ICUP Proceedings Search

Assessment of the biocidal products against urban pests are based on robust methodologies, which are described in various European guidelines. The guidelines are regularly improved thanks to experience gained during biocidal product assessment, and European technical expert meetings. The objective i...

Biocidal products are necessary for the control of harmful urban pests to human or animal health and for the control of those that cause damage to natural or manufactured materials. Urban pests are mainly controlled by biocides from Product-type (PT) 8 (wood preservatives), PT14 (rodenticides), PT18...

Biocidal products are necessary for the control of harmful urban pests to human or animal health and for the control of those that cause damage to natural or manufactured materials. Urban pests are mainly controlled by biocides from Product-type (PT) 8 (wood preservatives), PT14 (rodenticides), PT18...

Rhinotermes marginalis is a Neotropical termite reported as a minor urban pest in northern Brazil. In southeastern Brazil, it occurs as an exotic introduced pest in the cities of Rio de Janeiro/RJ and Vitória/ES. This study aimed to record R. marginalis in urban areas of other neighborhoods and muni...

By surpassing the 50% inheritance limit of Mendel’s law of gene segregation, CRISPR-based gene drives have the potential to fight urban vector-borne diseases or suppress urban pests, but contemporary gene drives can spread unchecked and lack an analog output that modulates inheritance between 50–100...

In order to bring a new insecticide product to market in Europe there is a requirement to register it under the Biocidal Products Regulations (PT 18). One part of the process in granting a registration requires the submission and acceptance of a dossier that includes evidence demonstrating the effic...

Behind every successful insect control product sold today is an idea that started in the mind of a trained Urban Entomologist. Among the attendees of the ICUP 2022 conference are numerous examples of Entomologists who's lab and field has allowed the creation of innovative and successful home insect ...

Two new technologies (spray with a pheromone adjuvant + biodegradable hydrogel bait delivery method) were used to develop a unique IPM protocol for Argentine ant at urban structural settings. The IPM protocol included a one-time perimeter treatment with 0.03% fipronil (mixed with a pheromone adjuvan...

The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrihorax) has been spreading across all the coastal northern regions of the Iberian Peninsula, since it was firstly spotted in Amaiur (Navarra) in August 2010. This invasive species has also penetrated across inland territories. Colonizing not only forests and rura...

Increasing biodiversity is one of the many beneficial effects of urban greening. However, increasing biodiversity could also result in an increase of unwanted or pest species such as wild rats. Wild rats can host a wide range of zoonotic pathogens that can cause mild to severe disease in humans. The...

Ilha do Catalão is located in the urban area of the city of Rio de Janeiro (22°50'44"S, 43°13'19"W), and had part of its Atlantic Forest vegetation recovered, currently with 120 tree species identified. The objective of this work was to identify termite species that infest trees in the island in ord...

Rats pose a significant problem to society (zoonoses, severe property damage and food loss). The urban environment favours high population density, especially of the Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus). Due to high food availability and the presence of attractive habitats for rats in urban parks and garde...

Dominant approaches to the management of urban rats have focused on identifying and treating infestations at the level of an individual building or parcel of land. Even the most up to date Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches do not often account for the spatial scale and dynamics of rat popu...

This study aimed to assess the records and experience of Integrated Pest Control and Management Companies in Colombia and Spain to contribute to the epidemiological knowledge of bed bug infestations in both countries. To accomplish this objective, a confidential 27-question questionnaire, designed u...

During the summer of 2018 Madrid City Council received an unusual number of complaints related with insect bites near the Manzanares river. Consequently, the Vector Control Department of Health Madrid performed a series of inspections at different points of the river. Which resulted in the verificat...

During the summer of 2018 Madrid City Council received an unusual number of complaints related with insect bites near the Manzanares river. Consequently, the Vector Control Department of Health Madrid performed a series of inspections at different points of the river. Which resulted in the verificat...

Stored product pests are not typically called urban pests, however because of urbanisation and the concentration in towns and cities of the population world-wide, silos and other types of grain warehouses and mills are also nearer to cities or are even built right into the cities. One of the greates...

Due to the organic nature of its constituents, wood is subjected to deterioration by biological agents, including termites, with some of them being urban pests. This study aimed to evaluate the wood consumption of Corymbia citriodora, Eucalyptus cloeziana, Eucalyptus saligna, Eucalyptus urograndis a...

Different types of various textured fabrics bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) prefer to use as harborages, and the effect of various species of the entomopathogenic fungi Ophiocordyceps on bed bugs. Three synthetic fabrics were used: red 100% polyester fleece, red 100% polyester knit fabric, and red 100%...

Tapinoma magnum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is an ant of Mediterranean origin that is considered an invasive species in central and northern Europe. It is now present in Switzerland, where it was first observed in the canton of Vaud in 2012. Tapinoma magnum colonizes urban and suburban zones, includin...

In Switzerland Tapinoma magnum, an invasive ant species in northern and central Europe, was first observed in the canton of Vaud in 2012 and 2018 found in the cantons of Geneva and Zurich. In the spring of 2019, the Urban Pest Advisory Service collected ants from the front yard of a residential esta...

Urban Pest Management Programs demand spatial information. Madrid City Council has been incorporating Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for the last three decades. As a result, Health Madrid’s Vector Control Department (DCV) has improved urban pest management notably. Systematic rat control wit...

