Can pest management and biosecurity benefit from the surveillance and security industries

Abstract

Selfreporting cameras have the potential to revolutionise the trapping networks utilised in pest management and biosecurity A study was carried out to determine whether commercially available selfreporting camera systems that use WiFi and GSM to transmit images to secure websites could be incorporated into trapping networks Of 45 systems initially examined one the RedEye security camera was laboratory tested Tests showed that the standard optics package was incapable of distinguishing between clover root weevil (Sitona lepidus) and Argentine stem weevil (Listronotus bonariensis) An upgrade of the cameras optics enabled it be used to successfully monitor porina (Wiseana spp) flight activity While this result was encouraging more research is needed before the technology can be incorporated into trapping networks In particular further thought is needed as to the level of image resolution that is required to ensure that the system is relevant to all pest management and biosecurity practitioners