Papers
Urban wildlife navigate an unspoken interspecies code of conduct that often positions animals as either too bold or too timid, too numerous, or simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. This plenary talk examines human-wildlife relations from the perspective of municipal hunters in Sweden, who...
Nuisance caused by rats and mice is typically addressed through lethal control methods. However, this approach raises significant ethical concerns, as it adversely affects the welfare of both target and non-target species. Moreover, such measures are often ineffective if the underlying causes of ...
It is often challenging to communicate research results and convince different stakeholders to use new control methods. When Norway experienced an “invasion” of the nuisance pest Ctenolepisma longicaudatum, lack of knowledge and massive media attention escalated the societal response tow...
As a result of climate change and increasingly mild winters, experts expect that a) invasive species will be able to survive better, b) the active season for vector organisms will be longer, c) pathogens will be able to multiply better in vector organisms, and d) more diseases transmitted by vect...
In the present study, we tested three field populations of German cockroaches, which are characteristic of being susceptible to deltamethrin but resistant to fipronil (WF), low resistance to deltamethrin and fipronil (CR), and high resistance to deltamethrin and fipronil (BZ). The test cockroache...
A field population that developed high resistance to pyrethroids and fipronil was used to observe their response to fipronil-containing commercial gel bait and compared with laboratory susceptible strain. In addition, next-generation sequencing (NGS) was conducted to identify mutations in the Ger...
Leptospirosis is a globally prevalent zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira, with wild rodents serving as primary reservoirs. This pilot study investigated the presence of Leptospira spp. in small mammals from Porto, Portugal. Kidney samples from 23 individuals were a...
This study aims to assess the taxonomic resolution of the 16S rRNA V4 region, the full-length 16S rRNA, and the 16S-ITS-23S operon in identifying pathogenic bacterial species in Norway rat droppings. In silico analysis was performed on 168 bacterial genomes from foodborne pathogen genera...
The project “Tick-borne bacterial diseases in urban environments: where does the real danger lurk” thus aims to study the tick abundance and prevalence of the selected tick-borne pathogens (TBP) in all regions across the Czech Republic. In this project, the three sites in Praha, České Budějovice,...
We examined the horizontal transfer potential of a 0.1% isocycloseram gel bait formulation on a susceptible strain of German cockroaches (UCR) in comparison with commercial baits available in the United States containing 0.6% indoxacarb, 0.05% fipronil, 0.5% dinotefuran, or 0.5% clothianidin + 0....
The goal of the current study was to provide the first experimental examination of horizontal transfer under field conditions. The specific objective was to investigate horizontal transfer of fipronil in field colonies of black carpenter ants, Camponotus pennsylvanicus. Laboratory experi...
Technologies is developing an innovative semiochemical-based blood substitute liquid bait. This novel bait is designed to exploit the blood-feeding behavior of stable flies, offering a targeted, effective, and environmentally sustainable approach to their control. This bait combines an artificial...
A study of the mobility of this species using GPS was started in 2024. The GPS devices are placed on the bird's back and attached to a harness designed using a 3D printer. The data is obtained via Bluetooth signal and includes, in addition to spatial coordinates, height, ambient temperature, ligh...
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has collaborated with the pest control industry to compile a 17-year time series describing changes in prevalence and seasonal fluctuations of selected important insect pests. The urban pest statistics of Norway includes eleven pests of which the common be...
Global warming and the urgent need to preserve our environment have established sustainability as a defining criterion in Western culture for evaluating new business activities. In the context of environmental and economic sciences, sustainability refers to a development model that meets the need...
Hidden damages that develop over long periods of time and remain undetected, may cause immense loss. An externally visible settlement of species whose presence draws attention to damage inside the structure can give hints to this hidden damage. In a castle in North Rhine-Westfalia (Germany) which...
