Environmental Security Pest and Lawn Cantonment, Florida, United States
Abstract: In support of NIFA-funded Southern IPM Center, a new IPM working group called Mosquito BEACONS (Biodiversity Enhancement And Control of Non-native Species) was established in 2021. This working group is the first of its kind to bring together representatives from academia, industry, and government agencies to raise awareness of invasive mosquito species issues, develop targeted and consistent public health messaging, generate training opportunities, and plan integrative research proposals. Collectively, we cover Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Puerto Rico. These states have serious needs for mosquito surveillance and control in general not just for invasive species. Our members are in a position of leadership in the mosquito control and research profession of each state and thus have a forum to influence stakeholders for IPM implementation in the corresponding region. Therefore, the Mosquito BEACONS working group has great potential to be used as a model working group in the other IPM regions nationally and internationally. Stakeholder meetings and capacity surveys were utilized to identify gaps in surveillance and knowledge. The survey results are being utilized to develop relevant training opportunities through our annual workshop or on-demand contents. Our working group model can be utilized in other regions not just to promote invasive species surveillance and awareness but areas of focus such as engaging with stakeholders involved in genetic biocontrol.
