Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Insects: The Quality-of-Life Scenario
Rajeev Vaidyanathan*
SRI International, USA
Introduction
For the fi rst time ever, the majority of the
world's population lives in a city and this
proportion continues to grow. In contrast,
100 years ago, two out of every ten people
lived in an urban area. By 1990, less than
40% of the global population lived in a city,
but as of 2010 more than half of all people
live in an urban area. By 2030, six out of
every ten people will live in a city and, by
2050, this proportion will increase to seven
out of ten people (WHO, 2014). The greatest
benefi ts of urban living for millions of poor,
rural migrants have been better education,
access to resources, the availability of work
and, therefore, a substantial increase in
income (Massey, 2002). Urbanization by
defi nition involves the concentration of
human beings, with the obvious dis-
advantages of crowding, a higher crime rate,
violence, increased rates of disease inci-
dence and domestic pest infestations.
Political corruption and exploitation of
poor, illiterate workers, who constitute a
formidable voting bloc, ensure that slums
will remain a permanent feature of the
urban landscape. Even in the absence of
vector-borne disease, improving sanitation
and building materials, reliable access to
clean water and toilets, and pest control
improve the quality of life for urban
residents. Schumacher (1975) elegantly
In their role as vectors of pathogens,
haematophagous (blood-feeding) insects
and other arthropods have had an incalcul-
able impact on human health and society.
Citizens, entomologists, pest control oper-
ators and public health offi cials can justify
that controlling haematophagous insects
improves the quality of life of urban
residents, even in the absence of pathogen
transmission. This chapter will discuss the
political, fi nancial and psychological
impact of haematophagous insects in urban
environments. It will also discuss how
strategies commonly included in vector
control, such as rubbish disposal, waste-
water management and rodent control, can
be directly benefi cial on their own to general
pest management. In addition, the chapter
will highlight how pest-induced pain and
panic elicit a greater fi nancial response than
public health concerns alone in urban
societies. This chapter will use the example
of bed bugs (
Cimex lectularius
) in lower-
income housing in Virginia, USA, to
quantify the fi nancial impact of a
haematophagous insect that is not a vector
and advocate for pest control even in the
absence of vector-borne pathogen trans-
mission.
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