10th International Conference on Urban Pests (ICUP) 2022

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. This year the institution that hosts the conference is the Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona (ASPB).

Sadly, the current situation has led us to postpone, once again, the celebration of the tenth edition of the ICUP until the summer of 2022. The health of the attendees has and will always be our main concern. Despite the adversities, we face this situation with enthusiasm and optimism. Urban Pest Control has shown its ability to adapt and overcome during this pandemic.
We are convinced that Barcelona will offer an unbeatable setting to get together, meet each other again and enjoy a unique Congress. Until then, we will continue our efforts to organize the best possible event. Of course, with the best possible health and safety measures.

In the 10th edition that we will celebrate in 2020+2, the Spanish Organizing Committee in charge of the Conference will maintain the classic main topics but introduce several new features related to ICUP’s spirit and aims. In the 10th ICUP Conference the organization initials will be relevant each day of the meeting.

“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”.

“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.

“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.

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.