At the end of April 2018, a pest control company brought three termite soldiers and some alates to the Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) for species determination. They were found in a building in a medium-sized city on Lake Zurich (Canton Zurich). A mitochondrial DNA analysis by the University of ...

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is usually caused by the inhalation of avian and fungal proteins. The present study assesses a cohort of Urban Pest Surveillance and Control Service (UPSCS) workers with high exposure to avian and fungal antigens, in order to identify their degree of sensitization t...

Urban centres amplify both abiotic and biotic parameters favouring pest life history. In absence of natural enemies in urban areas, these parameters often are directly proportional to growth and population of these pests. Under the influence of climate change and global warming, these centres will a...

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae is not well known in occupational health circles, yet it is well documented in poultry farming communities and pigeon racing households. The blood feeding mite is difficult to locate and eradicate due to its nocturnal behaviour and its ability to leave the ...

Flavocide® is based on a beta-triketone molecule, flavesone, that is produced by synthetic chemical means. Flavesone exists in nature in a number of plant species but at low abundance. Initial testing suggests a unique mode of action with potential in addressing the increasing problem of resistance ...

It is well documented that several waves of invasive tree pests are advancing across the European continent and there are few practical solutions to halt their progress. Pests include Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner, Red Palm Weevil, Asian Longhorn Beetle, Pine Wood Nematodes and Pine and Oak Processionar...

The Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB Catalan acronym) is in charge of the surveillance and control of pests, such as some rodents, in public green areas and sewage system of the City. In the context of recent legal restrictions on the use of rodenticides, the control in green surfaces through...

The silicon-based, monomolecular film, mosquito control product Aquatain was introduced into an on-going programme to control Culex pipiens molestus, in a partially flooded undercroft, in September 2015. The impact on the control programme is reviewed in this study. Application of Aquatain was far s...

Under increase of pressure on nature, many organisms have adapted to a new environment and began an active attack on new ecosystems. Urbanized communities are part of the biosphere and live according to the fundamental laws of ecology. Urban green plantations having both alive and dead phytomass are...

The applicability of entomopathogenic fungi for Periplaneta americana’s control in urban sewage is still not well studied, even though its importance as an urban pest capable of disease dissemination being a constant. Females have an important role on dissemination of the species due to their ovipos...

The Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB Catalan acronym) is in charge of the surveillance and control of pests, such as cockroaches, in public areas and sewage system of the City. As in other Mediterranean cities, Periplaneta americana has colonized the sewage system of Barcelona in last years, ...

Pigeons (Columba livia) are considered a major pest problem around the world. Management tools such as netting, spikes, gels and other approaches such as flying predatory birds can help, but these often move the problem elsewhere. Ovistop® containing nicarbazin can reduce pigeon numbers through cont...

By furthering our understanding of biodiversity in urban landscapes, we can advance our understanding of urban pests. We investigated the complete arthropod community of the indoor biome in 50 houses (located in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, USA). We discovered high diversity, with a conservat...

Pigeon control actions in big cities are usually necessary to maintain the populations in such densities that do not generate conflicts with the human inhabitants. Pigeon control has traditionally been undertaken by culling. However, several papers have shown that this method might not be effective ...

Urban pest management in Spain, which involves prevention and control, corresponds to the municipalities. The data, key elements and conclusions of a continuous analysis of 10 years of the Madrid Municipality pest control program against sewer system cockroaches (Blatta orientalis and Periplaneta am...

PiedPiper was born out of the desire to move rodenticide control away from the current multi-feed technology that leads to toxin resistant rats and mice. Our approach was to develop a single application methodology that would prevent the protracted times to death and also avoid the increase in toler...

Periplaneta americana and Blattella germanica are pests of great importance in urban areas, mainly due to their role as vectors of pathogens and capability of causing allergies. The interspecific differences between these cockroaches can lead to different results in their control. No chemical (liqui...

In the United Kingdom (UK), legislation is sometimes used to prevent pest problems or to facilitate pest management. However in recent years, the two pieces of legislation that have had the most significant impact on common housefly, Musca domestica, infestations across the UK, were not intended to ...

The invasive species brown marmorated stink bug, western conifer seed bug, harlequin ladybird and box tree moth all appeared in Switzerland within the last 10 years. While the first three species use buildings to over-winter and are a nuisance to home owners in autumn and spring when they enter or l...

Aedes albopictus is an invasive mosquito in the United States and also a competent vector for many viruses. As an aggressive human biter, this mosquitoes is often the primary pest species eliciting complaints from the public in areas where they occur. This mosquito will readily utilize artificial co...

In July 2015 the Invasive Garden Ant, Lasius neglectus, was identified during control measures in an apartment house in the city of Zurich. This was the second finding of this species in Switzerland and the first finding in an inhabited area. In order to find out the distribution of the population, ...

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) is an important urban insect pest world-wide. Heavy reliance and frequent usage of residual insecticides have led to the development of insecticide resistance in the German cockroach. Bait formulations containing fipronil and indoxacarb are excellent re...

The National Pest Advisory Panel of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) in the UK was established in 2001 to advise the CIEH on pest control policy. It developed a pest survey to understand the way in which pest management services within local authorities were operationalised and...

The International Conference of Urban Pests (ICUP) is a link between academic and industry researchers, regulatory officials, government agency leaders, manufacturer representatives and students and presents the latest results in research and development in the field of urban pest control for the pa...

