the development rates as well as an increase in weight amongst the experimental group.

By: Rachel Schmidt, 8th grade, Brenham Middle School

Description: Rachel bought several commercially available pesticides and determined which one was the most effective against eradicating the fire ant. She collected several fire ants and placed them into several ant houses. By knowing the initial number of ants, Rachel was able to test each ant house separately with each pesticide and determine how many fire ants the pesticide killed.

By: Evan Ehsani, Hammond-Oliver High School for Human Sciences

Description: This science fair project received FIRST PRIZE from the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America. Evan took a fly and placed its head and legs into separate test tubes. He then cultured, counted, and classified the bacteria found on the head and legs. He determined that there were more types of bacteria on the head than the legs. In addition, he found that the legs had more numbers of bacteria. He believed that this is logical since flies are landing on many surfaces. He also believed that the front legs would have more bacteria than the hind legs due to the bionomics of fly walking. Since the mid and hind legs are placed in the exact same place as the fore legs, the forelegs encounter the bacteria first and pick up more bacteria. Thus, less bacteria would be present for the hind legs to pick up. A very excellent, well thought out, complex science fair project.

By: John Doan, 9th grade, Hammond-Oliver High School for Human Sciences

and Metrisa Irwin, 9th grade, Hammond-Oliver High School for Human Sciences

Description: John and Metrisa researched their science fair project at the Texas A & M Entomology mosquito lab. They determined which of four mosquito repellents was the most effective. John put on a latex glove covered with one repellent. He then placed his hand inside the mosquito cage. Metrisa then recorded whether the mosquitoes repelled or not.

Return to top of page

Return to Educational Outreach

Return to Department Home Page