It examines the effectiveness of Nicarbazin (NCZ) in controlling urban pigeon populations in Catalonia, Spain, over 24 municipalities for an eight-year period. The NCZ treatment resulted in an average annual reduction of pigeon numbers by 12%, with minimal impact on non-target species, underscori...
In this study, the use of a gel bait (0.6% Indoxacarb) and an insecticidal spray (2.49% Deltamethrin) applied by a professional pest controller in refugee homes in Berlin was compared, focusing on the time effort of pre-treatment and treatment and the efficacy up to 6 weeks after treatment. No pr...
This research studied the efficacy of commercial baits containing borax, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and indoxacarb. The results showed a significant difference in the survival rates among active ingredients, with products containing imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin bein...
In this study three commonly used heat systems: the GreenTech Titan (propane), the Temp-Air Thermal Remediation (electric), and the Heat Assault (glycol), were evaluated in the field to determine their overall efficacy for bed bug control, and to determine the factors contribute to heat system su...
The aim of this study is to investigate whether these films have side effects on certain non-target species of Hemiptera and Coleoptera which breathe atmospheric air. The insects used were collected from canals, ditches, lakes, and ponds, and immediately brought to the laboratory, where they were...
EU-funded project novIGRain (Horizon 2020 - ID: 101000663) conducted an extensive survey aimed at testing the occurrence of resistance among six key species of storage pests: Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus granarius, S. oryzae, Tribolium castaneum, T. confusum, and Oryzaephilus sur...
We analyzed samples of Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus from Europe (Spain 41 samples, Switzerland 2 samples, the Czech Republic 1 sample), Asia (Hong Kong 34 samples), and North America (United States of America 14 samples and Mexico 3 samples) and South America (Colombia...
In 1992 Rentokil launched Mouse Alert, a trap with wireless communications. In 2004 remotely connected pest devices (radio communication and connected to Internet) were deployed for the first time, starting Rentokil’s PestConnect system. In 2023, after several years of development, we incorporate...
In this presentation, we introduce a novel rodent-specific monitoring tool (Pest-Vision R-type). It analyses rodent movement from video images and uploads them to a web cloud for remote monitoring without needing pest management professionals to visit the site. The advantages pest control compani...
So, developing a tool to detect volatile chemical emission of bed bugs for non-experts represents a great interest. In this context, we developed a method of detection of bed bugs using their emitted VOCs indoors. An exhaustive VOC profile emitted in the air by bed bugs was first conducted in the...
In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of visual cues of sticky sheets for capturing house flies . In addition, we also examined the insect catching ability of LED-UV light traps under the same conditions. There was no significant difference between the number captured on the sticky she...
A standard behavioural test consists in releasing a number of bed bugs in an arena and counting after a given amount of time how many have been captured by a lure versus a control harbourage or trap. In such a test, high variability in control and lure catches may be observed for various reasons ...
We conducted a comprehensive study to target both adult and immature stages across six municipalities (around 270.00 inhabitants) in southern Spain, where ca. 1/3 of all Spanish WNV cases were reported. A total of 729 sampling sites were identified and regularly visited over four months, involvin...
To exterminate and control adult black flies in the upper reaches of the Ukawa River, we selected 10 sites in the Betsumata Area where the density of black flies fly is relatively high, and examined the flight direction of adult black flies using directional sticky traps with an improved flight i...
Based on the success and template of a Tennessee DI working group, the Southern Region Delusional Infestation Working Group, comprised of 35 professionals from 12 of 13 US southern states, created publications (Unknown Skin Irritations: A General Guide, Extension Agent Protocol for U...
In 2024, the Municipality of Genoa enhanced pest control measures based on the city's characteristics, including population density and morphology. These actions were informed by data collected over the past three years from areas with the highest mosquito abundance reported by residents. Control...
This study aims to apply the concept of technology foresight for SPP management technologies through a ten-stage scenario-building framework with the participation of industry stakeholders through series of discussions. The robust regulatory policies and the emergence of new technologies, mainly ...