Whilst the reports of insecticide resistance are numerous, and many mechanisms of resistance have been studied, there has been less emphasis placed on developing and promoting Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) programmes to address this issue. It is argued that only through the implementation ...

Increasing pest diversity in urban areas is a reality of modern time. Actual biological technologies are unable to prevent this process. Sometimes control leads to negative results, in particular the use of chemical pesticides. Use of clean ecological methods must be the strategy of the future. The ...

Cyantraniliprole is a novel insecticide that belongs to the anthranilic diamide class of insecticides. The novel mode of action of cyantraniliprole depletes calcium from insect muscle, affecting muscle contraction, causing paralysis and eventually death. We report the results of testing of two formu...

Madrid City Council has always used maps for this purpose and in the last decade has taken a further step incorporating Geographical Information Technologies (GIS). As a result urban pest control has improved notably and integrated pest management principals have been straightforwardly accomplished....

Health Madrid as the municipal health administration of the City Council of Madrid (Environmental Health) manages pest prevention and control operations. Feral pigeons have increased during the last decades as one of the most frequent pest problems in Madrid City. The pest control sector, as almost ...

Tick pests and vectors of human and animal diseases are a permanent component of urban fauna. The present paper addresses the conditions required for persistence of tick populations in urban environment. All urban tick populations originate from populations in natural habitats around towns. Some of ...

Entomopathogens have been used in many agricultural and veterinary programs of pest control. Studies with fungi have shown great potential for control of urban pests, such as cockroaches, but there are few studies on the subject. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the pathogenicity of en...

Parameters defining the dispersal strategies of phytophagous insects at a local scale are key components of the fitness of these insects and may thus be essential in the adaptation to newgeographic environments that are structured in space and time. The Kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria, is a new invas...

The oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) occurs in several buildings of two different blocks in the city of Zürich. Pest control companies were unable to control the infestation, and reported cockroaches in the backyards of these blocks during the warmer periods of the year. The Urban Pest Advisor...

Brazil occupies nearly half of South America and is the fifth largest country in the world by geographical area. Brazil’s biodiversity reserves are the greatest in the world and urban pest diversity is not any different. It is estimated that 85 percent of the inhabitants in the country live in urban...

Agriculture in tropical regions has been associated with the rapid expansion of leaf-cutting ants in clearings since an initial report in 1587. Numerous studies document higher population densities in human-simplified habitats than in natural ones, usually producing economical losses in agricultural...

Pests cause damage to humans since ancient times, not only because they represent risks to health through diseases, but also due to the damage they can cause in food storage by contaminating packaging, products and environments. The Sanitary Surveillance of Ribeirão Preto, adhering to the establishe...

The growing urbanization process lead some organisms to rapidly set in the urban environment. These species, called synanthropic, can act as mechanical or biological vectors of microorganisms, and their occurrence represents a serious health risk. In Brazil, ants and cockroaches are the organisms mo...

The Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai (Mizukubo) was first described in 1981 from Okinawa, Japan (Mizukubo, 1981), and introduced into the state of Florida, USA in 1986. By 2007 B. asahinai was established in the states of Alabama, Georgia and Texas, USA. B. asahinai is a peridomestic pest which b...

This talk focuses on legal approaches on urban pest control products and on their use. In Brazil, among several standards on the subject, there are specific regulations particularly like: - Resolution RDC 52/09, available on the functioning of companies specialising in the provision of service contr...

Modern agriculture, field management and control for urban pests distribution needs regular monitoring. The cheapest method of monitoring is biological one. The most effective variant of biomonitoring is phenogenetic one. The question within which limits of accuracy it is possible to estimate the fu...

Optimisation of performance of dry flowable powder formulations for control of crawling insect pests is known to involve control of particle size and effective distribution of active ingredient. Enhanced pick-up by the insect cuticle has been demonstrated through use of powder bearing an electrostat...

Education has been enrolled as a component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs, but in fact it should be more than that. Urban pests are so intrinsically related to human life and habits that we can always find where, when and how people (or costumers) can act helping to change urban pest p...

The National Pest Advisory Panel (NPAP) was established in 2001 to advise the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) on pest control policy. As part of its work, the NPAP sent a detailed survey to all Local Authorities (LAs) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2002 and 2009 about t...

Little is known on the urban termites from the Central-Eastern Brazil. In order to report the most common termite genera, the city of Cuiabá, in the State of Mato Grosso was surveyed. Four neighborhoods were chosen along a Pest Control Company which noticed a high number of calls for termite control...

One thousand four hundred seventy-seven botanical specimens represented by urban trees and palm trees, found in gardens, public squares and streets in the area of Cidade Jardim, a district in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were evaluated from 2004 to 2008. The aim was to determine which species of carpenter ant...

The Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) is responsible for urban pests in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. We advise approximately 2’000 people per year who have questions or problems regarding arthropods and their control, we survey the pest situation in the city and control rats in public areas. Si...

The ant species Pheidole susannae Forel 1886 is native to Central America, its distribution range goes from southern Mexico to northern South America, and it is present in Colombia and Venezuela. Occurs in various habitats, including highly disturbed areas (city parks), seasonal dry forest, mature l...

