The Scientific Coalition on Pest Exclusion Project Report 2017

NYS IPM Type: Project ReportEffective IPM plans for buildings and structures should rely upon the exclusion of pests through good design and maintenance as a prerequisite to sustainable pest control and prevention. Unfortunately, this critical tenet of IPM is often ignored or overlooked, especially in aging structures. Teaching pest management personnel, landlords, residents and others how to exclude pests more effectively requires a better understanding of pest behavior. However, there are many knowledge gaps regarding dispersal behavior of urban pests, and how they establish infestations. There is a need for better understanding of different building structures and problems related to deterioration that allows pest access. There is also a need for understanding how exclusion relates to other programs for building improvements, such as weatherization efforts. The SCOPE 2020 (Scientific Coalition of Pest Exclusion) working group has begun to study and promote the use of exclusion methods in existing buildings for improved urban IPM. This group has engaged with urban IPM stakeholders in a project to develop the foundations of known and needed pest exclusion research and training effort. Working with members from the Northeast, North Central and Southeastern regions, this coalition has established a plan for project development, a list of interested supporters, a website and Facebook page. A robust network of partners from various industries and states are included in the development of a strategic plan for SCOPE, a literature review of pest dispersal and exclusion research, development of priorities for research and outreach, developing pest exclusion recommendations and managing social media outreach. Although this is a Northeastern IPM Center-funded working group (2015-2017) the work precedes this funding and will continue far beyond the termination of the grant