Program for ICUP 2017 Announced

BIRMINGHAM, UK — The ICUP 2017 Organising Committee has been working very hard behind the scenes to put together the program for the forthcoming International Conference on Urban Pests (ICUP) to be held in Birmingham, UK, July 9-12, 2017. Held only every three years, and at locations around the world, this time it is the turn of the UK to host the event. 

Chaired by Dr Matthew Davies, the Organising Committee has reviewed an extremely large number of abstracts submitted by potential authors and the detailed program is now available. It can be viewed on the ICUP website at www.icup2017.org.uk/program/.

In total there will be six presentations in the plenary session on day one, followed over the next two days by 60 concurrent sessions delegates can pick from, plus 38 poster papers. The program covers a great spread of speakers from all over the world – USA, UK plus many countries from continental Europe, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Australia. This truly is an international conference on urban pests. It is also exciting to see the continued emergence of a newer generation of researchers alongside the well established global experts.

The conference starts on 10 July with the plenary session to be opened by representatives from the California Academy of Sciences, speaking about arthropod communities in homes. This is followed by independent consultant, Partho Dhang from the Philippines, who will review one of the most important topics of all – the impact of climate change on urban pests. Mosquitoes and houseflies are also included in this plenary session, as is a paper addressing environmental light conditions and the effects on aquatic insects. 

Concurrent special interest sessions
After the plenary session, the program breaks into three concurrent sessions running over the next two and a half days. Papers covering bed bugs and rodents feature prominently with three dedicated sessions each. Within the bed bug sessions are papers reviewing the current problems encountered from an overall management perspective, the role of international travellers, to the use of heat, colour preferences, chemical ecology and the use of monitors. Resistance to pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides is discussed plus the emerging reduced susceptibility of this species to neonicotinoids.

Rodent pests, in particular rats, feature strongly with wide ranging papers, for example one covering systematic surveys in English dwellings from Mark Lambert of the National Wildlife Management Centre Animal and Plant Health Agency, UK. The recently introduced UK rodenticide stewardship regime will be discussed as a model for anticoagulant risk mitigation by Alan Buckle representing the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU). Of particular interest throughout Europe will be the paper addressing the efficacy of reduced concentration rodenticides, presented by Erik Schmolz of the German Environment Agency. 

Mice also feature with papers debating control within the food industry, the use of ultra-sonic devices and the use of two new alternative rodenticide actives.

There is also to be a full session on rodenticide resistance during which Mark Hoppé (Chair IRAC Public Health Team, Syngenta Crop Protection) who will discuss the latest recommendations regarding resistance management. 

Vertebrate and flying pests
Vertebrate pests also appear with papers covering a wide range of pests including racoons in Germany, urban pigeons and Kayleigh Hansford from Public Health England examines the significance of the introduction of the brown dog tick into the UK. 

Mosquitoes attract the attention they deserve with papers on Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, provided by Ruben Bueno of Departamento de Investigación y Desarrollo, Laboratorios Lokimica, Spain. Various novel methods of control are also addressed covering barrier and water surface applications. 

Two sessions cover insects and developments in the field of medical entomology, including a paper from ICUP conference chairman, Matthew Davies of Killgerm Chemicals, who will detail his new findings regarding non-biting flies and disease transmission. Another ICUP organiser also taking to the floor is poster manager, Matt Green of Rentokil, who will discuss the role of LEDs in the design of ultra-violet light flytraps for house fly monitoring and control.

Rounding the sessions off are presentations concerning termites, new concepts in cockroach baiting, IGRs for cat fleas and pests within museums. Various methods of both chemical and non-chemical control against a variety of pest species make up a further two sessions.

Workshops and discussion sessions
Delegate participation also forms an important part at ICUP events. This is not only mingling and networking during the breaks and non-formal sessions, but also at a bed bug workshop to be held on the afternoon of the third day – 12 July. Delegates will divide into groups, each led by one of the bed bug experts, discuss some topical issues and then all come back together to present their findings.

Poster session
Virtually the whole afternoon on Tuesday 11 July is given over to poster presentations. Whilst the posters will be on display for the whole event, during this specific poster session, authors will stand alongside their poster display enabling all those interested to discuss their research work face-to-face.

Birmingham is an easy city to reach
The Aston University campus is centrally located in Birmingham. It is easily reached by car via the nearby motorway network or by train, as New Street station with its quick links to London, is merely a short walk away. For international delegates, Birmingham International airport is only nine miles away and is easily reached by taxi or regular and swift train links to Birmingham New Street station.

Full details are given on the ICUP website at www.icup2017.org.uk/travel-how-to-find-us/

Registration now open
The ICUP organizers have worked hard to offer delegates a variety of great value rates, which includes full registration to the ICUP conference plus three nights of on-campus accommodation, at either the business class hotel or modern student accommodation at Aston University. Also included are breakfast and lunch throughout the conference, the proceedings (in print and USB format), conference bag and peripherals, such as a pen and notebook, conference gift mug, plus the great-looking conference t-shirt, as well as Wi-Fi access. 

Those thinking of attending are encouraged to take advantage of the ‘early bird’ registration rate. The least expensive package is the campus student accommodation at £526 ($640) at the early bird rate, rising to £613 ($746) after this. The business class hotel accommodation is £598 ($728) rising to £685 ($834) after the early bird offer ends.

One unique feature of ICUP events is a special student rate, which this time is only £324 ($395).
For full details and to make your reservation go to www.icup2017.org.uk/registration/