Home > Administration > About Us > Research > Intellectual Property > 'Scarecrow-boats' Frighten Birds From Ponds [Image: hroughout much of the South, birds such as cormorants] To reduce losses caused by hungry birds, aquaculture farmers spend as much as $100,000 a year on abatement programs. Now, two LSU AgCenter agricultural engineers have developed robotic boats to keep these predators out of commercial ponds. New Technologies Developed to Combat Formosan Subterranean Termites A grassy plant used worldwide for erosion control and a new pop-up termite indicator may provide new, environmentally safe weapons in the arsenal to combat subterranean termites. New processes can boost Louisiana's sugar economy Sugar mills in Louisiana may be able to produce high-quality, value-added products, thanks to innovative techniques developed by Dr. Michael Saska, a researcher at the LSU AgCenter’s Audubon Sugar Institute.