Research Specialization - Urban entomology is the study of insects and arthropods associated with people in cities. At UC Riverside, the goals are to explore the basic biology of pests that attack stored foods, museum objects, fiber, structures, and pets and to develop integrated pest management strategies. Students conduct research on the biology and control of ants, cockroaches, fleas, yellowjackets, and termites, which represent the major economic pests in urban settings worldwide. In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness and interest in the use of alternative pest control technologies that reduce the amount of insecticide used. Ongoing projects include the use of baits to control ants in urban and agricultural areas, baiting and soil treatments to control subterranean termites, nutrient dynamics and food flow in subterranean termite and ant colonies, and the development of IPM programs to control yellowjackets. Recent studies conducted by our students include the response of ants to barrier treatments, nutrient and bait dynamics in ant and termite colonies, physiological ecology of drywood termites, insecticide resistance in cat flea populations, and interactions between ants and dead nestmates (necrophoresis). Our approach to urban pest management has always emphasized innovative and creative research. Student research topics balance both basic and applied aspects, ensuring maximum exposure and training to the field of urban entomology. We explore conventional as well as novel methods of pest management emphasizing the reduction in the use of pesticides. Little is known about the biology and ecology of most major urban insect pests. The urban pest management practices of the future have yet to be exploited.