Combining multiple tactics over time for cost-effective eradication of invading insect populations

Background/Question/Methods

Because of the profound ecological and economic impacts of many non-native insect species, early detection and eradication of newly founded, isolated populations is a high priority for preventing damages. Though successful eradication is often challenging, the effectiveness of several treatment methods/tactics is enhanced by the existence of Allee dynamics in target populations. Historically, successful eradication has often relied on the application of two or more tactics. In our talk, we ask how to combine three treatment tactics in the most cost-effective manner, either simultaneously or sequentially in a multiple-annum process. To do that, we construct an optimal-control model that describes the population dynamics of the invading insect population and how it is affected by three types of treatments: pesticide cation, mating disruption, and sterile male release. Then, we use stochastic programming to find the optimal treatment over time.

Results/Conclusions

We show that each of the three tactics is most efficient across a specific range of population densities. Furthermore, we show that mating disruption and sterile male release inhibit the efficiency of each other, and therefore, they should not be used simultaneously. However, since each tactic is effective at different population densities, different combinations of tactics should be applied sequentially through time when a multiple-annum eradication program is needed.