Health services are colonized by urban pests, being generally an integral part of urban infrastructure, especially considering the neotropical climate that is warm and wet. Therefore, pest control is widely quoted in our legislation and hospitals should be free of pests. In practice, it is observed ...

The tropical and subtropical super colony tramp ant, Nylanderia pubens, the Caribbean crazy ant (CCA), was originally described from the Greater Antilles Islands and now has spread throughout the Caribbean and South America. In 1950, CCA was first reported in Florida and now is spread throughout the...

Unfamiliarity on the biology and behavior of termites and wood borers may end in legal courts. In order to understand the troubles caused by such unknowns, we conducted consultations in law libraries, among consumer defenders and at the website of Justice Court from the state of São Paulo. Also info...

Pesticides are applied in residences, schools, hospitals and other edifications to control urban pests as cockroaches, ants, fleas, flies and termites. The use of these products in indoor environment can result in exposure of children and pets to particles in the air or adhered to the floor, carpets...

Spiders are an important part of ecosystems due to their feeding habits which involve predation, especially of insects. This group of arthropods currently includes over 40 thousand described species present on all continents except for Antarctica. They forage in diverse ecotopes and some are resista...

The most common species of bed bugs in the world is Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, 1758. This species prefers to feed on human blood and causes several health effects like skins rashes, psychological effects and allergic symptoms. In the developed world bed bugs were largely eradicated as pests in the ...

Ants are social insects that can be found almost in every terrestrial environment around the world. As in natural environment, the artificial environments are excellent places to install nests, but when installed in human habitations they are considered urban pests, because of the inconvenience caus...

Heterotermes convexinotatus (Snyder 1924) belongs to the group of subterranean termites, it is regarded as an important pest in passion fruit and corn crops in Venezuela and Colombia, it has also been found in Citrus orchards at the Caribbean coast of Colombia. In urban zones it had only been report...

Keratophagous moths don’t have the medical or epidemiological significance, but in the urban environment they occupy specific niche as synanthropic arthropod pests. Nearly 30 species of keratophagous moths can be found out on the territory of Russian Federation. Our most common pest species is the w...

Periplaneta americana is broadly accepted as the major insect pest in the sewage systems of Spain. The environmental conditions of our country, especially in eastern and southern regions, let the populations of this insect develop to enormous numbers with the risk to become a sanitary problem. Commo...

Many species of termites have increased their range to urban areas where wood is used as building material for houses, buildings and furniture, therefore, have been considered urban pests. In Colombia, the fauna and problems caused by termites are virtually unknown. There are few reports on inventor...

Baits (station, granule, gel and liquid) are widely used in the control of ant pests because of their effectiveness, ease of application, and their reduced risk to people, pets and the environment. Among the types of baits, gel baits are the most popular bait type for ant control. However, after app...

Arachnids are successful groups with a lifestyle based on predation, especially insects. The spiders have a body divided in two segments, the cephalothorax and abdomen, have four pairs of legs, chelicerae and pedipalps. The Loxosceles spiders occur throughout the world, in Brazil were recorded eight...

Subterranean termites are widely known by their substantial damage in urban areas. Coptotermes gestroi is an alien species originated from Asia, introduced accidently in Brazil, where is responsible for severe economical impact. To reduce the use of insecticides in the termite management, some resea...

Poor sanitation and housing, coupled with low coverage and quality of health services, leading to deterioration and worsening of the nutritional conditions of people. Without clean water and proper handling of waste in urban areas, increases the incidence of diarrhea and other infectious and parasit...

We record leaf litter ant species richness along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Forest based on systematic surveys in 26 regularly spaced localities, covering almost 20o of latitude, and use this information to describe the response of different leaf-litter ant functional groups to the gradi...

The preparative form of concentrated emulsion continues to enjoy the greatest demand among professionals conducting insecticide treatments. In comparison with a lot of concentrates in organic solvents, aqueous concentrates, which are not so widely represented in the market of insecticides, are simil...

The bed bug has had a longstanding relationship with low-income high-density housing. Proximity of dwellings, re-use of furniture, and control options limited by affordability, have all contributed to the continuation of this pest in such areas. The recent resurgence and spread of this pest may be a...

Manufacturers that discover and develop active ingredients for the urban pest management market are generally agricultural chemicals companies. As the agricultural chemical industry has expanded into seeds and biotechnology, existing challenges in funding urban pest management research and developme...

The fire-ants are widely distributed in Brazil, including urban areas, but few studies are found in this country. The Solenopsis saevissima species-group encompasses ecologically and economically important ants, and has the largest number of species of the genus Solenopsis. In Brazil, the main speci...

Blattella germanica is one of the most important urban pests in households, restaurants, storehouses, hospitals, supermarkets and food industries. The aim of this work was to evaluate lambdacyhalothrin residual (dose of 2,5mL/L water- Demand 10 CS) on surfaces of tiles, polished green slates and cem...

Solenopsis ant genus has a worldwide distribution but species from S. saevissima species group native to South America, and popularly known as fire ants, have been introduced accidentally in several countries worldwide. Despite a high diversity species in the Neotropical region, their ecology and li...

When the fathers of public health were establishing the environmental health industry in the 19th century, there were five main problems facing them: poor housing conditions; inadequate pest control; a lack of proper drainage; polluted air quality; and an unwholesome supply of water. Today we have p...

