Trapper Jacks Sponsors UCR’s 34th Urban Pest Management Conference
The University of Riverside’s Entomology Department recently held their 34th Urban Pest Management Conference. This is one of our nation’s premier events, and the attendees learned a wealth of new information from some of the top experts in the pest management field.
Dr. Karen M. Vail, of the University of Tennessee, was one of the featured speakers. Her first talk of the day was on the use of insect growth regulators for treating ants. She shared her research on the subject, and we learned how these products can be very useful on some species of ants. We also learned that not all species will respond in the same ways, and that more research will be necessary to find the answers we all need.
Later that afternoon, Dr. Vail gave us a “Protocol for working with suspected delusional infestations”. This type of problem can be very difficult for pest management professionals to deal with, and her advice was invaluable.
Sapna E. Thottathil, with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, gave us a lesson on Sustainable Pest Management. We also received regulatory updates from Kathy Boyle, of the Structural Pest Control Board.
Dr. Naimh Quinn’s talk on how to manage burrowing rodents could not have been timelier. With the growing populations of these pests, and the ever-changing regulations, the challenges that pest management professionals face have never been greater. Everyone who deals with rodent pests needs to learn from her.
Dr. Chow-Yang Lee, with UCR, discussed “Control options for managing insecticide-resistant bed bugs”. These pests are evolving and some of the old methods of treatment are no longer effective. Dr. Lee told of ways to deal with these pests and how we can stay ahead of the process.
Dr. Don-Hwan Choe, of UCR, gave a talk on “Low-impact protocols for Argentine ant control”. My only complaint about his presentation was that it was not long enough. He has so much knowledge to share, and we could easily spend an entire day on this subject.
One of my favorite presentations was given by Shao-Hung Lee, of UCR. His research deals with the use of artificial sweeteners for controlling German cockroaches. That’s right – he is using the same artificial sweeteners that we find in our food and beverages to kill these pests! This is very exciting research and we can’t wait to learn more about this new low-toxic treatment.
Siavash Taravati, Area Integrated Pest Management Advisor, UCCE Riverside County, gave us an update on Dark Rover ant baiting research. These pests can be very challenging for anyone who deals with them, and we learned which baits are working, as well as those that do not.
Rachel Arango, Research Entomologist, USDA Forest Products Laboratory, discussed the “Biology of wood degrading powder post beetles and decay fungi, and implications for management and control”.
We got a big dose of information from Nicholas Poulos, with UCR, when he discussed the “Biology of fecal pellets in the western drywood termite, and implications for their management”.
One of UCR’s legends, Dr. Mike Rust, discussed “Drywood termite treatments and impacts”. Dr. Rust has been at the University since 1975, and one can never learn enough from him!
Sang-Bin Lee, Assistant Cooperative Extension Urban IPM Advisor, UCCE Solano County & UC IPM, discussed “The invisible magic: how the termite bait works in the underground nest of a subterranean termite colony”.
Trapper Jacks is proud to support the Urban Pest Management Conference. This year’s event was packed with information, and anyone who is serious about a career in pest management should plan on attending next year’s event. Bring your pencils and note pad because there will be nuch more to learn!