New Working Group Established by UF/IFAS Researchers

Working Group to Tackle Invasive Mosquitoes in the South

Invasive mosquito species are finding their way into the United States with greater frequency then ever before. The southern United States are more susceptible to invasions due to their tropical and sub-tropical climate and abundance of mosquito breeding habitat. New additions to the local mosquito fauna burden current surveillance and control approaches. For instance, mosquito control and public health workers require additional training to identify new mosquito threats and optimized sampling strategies to accurately survey populations.

Objectives

UF Researchers at the FMEL have teamed up with mosquito control to tackle this problem. The Mosquito BEACONS Working Group (Biodiversity Enhancement and Control of Non-Native Species) was established in March of 2021 and brings leadership in the mosquito control communities together. We are using an IPM approach to:

  • identify priority areas for research and Extension
  • build strong collaborations
  • promote sustainable IPM infrastructure.

 

Membership

Our group has members from universities, private pest control, public health, State Department of Agriculture, and most importantly mosquito control. Collectively, we cover Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico.

Upcoming Activities

We are working with mosquito control programs through virtual and in-person meetings, surveys, and a workshop. Stay tuned for more information or visit our website to read more about our objectives.

Funding

We are supported by the Southern IPM Center (Project S21-002) as part of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Crop Protection and Pest Management Regional Coordination Program (Agreement No. 2018-70006-28884).

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Posted: December 22, 2021


Category: UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Integrated Pest Management, Invasive, Mosquito, Mosquito BEACONS, UF/IFAS


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