Initially designed and developed as a cartography tool for urban planning and management, Geographical Information (G.I.S.) Technologies can be a very powerful way for prediction, prevention, and pest control operations. Health-Madrid works on corporative GIS system as a way to manage pest control o...

ncreased global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political and ecological spheres have created special challenges for the pest management service industry: meeting customer needs while remaining economically competitive. While automated ...

The first case of hard ticks, Dermacentor reticulatus (F.) and Ixodes ricinus (L.), as well as mites, Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst), and rat lice living in the ground floor office of an apartment building of the city of Minsk, Byelorussia is described. Ectoparasites appeared in the end of November in...

The Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) is responsible for urban pests in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. We give approximately 2,000 consultations per year concerning pests and their control, survey the pest situation in the city and control rats in public areas. We present data on the temporal cha...

The presence of pest species forces to realize actions that allow us to control their populations and makes more suitable spaces for the development of human activities into our buildings. Given the characteristics of the urban environments, in where man and pests share an almost permanent life toge...

Natural pyrethrum and its synthetic analogues are among the most widely used insecticides in medical, veterinary and agricultural use. Low application rates, rapid knock-down and kill, range of duration of activity and good mammalian safety profile make them an active of choice in most domestic appl...

Choice experiments determined sucrose bait base preference by using laboratory colonies of 10 species of urban pest ants, namely Monomorium pharaonis (L.), Monomorium floricola (Jerdon), Monomorium destructor (Jerdon), Monomorium orientale Mayr, Tapinoma indicum (Forel), Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fab...

In Austria the research activity for developing alternatives to insecticides controlling mosquito pests is closely related to Usutu-virus (Flaviviridae) epidemics found in 2001. The decision making of those Austrian communities mentioned in this paper is orientated on prevention of the urban inhabit...

Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Abstract The development of any urban area has been followed by dramatic changes in floral and faunal biodiversity, which also touches upon vectors of human and animal diseases, and provides strong impacts on wildlife-p...

German cockroach is the most common pest of urban, low-income housing and is associated with high pesticide use by residents. Cockroach allergen is implicated in asthma exacerbation and initiation and in the growing social and medical aspects of the disease. A safe and secure home environment is an ...

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite capable of infecting most warm blooded animals. The parasite can cause spontaneous abortions and foetal abnormalities and induce serious illness in immuno-compromised patients. Humans are intermediate hosts and can become infected via cat faeces. Previous re...

Invasive ants present a serious threat to humans, wildlife and sensitive environmental habitats. The nature of these sensitive sites such as schools, nursing homes, parks, and zoos prevent the widespread application of insecticides to control ants and encourage alternative strategies. The presence o...

Darwin is the largest city in northern Australia, located above the tropic of Capricorn and experiences a tropical monsoon climate. A wide range of invasive and nuisance ants are present in and around Darwin and considered significant urban pests. These include African Bigheaded Ant (Pheidole megace...

Imidacloprid, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam and thiacloprid have the same mode of action. They are agonists the nicotinic acethylcholine receptor, affecting the synapses in the insect central nervous system. These insecticides are gaining widespread use for controlling urban insect pests in Russia. Four...

The Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) is responsible for urban pests in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. We give approximately 2,000 consultations per year concerning pests and their control; we survey the pest situation in the city and control rats in public areas. Through a survey made among pest...

The number of organisms living within urban biocenosis increases. Assimilation of urban biocenosis by pests is a process of microevolution. It has limits. Qualitative limits are determined by the Vavilov law. Study of close species adaptation, we may predict adaptive potencies of all families. e.g, ...

The National Pest Advisory Panel (NPAP) of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) in the UK was established in 2001 to advise the CIEH on its pest control policy. As part of its work, a pest survey was developed to investigate the way in which pest management services within local au...

Of the nearly 10,000 known ant species, less than 100 are considered pests and fewer than 30 have adapted to urban disturbance. Some species, such as the Pharaoh's ant have a truly cosmopolitan distribution, nesting in and out of doors in tropical climates and only indoors in temperate climates. Mos...

Brazil shows a high diversity of urban pest ants. Among its 2,000 recorded ant species, 20 to 30 species are urban ants (tramp species). Native and introduced species are found and are not equally distributed in its 27 states. Camponotus species are found in the five regions that divide the country ...

The European Commission’s Biocidal Products Directive, Council Directive 98/8 EC (BPD), is the largest regulatory exercise ever to affect the urban pest control industry. Its impact is global because any company selling pest control products in the European Union must follow its principles. All acti...

The regulatory process in the United States, as it pertains to termite management, is charged with the dual responsibilities of environmental stewardship and consumer protection. These two important roles can only be accomplished using sound scientific data as the foundation of the decision-making p...

The species of termites that have an impact on urban dwellings in Southeast Asia are reviewed. Termites of the genus Coptotermes are considered, by far, to have the greatest economic impact on urban dwellings. In Peninsular Malaysia, where the species of Coptotermes have been relatively well studied...

This study was carried out to determine the composition, distribution and abundance of arthropod fauna of an urban waste treatment plant near Milan, Italy, in order to identify some potential biological control agents for Diptera Muscidae. For five months, from June to October 2004, the arthropod fa...

The Biocidal Products Directive (98/8/EC), or BPD, is a recent piece of pan-European legislation that has been incorporated into the national law of each member state. It will regulate all biocidal products that are not covered by earlier legislation that deals with crop protection products (91/414/...

