Endorsements

Insects and related arthropods have made extensive use of Earth's natural resources for millions of years. The advent of agriculture some 10,000 years ago, followed by the increase in human densities and growth of urban environs, created a new and dynamic natural resource for their adaptation. Bed bugs, termites, ants, flies, mosquitoes, fleas, lice, and many others have suddenly found humans and the spaces they construct available for their adaptation and use. Here, insect science experts contribute 15 chapters grouped by pest type or technological approach to address problem identification and provide management strategies. Bed bugs, termites, and mosquitoes, for example, have been studied extensively, and there are specific protocols that will likely succeed. Less is known about timber pest beetles, which often leaves their management to a trial-and-error approach. Recent work in molecular science and in renewed studies of plants with pest control properties provides a wealth of new information that should translate into better ways to solve urban insect problems. The book also makes a convincing case for the need to devise expert networks to diagnose and deliver holistic management strategies resulting in sustainable solutions for urban insect problems. Prophylactic control with pesticides is unsustainable, and this volume provides new and better directions for future management. --M. K. Harris, Texas A&M University Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners.