The ever-growing population and urbanization process create numerous urban pest problems. Urban insects affect our health, quality of life, and cause significant economic loss. In the past ten years, urban entomology has developed into one of the most dynamic and important disciplines in the science of entomology. The continued growth of this discipline is as certain as the continued urbanization of the world’s population, and the need for prevention or control of insects affecting the health and home of man.
The goal of my Urban Entomology program is to respond to the needs of stakeholders regionally, nationally and internationally (pest management professionals, housing management professionals, tenants of multi-unit housing environments) with useful research data and effective control programs. I have consolidated three research lines in my program: “Insecticide Resistance and Effects of Insecticides on Bed Bug Behavior” “Environmentally-friendly Products for the Management of Cockroaches”, and “Host-seeking Behavior in Kissing Bugs and Development of Alternative Approaches for Controlling Blood Feeding Insects”. Although these research lines are the core of my urban entomology program, new avenues of research on economically important urban pests (flies, fleas, termites, ants, scorpions) are sought as funding and research partners become available.
We use advanced techniques and equipment to study the behavior of these pest insects. We also rear exotic insects and conduct educational outreach within the Las Cruces community to help people better understand the role of insects and the impact pest insects have on society.