Metaflumizone (proposed common name) is a high performance insecticide submitted for crop registration approval in the USA in 2004. Other key country registration submissions are expected to follow the USA application.Toxicological and environmental studies indicate that there is low risk to applica...

Pesticides and their use are regulated on both federal and state levels in the Unites States. A federal registration for a pesticide product must be obtained after the product has shown that it is safe to use according to the guidelines set forth by the United States Environmental Protection Agency ...

The current study, in three methods, topical application, surface contact (WHO glass jar) method and toxic baits, was designed to investigate the relationship between permethrin German cockroach (Blattella germanica (L.)) resistant strains and fipronil. Twelve German cockroach strains used in this s...

A new and unique desiccant powder (N.I.C. 325) has proven effective in several large metropolitan areas in the United States for the control of a variety of urban pests including Cimex lectularius, Amblyomma americanum, Ctenocephalides felis, Recticulitermes flavipes and Coptotermes formosanus. The ...

Staphylinidae with 3000 species is one of the biggest families of Coleoptera. Paederus genus comprising 600 species are found in tropical and temperate climates. The majority of staphilinid beetles are predators of insect larvae and mites and nematodes and are regarded as biological agents to contro...

Neonicotinoids imidacloprid and thiamethoxam share a common mode of action. They are agonist of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, affecting the synapses in the central nervous system. These insecticides are gaining widespread use for controlling urban insect pests in Russia. They are insecticide...

Coptotermes species subterranean termites are believed to have originated in Asia and have been transported around the world via infestations in the hulls of wooden boats and in lumber. Classification of Coptotermes species using morphological characters is difficult and complicated. This study repo...

The feeding responses of three urban pest ant species, Monomorium pharaonis (L.), Monomorium floricola (Jerdon) and Monomorium destructor (Jerdon) after being subjected to nutritional starvation and satiation (either for all nutrients, carbohydrate only, protein only or lipid only) were studied usin...

Subterranean termites are wood structure destructor in both urban and agricultural sectors. Termite control comprises about 50% of the total business turnover of the pest control industry in Malaysia; which was estimated at RM40 million annually. Baiting is considered a rather new technique in Malay...

Termites are considered to be urban pests in Japan, which has a long history of combating the two most economically important subterranean termites [Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe) and Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki], since Japanese houses are made principally of wood. Approximately half of new home...

The primary sources of pests that affect humans and invade their buildings are usually found in the surrounding landscapes. Pest management professionals and landscape managers need to be more aware of the sources of these pests and develop standard practices that reduce these sources. Of primary co...

The dynamics of colonisation, persistence, and extinction of Blattella germanicaand Plodia interpunctella populations was studied in a hospital kitchen and a food plant. Metapopulations of both pests persisted during the period of the study, despite the presence of regular monitoring and pest contro...

Structure-infesting ants are an important group of insect pests in many parts of the world, particularly in residential premises, food outlets, and factories. In Malaysia, it is gradually becoming a major problem especially in urban settings (Lee et al., 1999; Lee and Robinson, 2001). Currently, ant...

The need to progressively improve structural and urban pest-management training for state regulatory officials, pest-management professionals, and extension educators has led to the development and implementation of a limited number of university-based training schools in the United States. In Oklah...

In Louisiana, 115 chemicals are registered for use against red imported fire ants,Solenopsis invicta, and other pest ants such as Argentine ants, Linepithema humile. Yet citizens and pest control operators still struggle with adequate control of ant pests in homes, nursing facilities, hospitals, and...

Pest status of household and structural pests is based primarily on their persistence in the urban environment. Persistence of pest populations is determined by availability of reservoir habitats that harbor large and stable populations, which supply individuals to maintain small, local infestations...

Hexaflumuron is a chitin synthesis inhibitor registered in the United States solely as a termite bait active ingredient. A benzoylphenyl urea insect growth regulator, with the proposed common name of noviflumuron, is being developed by Dow AgroSciences for use as the active ingredient in a termite b...

A complex of synanthropic arthropoda that inhabit a variety of rural and urban localities is systemized depending on the different parameters. These include the type of harm caused by arthropoda to people, including: arthropoda that are vectors and agents of infectious diseases; arthropoda that caus...

The impacts of exotic rodent species, particularly the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), the ship rat (Rattus rattus), and the house mouse (Mus musculus) on economic, production, health, and conservation values are widely recognised around the world. Developing strategies for the effective management ...

Scorpions are one of the major public-health problems all over the world, including the tropical southern parts of Iran, where these pests are in the fourth place of responsibility for mortality among children. The patchy dispersal of these venomous arachnids therefore contributes to the constraints...

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, is an invasive species that is a serious agricultural, ecological, and urban pest. L. humile displaces native ant species and other arthropods, and also invades homes and other structures. Monomorium minimum, the little black ant, is also an urban pest that wil...

Human vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and dengue hemorrhagic fever are a global health problem. These diseases affect millions of people in developed and undeveloped countries. Entomologists, biologists, and vector ecologists from North America and Europe share informat...

Subterranean termites of the genus Reticulitermes play a critical role in decomposition of dead wood in natural ecosystems. But in urban areas they are pests that cause serious damage. Reticulitermes santonensis Feytaud is found in distinct areas in Paris (France). More than half the neighborhoods (...

Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr), are a major urban pest species in many countries with Mediterranean and semi-tropical climates. L. humile primarily feeds on honeydew, nectar, and other liquid sweets. Baits consisting of sucrose solutions are highly preferred. Sucrose-based liquid solution...

Mites are known as causal agents of bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis among food industry workers as well as in urban populations. Mites inhabit stored grain commodities and contaminate them by faeces containing digestive enzymes as the allergenic substances. Among them, amylase...

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is a worldwide agricultural and urban pest of Mediterranean and subtropical climates. They often displace native ant species when introduced into new areas. The Argentine ant is a tramp species that easily adapts to new environments and lives in close as...

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, is a severe invasive urban pest species. Presumably native to China, this termite has been introduced to many areas of the world including Japan, Hawaii, and the U.S. mainland. Improved regulatory and remedial control of this pest species re...

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is a highly invasive species, a major urban pest, and capable of impacting native systems. It was first found in New Zealand in 1990, and in March 2000, a population was discovered on a 200-ha island reserve of conservation significance. This led to a call for ...

The Urban Pest Advisory Service with three part-time employees is responsible for the hygienic aspects concerning urban pests in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. The city has a surface of 9,200 hectares and 360,000 inhabitants. The main fields of work are the following: 1. to give advice to the publ...

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 t...

Urban entomology has grown dramatically in the last 25 years and has attained a disciplinary status within the entomological and pest management community. As urban centers have grown throughout the world, the importance of the control of arthropods and insects associated with humans and their struc...

The aim of our investigation was to find out if predacious beetles are applicable for biological control of some soil pests in urban environment in Siberia. During the years 1992-1997 the distribution of epigeic and soil-inhabiting beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Staphylinidae) , their biology and r...

The effective disposal of solid refuse from the urban environment is a fundamental requirement for a healthy city. Waste materials may be classified according to their origin and disposal technique. Municipal solid waste (MSW) is waste produced by the home, retail sector, offices, hotels, and simila...

Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea) are worldwide prominent pests as haematophagous parasites on humans and domestic animals. This paper emphasizing the central European situation, outlines the biology and the medical significance of four tick species which have often succeeded to colonize suburban environment...

By the year 2025 about 61% of the world’s population will be living in urban areas, especially in developing countries. The urban population will double from 2.4 billion in 1995 to 5 billion in 2025. The world’s urban population is growing 2.5 times faster than the rural population. The impact on he...

The development of infestations of Musca domestica was evaluated in a factory for the treatment of urban solid undifferentiated waste over a period of one year and control strategies were implemented. The waste treatment produces a compost used for the improvement of agricultural soil. The factory, ...

A survey of university entomology departments teaching urban and industrial pest management topics was conducted as was a survey of prominent and less prominent structural pest control companies. Universities were asked what topics they were teaching and the time devoted to each. Companies were aske...

Cockroaches could represent one of the most important hygienic problems, since they can contaminate food with bacteria, transmit diseases and cause human allergies. For this reason, urban governments and food industries devote part of their balance to cover the cost of their control. One of the firs...

Ants and subterranean termites are economically important insect pests in the urban environment. Managing populations of these pests through bait-toxicant control tactics is a viable option that requires a thorough understanding of their biology. The terminology used in describing a bait-toxicant co...

Some strains of the hyphomycete fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae, are highly virulent for various species of Australian termites. One of these, FI-610, has been selected for control of Coptotermes spp. and Nasutitermes exitiosus, and shown to kill mound and tree nests when sufficient dry conidia are a...

Cockroaches are common pests in urban environments around the world. A tremendous amount of papers have appeared on the behaviour of cockroaches. However, the details of their behaviour have not been completely clarified. We have already investigated the nocturnal behaviour of the German cockroach, ...

The control of bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) as well as pigeon ticks (Argas reflexus) in human dwellings is usually carried out by a treatment with residual insecticides/acaricides combined with special flushingout- preparations. As the hiding and breeding places of bed bugs and pigeon ticks can be sp...

In the Czech Republic there are large areas in the Labe and Morava – Dyje Lowlands where mosquitoes are an almost unberable nuisance following occasional summer floods (e.g. in 1997 and 1998), Aedes vexans and Ae. stictius being the main pest species. The capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, lies ...

Heterotermes aureus (Snyder) continues to be the number one urban pest in the arid southwest (USA). Demand by pest control operators and consumers regarding information on termiticides and bait technology remains high. The primary control mechanism continues to be liquid barriers, but bait technolog...

Periplaneta americana is a remarkable pest in urban environments. At present, it is the most common species in Valencia city keeping Blatta orientalis in a secondary position. Is is highly adaptable and, in favorable conditions, shows fast proliferation and dispersal. Special difficulties in its con...

In order to evaluate urban pollution effects on conifers and their pest insects, Norway spruce Picea abies (L.) Karst seedlings were exposed to traffic emissions along two urban streets and a highway. The responses of the exposed seedlings as a host plant and those of spruce shoot aphid (Cinara pili...

Control of cockroach populations in urban environments is now very often performed with insecticides presented in food bait formulations. To be efficient, food baits must attract pests so that contact is made with the active substance and/or that it is ingested. Food baits may be less efficient for ...

