Stakeholder co-design of sustainable urban pest management strategies.

Abstract

The high levels of broad-spectrum insecticides used to manage invertebrates in many cities around the world has significant environmental and health impacts. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a framework for sustainable pest control practice, but uptake of IPM remains low in most cities. We used participatory action research with pest management industry stakeholders (practitioners, industry representatives, researchers and government employees) to identify key issues in urban pest management in Australia, set priorities for change and discuss collaborative solutions. Via an online survey and a face-to-face workshop, the participants identified the key themes of education and training, public awareness, environmental impacts and lack of IPM uptake. We present a summary of the top eight issues, the priorities identified for each one and the co-designed recommended actions that different stakeholders can take to support a shift towards more sustainable pest management practices in urban settings.