Department
Pest Control
The Department of Pest Control is engaged in research and advisory activities related to urban pests in buildings, stored food products, textiles, wood, sewage systems, outdoor areas, and more.
The department also works with several issues within medical entomology and is involved in problems related to parasitology. Researchers at the department teach courses for pest control professionals nationwide in collaboration with the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Hdir). The department operates a laboratory service for the identification of pests and responds to questions about pests through email, the Pest Phone Hotline, media, and extensive information efforts. The web pages of the department contain extensive information on management of relevant urban pests.
Knowledge
The department conducts research and gathers knowledge on particularly important pests for society, covering a wide range of animals, from insects and mites to snakes, birds, and mammals such as mice and rats. The department is Norway's leading expertise center for safe prevention and control of pests in human environments, with broad knowledge of indoor pests and specialized knowledge in protecting against and controlling disease vectors, both bloodsuckers and others. The department monitors the occurrence of pests and disease vectors, especially considering expanding species. Climate change is expected to affect the number and geographical distribution of both urban pests and vectors, increasing the relevance of the subject area in the near future.
The main research goal is to develop and promote prevention and control of pests in a way that minimizes harm to health and the environment. A crucial task is to promote non-toxic methods as alternatives to pesticide use indoors. The department has expertise in urban ecology, medical entomology, insect physiology, population dynamics, insect identification, and the development of control methods. Research projects in recent years have focused on pests such as head lice, ticks, scabies, long-tailed silverfish, bed bugs, and rodents. This is done in collaboration with other departments at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, pest control industry, authorities, and other external institutions in Norway, as well as internationally.
Infrastructure
The department has a laboratory service for insect identification and expertise in most indoor pests. Many of these species are not found in Norwegian nature but only live and spread indoors. The department maintains various cultures of pests for research projects and has laboratories and equipment to study physiology, behavior, and control effectiveness of insects; climate chambers to measure cold and heat tolerance and developmental speed; arenas with camera surveillance to investigate insect behavior; wind tunnels to test responses to various substances in pests; and equipment to test the effectiveness of drying powders.
Courses for Pest Control Professionals
The department is responsible for the content and teaching of courses for pest control professionals and collaborates with the Norwegian Directorate of Health on this task. Anyone working as professional pest controller in Norway must be approved based on completed courses and practical experience. Approval must be renewed every 10 years, with the Norwegian Directorate of Health as the approving authority for pest control professionals.
Monitoring and Preparedness
The department monitors the spread of pests and disease vectors in Norway's vicinity through participation in networks nationally and in international forums such as ECDC and WHO. The department has expertise in identifying species and examines submitted and self-collected materials. The department also maintains nationwide statistics on the occurrence and number of conducted control measures for selected pests in collaboration with pest control companies in the country. Researchers in the department use their expertise to assist in emergency preparedness work at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health when needed and can be involved in incidents related to pesticides and medical entomology.
Advisory Services
Through research and knowledge acquisition, the department provides expert advice on the prevention and control of urban pests and disease vectors to health and environmental authorities and other state institutions such as the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Environment Agency, and the legal system. Other important stakeholders receiving advice include pest control professionals, food industry companies, municipal services, museums, the tourism industry, the construction industry, and private individuals. Particularly in collaboration with pest control companies and the government, the department plays a crucial and independent role as a competence unit, with a good opportunity to influence the development of the field and the management of tasks in the field of pest control and compliance with legislation.
The department answers questions on the Pest Phone Hotline and via email, contributing to identifying various pests. Additionally, the department contributes to updated and knowledge-based guides and public information on pests and bloodsuckers, including factual articles about various pests and advice on control in different environments. The department's website with information and advice on pests is among the institute's most visited. Researchers in the department participate in the development of annual statistics, reports, fact sheets, expert comments, high-quality professional notes, and knowledge summaries at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. In addition, the department works on teaching and research dissemination, participating in scientific conferences and the annual industry meeting of pest control companies. Moreover, the department is sought after in the media and contributes to extensive information efforts.
