[NCUE Conference] Research Review

On May 19, urban entomologists representing academia, industry, government agencies and private consultants gathered in Phoenix, Ariz., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel for the 9th National Conference on Urban Entomology (NCUE). The following three days were packed with presentations covering a wide variety of topics relating to urban entomology. More than 200 individuals attended the meeting and a total of 84 papers were presented.

The first NCUE was held in College Park, Md., and organized by Dr. Eugene Wood, professor of entomology at the University of Maryland. Since that time the conference has been held every other year with the goal of promoting the transfer of entomological knowledge between academia, industry and government entities as well as promoting and celebrating the study of arthropod pests in the urban environment.

The presentations were organized into submitted paper sections — termites, ants, cockroaches and public health pests, as well as organized symposia on a variety of topics.

Dr. Brad Kard organized a symposium on desert termite diversity in honor of the late Dr. William Nutting. Speakers discussed some of the more prevalent — yet not necessarily pestiferous — termite species that reside in the Southwest. The presentations focused on research that has been conducted throughout the past 30 years on biology and species distribution, as well as these species impact on increased urbanization and ultimate rise to pest status.

A symposia titled "Ant Ecology in the Urban Environment" featured two papers on Argentine ant distribution dynamics, white-footed ant feeding efficacy data on a number of commercially available baits and a review of the invasive habits and ecological impact of the red imported fire ant. In addition to these presentations, industry representatives from a number of product manufacturers presented their efficacy data from field and laboratory trials covering many of the latest available ant control formulations available to pest management professionals. Dr. Karen Vail of the University of Tennessee presented some interesting data on odorous house ant colony composition.

Dr. Mike Rust organized a symposia focusing on the utilization of molecular biology for termite identification. This topic continues to be discussed and researched by the basic researchers, yet there is still some level of uncertainty about how this may all fit into the world of pest control.

Will the pest management professional see a day when termite colony elimination or elimination of a specific colony is backed or assured by molecular/DNA field evaluation of worker termites found on the premises post-treatment to prove or disprove they were from one colony or another? It is certainly hard to tell, however, improvements in technique and data interpretation among molecular termite identification specialists continues.

TERMITES RULE. The Formosan termite received special billing in a symposia organized by Dr. Frank Guillot from the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Several speakers discussed area-wide management programs that are currently ongoing in the New Orleans area. Efficacy data from two different bait treatment case studies were presented as well. Weste Osbrink of the USDA-ARS-SRRC discussed some of the latest advances in termite detection technology that may better help entomologists track Formosan and other termite species infestations.

Twenty-three submitted papers on the general topic of termites were presented in addition to the three symposia already mentioned. In fact, of the 84 total papers presented this year exactly 42 (50 percent) of them were on the topic of termites. This tells us something about where the focus is for both industry and academic based research among urban entomologists. But this focus starts with you, the pest management professional. You have a demand for products and services that target termite control — industry responds to these needs by creating new and innovative control options in the forms of novel chemistry and delivery systems — in many instances to achieve this industry funds academic research programs to assist them in the product development process in the form of efficacy trials, product screens and even registration data packages.

The submitted papers for termites were dominated by efficacy data presentations by industry representatives and academics alike. Fipronil and imidacloprid barrier treatment data was presented by several individuals among other efficacy-based/field trial/case studies. Four other presentations on molecular and biochemical studies targeted caste determination and species identification were presented.

Additionally there were talks on termite baiting and monitoring as a central component to area-wide IPM, the effects of Metarhizium anisopliae and sesame oil and its derivatives as active ingredients, several laboratory studies targeting termite worker feeding preferences, and a few papers on field foraging behaviors rounded out the submitted termite papers.

