Temporal Changes in the Incidence of Household Arthropod Pests in Zurich, Switzerland

Abstract:
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 changes in the occurrence of some important pest species from 1994 to 2007 in Zurich, based on the frequency of inquiries by the public. Inquiries concerning the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, and the brown-banded cockroach, Supella longipalpa, have decreased significantly, whereas inquiries regarding the Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, have remained at the same low level. Ectobius vittiventris, an indigenous cockroach species that originated from south of the alps, is now very common and quite often enters into houses. The number of bed bug (Cimex lectularius) problems has dramatically increased since 1999. Since 2000 the number of inquiries regarding the outdoor pentatomid bug Raphigaster nebulosa has also increased significantly.