Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
achieve a greater success rate with termite
treatments. For example, we now know that
the absence of termites after a baiting treat-
ment can mean one of two things: either the
colony was eliminated or the lack of activity
is only temporary, due to colony movement.
As a result, long-term post-treatment inspec-
tions to detect structural infestations are
needed even after the termites have been
'eliminated'.
Urban ecology is a relatively new
discipline and it will continue to evolve as
our cities and organisms that inhabit them
continue to evolve. Urban settings are non-
equilibrium environments and present a
number of unique challenges for the organ-
isms that inhabit cities. These challenges
include habitat restriction and fragmen-
tation, rapid rates of disturbance, changes
in biochemical cycles, localized pollution,
'heat island' effects, increased rates of
evolution, and others.
The effects of many of these challenges
are still not fully understood and their
effects on pests need to be investigated from
the perspective of improving the current
practices in the pest management industry.
Consequently, these challenges present
excellent research opportunities for ecolo-
gists who are interested in applied aspects
of urban ecology. However, the full
integration of ecological principles and
knowledge into urban pest management
programmes depends on overcoming numer-
ous constraints that limit the development
and adoption of ecological approaches in
urban pest management. These include: (i)
technical factors such as lack of studies and
the enormous complexity of the system; (ii)
economic factors such as relatively low
pesticide cost and high labour cost that
favour chemical treatments, including
calendar-based applications that are still
common in the industry; (iii) institutional
and educational factors such as lack of
adequate extension services, poor linkage
between research and extension, and short-
range urgency of applied research; and (iv)
logistic factors such as separation between
ecological, physical and socioeconomic
components of urban areas. To implement
ecological pest management successfully in
urban areas the various stakeholders
involved in pest management must over-
come these challenges and develop a
business model that is based on a holistic
approach where knowledge and practice
have a sound theoretical basis and are
closely integrated into an effective pest
management programme.
Conclusion
The pest management industry is being
challenged by a number of developments
that are re-shaping the industry and driving
innovation. Some of the most signifi cant
challenges facing urban pest management
include an increase in urbanization and the
growing need for effective pest management,
changing customer perceptions about pesti-
cide use, environmental concerns about
pesticide safety and residues, stricter regu-
lations regarding training and certifi cation,
new and emerging pests including invasive
species, climate and environmental changes
that limit pests in some areas while
accentuating them in others, and insecticide
resistance in many urban pests. Although
many of these factors sound like potential
impediments, many are excellent oppor-
tunities to grow the pest management
industry into a highly rewarding and
profi table future. Many are also excellent
research opportunities for the chemical
manufacturing industry and academic
researchers to develop innovative tools and
strategies in support of the pest management
industry.
Successful and environmentally respon-
sible urban pest management is possible
with the techniques and knowledge cur-
rently available. Although the interactions
are complex, a sensible mix of cultural,
biological and chemical control methods is
suffi cient to produce effi cacious pest man-
agement in a cost-effective and environ-
mentally responsible manner. There is no
doubt that insecticides will continue to be
an important tool for the pest management
industry in the foreseeable future. However,
insecticides and insecticide use patterns
will probably change. Broad-spectrum
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