INSECT PEST MANAGEMENT AND INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT

Abstract:
The premise of the discussion presented here is that some of the traditional components of agricultural integrated pest management (IPM) and insecticide resistance management (IRM) programs are either not applicable or not practical for the urban environment. The overall goal of this discussion is to review the relative key aspects of these two concepts, to provide a framework for evaluating pest control programs in the urban environment, and narrowing the gulf between theoretical expectations and practical application. The utility of urban IPM programs is based on the principles of designing a program that meets the needs of the audience, with the understanding that in the urban environment the pest species may be few, but audiences diverse; and the understanding that decision- making and sustainability of urban IPM is linked to aesthetics, but in large part to economics. The utility of insecticide resistance management in the urban ecosystem does not mean that such an endeavor is feasible. The factors that influence the success of IRM in agricultural are generally not available in the urban environment.