COCKROACHES IN SECOND. The German cockroach was featured in a symposia organized by Dr. Shripat Kamble titled "The resurrection of the German Cockroach." This symposium can be summarized in two words: bait avoidance. Of the six papers in the symposia, five of them were focused entirely on this topic. The question remains — what is "bait avoidance?" If it is not a form of resistance then what is it? What is the physiological mechanism that results in the behavior described as "bait avoidance" or "bait aversion"? The presentations focused on screening field populations and determining whether or not they exhibited "bait aversion." Documenting bait avoidance, or the lack thereof, and a race to develop bait bases and matrices to avoid (no pun intended) bait aversion by key manufacturers, is no doubt the hot area of interest in the German cockroach world.

Six other papers were featured in the submitted paper section for cockroaches. Dr. Gary Bennett’s group presented two papers on bait efficacy, field trials and characterization of several bait aversive strains of the German cockroach. Interestingly three papers focused on the American cockroach. Russell Grow of Extermi-train discussed a case study of a giant population of American cockroaches residing in a stump dump in upstate New York.

Eileen Paine of the University of California, Riverside, presented data on her efforts to develop novel control methods for American cockroaches in sewer systems, and Deanna Branscome presented her research on the movement of Salmonella sp. bacteria on and between experimentally inoculated American cockroaches.

OTHER TOPICS. The submitted paper section titled "Public Health Pests" included presentations about bed bug case studies, mosquitoes and barrier control, and efficacy data from comparison of six different pyrethroids on a variety of surfaces, area-wide control of yellow jackets utilizing baits, a new Tick Management System by Maxforce and a paper by Ellen Thoms of Dow AgroSciences on Vikane gas fumigation as a means of total pest eradication for "exotic" or "unusual" pests. (This paper section was perhaps my most enjoyable of the entire conference in that it reminded me that there is so much more to urban entomology other than termites, ants and cockroaches. In the future I hope to see this section gain momentum.)

Dr. Roger Gold of Texas A&M University organized a symposium titled "Teaching Urban Entomology — What Works and What Doesn’t?" This symposium featured four presentations by university representatives and one industry individual. Topics covered were laboratory instruction, service learning, the paybacks and tradeoffs of creating an urban program and a field perspective of teaching urban entomology by Patrick Copps of Orkin Pest Control. Although I was unable to attend this symposium I heard several favorable reviews about it, in particular the discussion that followed after the talks concluded. Whether in academia, industry or the service business, teaching and learning are always an integral part of any developing program. I’m sure it was helpful for many to hear what works and what doesn’t from this group of teaching experts.

The final symposium of the conference was organized by Dr. Brian Cabrera of the University of Florida. The symposium, titled "New Urban Pests and Old Pest Resurgence," was comprised of six papers covering a wide variety of topics. The "tree termite" Nasutitermes coastalis was featured in two talks by the University of Florida group covering both the history of this termite and a very interesting case study of an area-wide eradication effort in Southeastern Florida.

John Klotz of the University of California, Riverside, discussed several case histories of stinging ants focusing on some medical data. Susan Jones presented a talk reviewing what we know and don’t know yet about the multi-colored Asian lady beetle. Another bed bug talk from Frank Meek of Orkin Pest Control verified that indeed this pest is on the rise in certain locations around the United States and a presentation on the white-footed ant by John Warner of the University of Florida rounded out this session.

CONCLUSION. The 2004 National Conference on Urban Entomology concluded, as it always does, with the final business meeting. Several topics were covered but most importantly the site for the 2006 NCUE was accepted. The next conference will be held in Raleigh, N.C., sometime in the spring (the exact dates are yet to be determined).

If you have never attended one of these conferences you now have a two-year reminder to mark your calendar for the 2006 meeting. It’s a great opportunity for the pest management professional to learn what is going on in both academic and industrial based research covering both basic and applied aspects of entomology and pest management practices.

Moreover, it’s a fantastic opportunity to network with the who’s who of urban entomology in a very condensed forum — practically every attendee is studying some aspect of pest control that will ultimately make your job as a pest management professional easier and more efficient.

See you in Raleigh, N.C., in 2006!

The author is a senior research scientist at SC Johnson & Son Inc., Racine, Wis., in the New Product Development Division of the company’s Worldwide Consumer Products Group. He can be reached via e-mail at rkopanic@giemedia.com.