41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology
and 9th International Conference on Bacillus thuringiensis

World population reached 6 billion in 2000, and is projected to grow to 8.9 billion by 2050. Despite the fact that the urban population is about half of the total population, the percentage of land occupied by urban areas is only about three percent. Urban agglomeration frequently results in profound environmental impact, including pesticide pollution issues, and municipalities often have widespread contamination of surface waters due to urban pesticide application. Many urban areas draw their drinking water from surface sources, and concerns about the environmental fate and long-term health effects of pesticides have led city and government groups to pursue less chemically intensive management practices. Urban microbial products are used for management of disease vectors, horticultural, turf and structural pests. Their greatest strength is their safety, as they are essentially nontoxic and nonpathogenic to animals and humans. Because most microbial insecticides are effective against a narrow range of pests and because these insecticides are vulnerable to rapid inactivation, users must properly identify target pests and plan the most effective application. The same qualities mean that microbial insecticides can be used without undue risks of human injury or environmental damage. Consequently, microbial insecticides are becoming important tools in urban insect management.