Pest Research Hub

21/10/2026

Our team is currently attending the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting in Basel, Switzerland!

The event sees industry leaders, experts and thousands of other delegates from over 65 countries gather at the Congress Centre in Basel. All together to hold talks that will shape market opportunities, unveil new innovations and determine the future of biocontrol's role in the wider industry.

Since 2006, ABIM has been the focal point for biocontrol decision-making and planning, marking it as a key event in how this part of the industry has played out over the decades.

Our team has joined the delegates this year to network and share opportunities with the hundreds in attendance. Helping shape the future of biocontrol and pest management is always a key part of our work.

If you are in attendance, we hope to speak with you and connect our businesses and experts so we can better navigate the future of developing and deploying innovative solutions.

19/10/2026

When it comes to pests, pesticides are often the default go-to. However, this leads to harming useful pest species such as bees or other pollinators while damaging plant health.

In many cases, pesticides can damage the defences of crops or plants being raised. This weakens plants' natural ability to resist not only pests but also the diseases they carry. This can leave crops compromised by the very thing meant to protect them.

Despite aims to reduce pesticide use, their use has increased heavily and is a leading cause in decimating insect populations and other wildlife.

That is why pheromone-based pest measures are an effective alternative. Not only do they avoid poisoning other species, which can even include owls that nest nearby, but they also avoid damaging the plant's natural ability to defend itself. Thereby leading to better outcomes, as the specific pest species can be targeted while leaving useful insects to continue to support plant health.

16/10/2026

With Autumn rolling across the UK and winter soon to follow, we thought it would be good to take a moment and look back at some of the wildlife captured this year.

From beetles to butterflies, this year has seen quite a rise in insect populations around the UK. With the heat and extended periods of warmth, these populations were able to remain active for longer and reproduce more often. Potentially leading to an increase next year as well.

It remains to be seen how the trends of insect migration and population increases play out, as we have also seen species shrink at the same time. If you have any of your own images, we would love to see them here in the comments as well and share them in the future for others to see.

14/10/2026

Insect pests can damage crops, a reality of any agriculture we practice; however, pesticides can seriously affect farming's effectiveness worldwide.

Pesticides offer a straightforward option that is nonetheless imprecise when applied. Often requiring multiple expensive coats to successfully destroy a pest population while also decimating local wildlife.

Species of beetles, ladybirds, and hoverflies may be eliminated. Each of which is a common predator of crop-destroying pests such as aphids. By eliminating them, the natural regulation of a pest population collapses and leaves crops vulnerable.

At the same time, survivors in the pest species may continue and present as resistant in the future. Meaning continued use of pesticides will produce pests that can survive the sprays and harm the crops weakened by the coating.

Pheromone-led pest management is the answer to this issue. Using insect-specific pheromones to target limited populations over a set period allows the removal of pests without damaging the beneficial species that support crops and plant growth.

11/10/2026

There is a rising concern around the presence of Asian Hornets (𝘝𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢) in the UK as members of the species have been spotted in Somerset for the first time just last month.

The sighting marks the furthest point that the hornets have reached since their first discovery. This sighting has raised concerns that the species may be spreading towards Devon and Cornwall further up the country. This could lead to significant impacts on local wildlife.

The Asian Hornet is a predator of a wide variety of other insects, which includes honeybees, butterflies, beetles and moths, to name just a few. Beyond reducing the available food for insect-feeding birds and other animals such as badgers, the voracious appetite of the hornets could reduce the populations of necessary pollinating species, which much of the UK plant life relies on.

South West Water has asked people to report sightings of the insect, and it is likely that there will be a greater insistence on monitoring the insects where possible in order to establish presence and paths of travel. The hope is that the hornets can be managed and limited in their spread to protect local insects from their predation.

It is likely that in the near future the Asian Hornets will be considered an established group in the UK, and their management will be a matter of handling what a local species is. A matter of accepting that the hornets are predicted to become a settled population that makes up part of the wildlife of the UK from here on.



You can read more in the article linked here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9y7zmky673xo

08/10/2026

05/10/2026

The recent summer here in the UK has seen a significant change in the world of insects.

In the West Midlands, we saw an otherwise rare sight become common during the baking heat. Hummingbird Moths (𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘮) and Ivy Bees (𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘦) were both spotted in high numbers this year. The Ivy Bees specifically continue to show a northward spread towards the upper regions of the UK.

This is not to mention that other local species also saw population booms, with the Clouded Yellow butterfly (𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘶𝘴) who could be seen more regularly this year.

The recent recordings point towards a trend beyond population increases. We have been seeing more species moving further north this year, with sightings of species never seen before in new areas. For example, the Wasp Spider (𝘈𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘪) was seen in Worcestershire alongside Herefordshire and Warwickshire for the first time this year.

It is hard to be upset when seeing such population booms or the presence of new species in the north of England, but a lingering question of why keeps excitement measured. Many of the species that have moved into new regions or seen population increases likely did so because of the effects of climate change. The wider assumption is that these changes are due to the effects that increasing global temperatures have had on their traditional habitats.



You can read more about the arrivals and population shifts in the article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvzez0lpnn3go

02/10/2026

Our sister organisation,

29/09/2026

Pesticides are not discriminatory when it comes to the insects they destroy. This often leads to the destruction of useful populations of pollinator and pest predator species.

Coupled with the rise in pests that are resistant to pesticides, this means beneficial insects such as bees and hoverflies are destroyed while pests such as aphids survive the application. Repeated sprays, often necessary, mean that these useful insects are almost entirely removed from crop areas, crop plants are weakened by pesticide exposure, and pest species survive to continue causing harm.

Pheromone based pest management systems offer an alternative to these issues. With specific targeting for the pests present, pheromones can be used to tackle a pest species while preserving the useful insects present.

Granting crop fields the support of these insects without having to use multiple costly sprays.

28/09/2026

Recently, it was discovered that nymphs of a species of praying mantis could be the first evidence of the insects breeding on the UK mainland, having previously migrated from southern Europe.

While populations exist on the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, the presence of these nymphs could indicate a burgeoning population on the UK mainland for the first time.



Read more about the mantis nymphs in the article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgk4lz8grpmo