The Ministry of Environment on Monday said it plans to create a specialized technology center to research insects such as cockroaches, termites and mosquitoes in response to an expected increase in threats posed by environmental pests.
Urbanization, globalization, climate change and international travel have increased the number of invasive environmental pests and disease-carrying insects, leading to a greater risk of diseases such as dengue fever, Chemicals Administration Hazard Control Division Director Ni Ping-hsiung (倪炳雄) said.
In response, the agency plans to establish a specialized technology center for environmental pest prevention to research pests to help Taiwan develop more comprehensive protections and prepare for an increase in pest-related issues, he said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Climate change has a direct effect on the spread and reproduction of pests, not only increasing their numbers, but changing their behavioral patterns and ecological habits, National Chung Hsing University Department of Entomology professor Li Hou-feng (李後鋒) said.
If temperatures continue to rise, yellow fever mosquitoes would head north, while the economic impact of termite infestations would increase, he said.
The number of domestic disease-prevention pest control businesses has increased fivefold in the past 20 years and environmental pesticide vendors have tripled in the past five years, Ni said.
The center would target insects whose numbers are increasing and newly emerged species, including environmental pests such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, termites and fleas, along with disease-carrying insects such as yellow fever mosquitoes, Asian tiger mosquitoes, black cocoa ants and lychee giant stink bugs, he added.
It would study pest breeding habits, test the efficiency of pesticides, train research personnel and carry out research and development of pest control techniques, pesticide management and pest identification, he said.
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