Insecticide treatment of surfaces is a well proven technique for the control of insect pests in the urban environment. The aim of these applications is to leave a residual deposit of insecticide which remains lethal to the target insect for an extended period. However, the efficacy of these treatmen...

The Pharaoh’s ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a widespread urban pest, being most common in large, heated buildings. Fipronil is a novel phenyl-pyrazole insecticide, effective against insects of urban importance including termites and cockroaches, being active by both oral...

Demand CS® (lambda-cyhalothrin) has been designed specifically for use in urban pest management. The product is based on microencapsulation technology which encloses the liquid active ingredient in a polymer shell to provide protection against hostile environmental conditions. Electron microscopy an...

At the National Reference Laboratory for Insect and Rodent Control at the National Institute of Public Health, there have been elaborated three methodical instructions concerning the regulation of populations of synanthropic rodents, feral cats, and urban pigeons. Up to the time of their publication...

Mosquito-borne disease is an increasing concern in Australia. Endemic malaria has been eradicated but up to 1,000 infections are imported annually and local cases occur occasionally in the northeast, where local Dengue infections are reported annually and Japanese encephalitis virus has been introdu...

Spatial scale, from global and regional, through landscape down to habitat and microhabitat is a critical concept for both understanding pest- and threatened-insect biology. At the finer scale, there are some distinct influences and impacts on insect populations, some of these (e.g. open water butts...

Participation at approved training seminars incurs costs and limits work availability for urban pest control company owners, supervisors, and service technicians. However, the continued need for training to properly control pests, and to acquire or renew a license forces pest control operators to co...

Microbial (bio) insecticides are products based on living micro-organisms which are pathogenic to insects. These micro-organisms have a long history of study and are considered to have great potential as pest control agents. However. in the past research has concentrated on pests of agriculture and,...

Household and structural insect pests will continue and increase in their importance as the world population becomes more urbanized. The discipline of urban entomology will continue to serve society through teaching, research, and public service programs, but future contributions will be linked to a...

The current world-wide status of research into urban entomology is reviewed. Data were collected by a mailed survey, and telephone or e-mail interviews. Data are incomplete, but some trends do emerge. Most research in urban entomology has an applied orientation. Personnel in most research facilities...

The rapid breakdown of the Soviet Union into many independent, mostly ethnic states, heralded a new historical era with tremendous political, social and economic anomalies. And while the newly formed entities are being hailed as a triumph for individual freedoms and political democracy, the social a...

Impact of carpenter ant infestations in structures ranges from nuisance pests to seriously damaging pests if structural timbers are attacked. Carpenter ants excavate wood to form galleries for their brood and tunnels for foragers. A mature colony consists of a parent or main colony with the queen, w...

The European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) is considered to be a pest in urban gardens, and also of fruit, ornamentals and a contaminant in mechanically harvested fruit. However earwigs are also efficient predators of fruit pests such as aphids, mites, scale and insect eggs, and are probably exerti...

Containerised insecticide bait products offer considerable advantages for control of urban crawling insect pests. However the differences in insecticide susceptibility and food preference between some pest species have resulted in a diversity of commercial bait products, each targeted at specific in...

Pest control in urban environment can be carried out either sporadically or in a concentrated way, covering large areas. The efficacy of organized pest control programs comprising large parts of cities or even whole cities is far higher than the success of separate control works done by individual m...

The role of biting or bloodsucking pesu such a lice, bedbug and flea in the'transmission of human pathogens is well known. The role of other anhropod pesu such as cockroaches, ants and flies is less clear and whilst there is a large body of evidence that they carry a wide range of pathogenic organis...

In North America 20 species of Camponotus have been recorded as pest species causing either structural damage or occurring as nuisance species. Structurally damaging species are found in the subgenera: Camponotus. Tanaemyrmex, and Myrmothrix. Carpenter ants causing the most serious damage in eastern...

This paper reviews the need for change in the techniques and materials that, until recently, have been the mainstays for dealing with insect infestation in homes, hospitals, food premises and other public buildings. Recent years have already seen the introduction of substantial changes including the...

Pests are attracted to buildings for shelter, food and harbourage. They will take advantage of many different types of hiding places, from tiny crevices to large hollow spaces. The benefits of these hiding places to pests are two fold. Firstly concealment can allow quite large populations to develop...

Pheromone usage in Urban and Stored Products Entomology has been confined predominantly to insect pest monitoring to date and only in a few cases have pheromones been used for direct population suppression. Thls paper reviews the advances that have been made over recent years in the use of pheromone...

Modem society has moved from an agricultural base to one that is urbanized. A majority of the world's population, in both developed and developing countries, lives in towns, cities, or large metropolitan areas. Urbanization can often lead to conditions of overcrowding, substandard or inadequate hous...

Decision-making for managing household cockroach infestations is a complicated process. Proper decisions concerning cockroach pest management should be made based on the integration of 1) biotic factors, such as pest biology, ecology, and behavior; 2) abiotic environmental factors, such as temperatu...

Insecticidal space sprays are widely and effectively used for control of insects in the urban environment. They are especially useful for flying insect control, be it for disease vector or nuisance pest, but space sprays can also be very effective for rapid control of crawling pests such as cockroac...

Preventing and exterminating clinically relevant concentrations of house dust mite allergen in the urban environment is one of the more interesting challenges for architects and building engineers, pest control contractors, cleaning services, and sanitary biologists. When this challenge is not met, ...