Advancing sustainable urban pest management through behavior, genetics, and innovation.
Urban entomology for healthier communities
At New Mexico State University, our lab studies how arthropods adapt to human-dominated environments and turns that knowledge into practical, sustainable pest-management strategies. We combine behavioral ecology, genetics, field research, and stakeholder-driven outreach across urban, peri-urban, and livestock systems.
Our research focuses on three connected areas:
URBAN PEST IPM
Building practical, lower-impact strategies for cockroaches, flies, and other pests in human environments.
BEHAVIORAL RESISTANCE
Discovering how pests detect and avoid insecticides, and how smarter formulations can overcome that behavior.
SURVEILLANCE & PREPAREDNESS
Improving early detection, response readiness, and outreach for New World screwworm and other animal health threats.
Our goal is simple: translate rigorous behavioral and ecological research into field-ready tools that protect human, animal, and environmental health.
Featured project: New World screwworm preparedness
The Hubbard Lab supports early detection and rapid response readiness across New Mexico and the Southwest. Our work combines applied research, hands-on training, identification resources, stakeholder needs assessments, and practical surveillance guidance for livestock producers, veterinarians, Extension professionals, wildlife managers, and animal health officials.
We connect insect behavior and ecology to field-ready tools that protect people, animals, and communities.
Images from NMSU Extension Guide A-156. Adult photo by Judy Gallagher. Larvae photo courtesy of Sohath Zamira Yusseff-Vanegas, USDA ARS.
