NCUE Recognizes Next Generation of Entomologists; Honors Dr. Coby Schal

In recognizing Schal – the Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor in Urban Entomology at nearby North Carolina State University – NCUE Awards Chairman Dr. Daniel Suiter said he had developed an “exceptionally strong, internationally recognized urban entomology program.” Quoting a nomination letter from Schal’s North Carolina State colleagues Jules Silverman and Ed Vargo, as well as Robert Kopanic, a former graduate student now working for S.C. Johnson & Sons, Suiter said, “His research scope is very broad, spanning from the cellular regulation of insect endocrine glands and the biochemistry, behavior and physiology of cockroach pheromones to the implementation of integrated approaches in the management of urban pests.”

Schal also sits on the Governing Board of the Entomological Society of America, has published 65 articles in peer-reviewed journals, conducted 300 lectures to learned societies and pest control groups, holds three patents, and mentored more than a dozen Ph.D.’s and 19 post-doctoral students. In addition, he is a lifetime Honorary Member of the North Carolina Pest Control Association.

In accepting the prestigious award, Schal recognized the contributions of Arnold Mallis, the original author of the Handbook of Pest Control and a “pest control industry pioneer.” He also cited two other colleagues who had a significant impact on his career, entomologists Dr. William J. Bell and Dr. Lou Roth.

Following the ceremony, Schal presented the Arnold Mallis Memorial Award Lecture titled, “The German Cockroach: Re-Emergence of an Old Foe … That Never Departed.” During the hour-long lecture, Schal updated attendees on his pioneering work on asthma and cockroach allergens. “Cockroaches are producing an enormous amount of human allergen,” he said, which represents a significant public health threat, particularly among inner-city children. That’s the bad news. The good news is Schal’s research indicates it’s a problem that can be addressed successfully through an integrated approach incorporating sanitation, resident education and cockroach control.

“Why has allergen abatement in homes failed for all these years?” he asked. “In our view the emphasis has been on medical interventions and clinicians rather than entomologists and structural pest control. The job of the PMP is really the critical factor in reducing cockroach allergens,” he said. “We’ve shown we can reduce allergen significantly with cockroach control.”

Schal warned, however, that the pest management industry must be vigilant in its cockroach control efforts and continue to invest in technician training. If pest management professionals hope to reduce the incidence of cockroach-related asthma, “much better training needs to be done,” he said.

“I think cockroach control has been taken for granted by many pest control operators,” he said, a trend Schal hopes will change with the recent re-emergence of the German cockroach due to such factors as insecticide resistance, bait aversion and changes in societal priorities, including less funding for public housing authorities.

“I think PMPs are well trained, but poorly retain their training under the pressure of day-to-day covering accounts. We spend an hour and a half per apartment with two people per apartment,” Schal said. “I know that economically that’s not feasible for PMPs,” but that’s what it takes to eliminate cockroach allergens.

“The take home message that we’re saying to the federal government is this has repercussions for public policy,” he added. Don’t spend money on professional cleaning and medical interventions; spend that money on professional pest control.

Following Schal on the program were presentations by NCUE’s student scholarship award winners, including Rebecca Bailiff of Louisiana State University, winner of the Bachelor of Science Award and a student of Dr. Linda Hooper-Bui; Margaret Gentz of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the winner of the Master of Science Award and a student of Dr. Ken Grace; and Raj K. Saran, the winner of the Ph.D. Award and a student of Dr. Michael Rust. Each student received a $1,500 check, along with their award.

The next generation of urban entomologists was highlighted during the presentation of eight student papers on such diverse topics as gut bacteria found in termites and argentine ant foraging activity. Students and their respective universities represented in the Student Paper Competition included: C. Jerry Bowen, Oklahoma State University; Raj K. Saran, University of California, Riverside; Hao Yu, University of Arizona; Marc Fisher, Virginia Tech; Preston Brown, Virginia Tech; Eric Paysen, Clemson University; John Brightwell, North Carolina State University; and David Moore, Virginia Tech. Winners of the student paper competition were Preston Brown (first place) and Marc Fisher (second place), who are students of Dr. Dini Miller at Virginia Tech.

One of the most eagerly anticipated sessions on the first full day of the conference was a symposium devoted to the topic of “Insecticide Transfer in Social Insects” organized by Dr. Michael Rust, University of California, Riverside, and Dr. Mark Coffelt, DuPont Professional Products.

Rust presented a brief literature review of relevant insecticide transfer work, pointing out that “the potential for transfer is most apparent in social and semi-social insects” where there is sufficient time for insects to socially interact following exposure to the toxicant. He said a number of factors can affect the level of insecticide transfer that occurs following a pesticide application, including the substrate being treated, pesticide concentration, exposure time and other “biologically relevant” factors.

The key, he said, is the toxicant “must have some sort of delayed activity. At high concentrations most of these toxicants kill very rapidly,” he said, but at low concentrations “we begin to see delayed toxicity and delayed activity,” allowing time for donor insects to infect recipient insects. “The bottom line is what does the donor actually pick up and what is available to be transferred?” Rust asked. “The vast extent of material transferred from donor to recipient occurs in the first 24 hours. After that very little transfer occurs.”

Dr. Barbara Thorne of the University of Maryland followed Rust on the program, presenting a paper titled, “Less May Be More: How Concentration Impacts Efficacy of Transfer.” She echoed Rust’s observations, pointing out that high concentrations of pesticide can lead to rapid death, which can negate transfer opportunities. Therefore, she says, “The most efficient/effective transfer may occur after intermediate concentrations of pesticides or after prolonged exposure to low concentrations.”

In yet another termite presentation, Dr. Xing Ping Hu of Auburn University presented video footage of research that she says documents worker to worker and worker to reproductive transfer of fipronil among termites. Using a new test design reflecting “simulated field conditions,” she videotaped the cryptic behavior of termites using night-vision technology. Among her observations were fipronil-treated soil does not create repellency or avoidance of termites; exposed termites act normally before losing equilibrium; the presence of dying or dead bodies neither repels or deters unexposed termites; and upon colony dissection toxic residues were found in all castes. “Experimental design and conditions do have a critical impact on findings of experiments on social insects,” she said.

The final two speakers to discuss insecticide transfer in social insects were Donald Reierson of the University of California, Riverside, who reviewed his findings of insecticide transfer in the western yellowjacket, and Dr. Daniel Suiter of the University of Georgia, who discussed insecticide transfer in ants.