Overview of areawide management of insects

In 1995 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Re search Service (ARS) implemented a new areawide pest management initiative. This program, targeted at key pests across the United States, has resulted in renewed discussion of the pros and cons of this integrated-pest-managem ent-related control tactic. This introduction to an areawide pest managemen t symposium presented at the 1997 Entomological Society of America Annual M eeting provides information on the development of areawide pest management as we know it today. Additionally, a comparison of areawide management to c onventional pest control strategies, as well as examples of historic and cu rrent programs are presented.