10th International Conference on Urban Pests, Barcelona, Spain, 29th June - 1st July. 2020

AIM-COST Tue, 01/28/2020 - 15:05
ICUP Logo

As you know, the International Conference on Urban Pests (ICUP) brings together those with a professional interest in urban pests. Every three years, participants from academia, industry, government and professional pest control, come from all over the world to meet at the ICUP and share research  and ideas.

In this 10th edition that we celebrate in 2020, the Spanish Organizing Committee in charge of the Conference will maintain the classical main topics but introduce several new features related to ICUP’s spirit and aims. In the 10th ICUP Conference the initials of the organization will be relevant each day of the meeting.

 

ICUP: "I" day 29th June

"I" means "International" that in terms of Pest Management we can interpret as  "No borders" situation to fight against pests. Globalization is one of the most relevant drivers of new and old pest invasions worldwide. The massive and quick movement of people and goods all over the world has facilitated the expansion of arthropod, mammal and bird pests. Once established in urban environments they cause economic, health and structural damage. A global view of pest processes is needed since new harmful organisms can arrive to cities at any moment due to globalization and climate change. Consequently, networking of pest management professionals and awareness of pest situations are  mandatory preventive measures for any city. During the "I" day we will focus the Plenary Session  on this topic of "Globalization and Pest Management".

 

ICUP: "U" day 30th June

"U" means "Urban", which is our working landscape. The urban concept is strongly dynamic and has also notably changed in the last 100 years. Different types of urbanization processes and diverse urban plans can influence pest problems. Consequently, architects and other professionals directly involved in urban planning are key partners for pest managers. Moreover, urbanization has also a collateral impact on pest behavior. Cities are artificial environments that can cause changes in the ethology and reproduction of "urban fauna". Understanding these factors and changes is crucial to design and implement efficient urban pest management programs, especially in relation to urban disease vectors such as mosquitoes, sandflies and rodents. All these aspects will be discussed in the Plenary Session of this day (the “U” day) of the Conference.

 

ICUP: "P" day 1st July

"P" means "Pests", which is our key concept. Pest is a circumstantial, arbitrary and anthropocentric concept. The determination of  tolerance and economic impact thresholds to make decisions on pest management is not easy and varies depending on different cities and social, cultural and legal factors. Moreover, new pests or "urban fauna"  are emerging in different parts of the world. Some traditionally non-urban animals like parrots, wild boars, scorpions and snakes, are increasing their impact in cities worldwide. These topics will be discussed during the "P" day, of the Conference.

 

ICUP: "C" Conference

The last initial is "C" which correspond the "Conference". The Conference is the space we have to discuss "I", "U" and "P". It is the forum for the exchange of technical and scientific ideas the enhancement of communication and cooperation among all those professionals working with urban pests worldwide.

Conference attendees are encouraged to send their communications based on one or more of the following key topics:

  • Bed bug
  • Mosquitoes
  • Xylophagous insects (termites, woodboring beetles)
  • Flying insects (flies, wasps)
  • Crawling insects (cockroaches, ants)
  • Medical entomology (ticks, fleas)
  • Rodents
  • Birds
  • Invasive Species
  • Chemical control
  • Non-chemical control
  • Complementary technology (GIS, monitoring tools, citizen science)

Dr. Rubén Bueno
Chair of 10th ICUP 2020
On behalf of the Organising Committee