In a large natural history museum, 1,527 sticky traps were set up in many areas from the basement to the attic as part of a pest survey from winter 2021/22 until autumn 2022. About 200 Arthropod species were found on the traps. The number of captured individuals was >15,574. Four species of th...
Here we present the preliminary results of a SIT pilot project conducted in a residential area of Kohav Yair, a municipality placed in Central Israel, between July-November 2024. Different mosquito releasing strategies were conducted in private gardens of 8 residential urban sites: weekly release...
The local Animal Office, in synergy with "Il Rastrello" (Pest Control Company), has prepared a protocol that includes several targeted actions, which cannot be limited to the use of rodenticide baits but managing the habitat to reduce proliferation. 1st Action: mapping of the critical issues pres...
Fifty years have passed since Walter Ebeling published his seminal text on Urban Entomology. Many factors converged in the years following its publication to stimulate interest in the pests associated with urban environments and create the discipline of urban entomology. The rapid urbani...
Prior to 1960s, non-crop entomological research in Asia primarily focused on vector-borne diseases like malaria, filariasis, dengue, and typhus, due to limited resources. Early research on urban insect pests in Asia, particularly in the 1960s, centered on cockroaches, examining their feeding beha...
Harmful insects like clothes moths and termites occurring in the synanthropic environment are considered pests which need to be controlled. However, human culture has also always widely utilized them as central characters in philosophy, in classic and modern world literature, in music and arts, a...
Urban pests have become increasingly challenging to manage in this era due to high levels of insecticide resistance and the decreased availability of sustainable products. Easily accessible DIY insecticides also contribute to the buildup of insecticide resistance due to their low efficacy and the...
Using genomic tools, it is now possible to investigate factors that influence demography, connectivity, and genomic diversity, to understand how organisms are adapting and evolving in response to the multitude of selective pressures that exist within cities and urban environments. The common bed ...
There are broadly four justifications to kill rats: they spread zoonotic diseases, they eat human foodstuff, they cause infrastructural damage and they are an invasive species. The justifications vary from context to context, and in many cases many of those do not hold up. In this plenary talk, I...
This study investigates the potential of a novel adjuvant designed to be co-administered with all classes of anticoagulant rodenticides. The adjuvant enhances the bioavailability of the active anticoagulant compound, reducing the quantity of bait needed for effective rodent control. By increasing...
This study investigates the environmental impact of various essential oil-based products by comparing their efficacy, formulation stability, pollinator-friendliness, operator and consumer safety profiles, and the release of active ingredients into the environment. Our findings reveal significant ...
Light Traps (ILTs) have been extensively used in food manufacturing sites for monitoring insect activity through fly catch analysis. This is a necessary but laborious task that requires a highly skilled technician to analyse the insect catch. A digital counting system has been developed to conduc...
Due to their specific nesting habits, conventional, fast acting insecticide active substances and non-chemical methods can not effectively control large, established colonies of this ant species. The combination of a palatable bait formulation with a specific insect growth regulator-type active s...
In the last 15 years the UPAS achieved successful eradications of the oriental cockroaches in some houseblocks and significant reductions in others. If the monitoring of suspected houseblocks shows activity of cockroaches on sticky traps the UPAS enforces all concerned house owners to have the co...
We present field data evaluating the performance of a lateral flow strip for bed bug detection. After a bed bug infestation is discovered, a control program is needed to eliminate bed bugs from an area. There are several products available for bed bug remediation, but one of the most effective to...
Since 2009 we have been working towards an approach that puts early detection at the forefront of control which has enabled us to fix infestations with nothing more than a vacuum cleaner. Having developed the products and processes to optimise detection our clients have confirmed lower guest com...
While various pathways exist for research impact, startups offer a direct route for widespread application, particularly with the agility of smaller companies. Drawing from the experience of Nattaro Labs, founded on research from Lund University, this analysis highlights key success factors: buil...