Student
Dylan Grubb
Files
Cohort
2017-2018
Biography
Dylan Grubb was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology. His passion for spreading education about the resourcefulness and wonders of insects has led him to study and expand outreach in entomology. Dylan has previously researched the potential to use termites as a source of poultry feed and is currently researching the partitioning behavior of Sceliphron caementarium under the guidance of Dr. Barbara Sharanowski. He plans to obtain his M.S. in Entomology and become an insect museum curator.
Faculty Mentor
Barbara Sharanowski Ph.D.
Undergraduate Major
Biology
Future Plans
M.S. in Entomology
Profile Links
Keywords
Entomology, Taxonomy, Agriculture
Disciplines
Entomology
Recommended Citation
Grubb, Dylan, "Dylan Grubb" (2018). UCF Research and Mentoring Program Scholars. 73.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ramp_gallery/73
Research
Title: Utilizing Native Termites to Process Dirty Poultry Litter
PI: Dr. Barbara Sharanowski
Institution: University of Central Florida
Abstract: Poultry farming produces significant amounts of waste by-products, particularly poultry litter, which is wood shavings or flakes (also known as bedding) containing excrement and other accumulated waste. This litter must be removed from the coops and disposed of. Although poultry litter has been used as a crop fertilizer, its use has been restricted in recent years due to run-off from farmland leading to the contamination and eutrophication of local water sources. Therefore, novel uses, or recycling of poultry litter, would economically benefit farmers, particularly small poultry operations. Here we examine the utility of the Eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) as a potential inexpensive and renewable recycler of the wood chips in dirty chicken litter. We collected thousands of termites from the wild, around the University of Central Florida, using cardboard as bait. We housed these termites within a variable temperature room until we were prepared to run tests on these termites. Specifically, we test both the survivorship of termites on the litter and quantify the amount of litter processed by termites over time.
Current research: Testing the cognition and partitioning behavior of Sceliphron caementarium in a laboratory setting.
PI: Dr. Barbara Sharanowski
Title and Abstract: To be made in the future once experiments are underway.