The Public Health Entomology Research and Education Center (PHEREC) is the state-funded, public health entomology research center of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a land grant university. PHEREC is located in Panama City, Florida. PHEREC is administered as a research center of the College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture (CESTA).
PHEREC is perhaps best known as "the insecticide-testing center" for Florida mosquito control. This reputation came as a result of extensive chemical, equipment and procedural evaluations that have been and continue to be conducted on mosquito adulticides and larvicides. Other major historical contributions of the Center include:
Collection of basic biological information necessary to understand the dog fly problem in Florida;
Development of the dog fly control program;
Development and maintenance of mosquito resistance data in Florida;
Development of an abstracted literature database on pesticide effects on non-target organisms;
Rearing and testing mosquito biological control agents;
Development and evaluation of trapping and other alternative control and surveillance systems for public health arthropods;
Publication of free extension entomology guides (EntGuides) on biology and control of public health arthropods;
Over 200 scientific publications; and,
Provider of numerous public health arthropod training activities (e.g., Dog Fly Identification & Control Workshop, Panhandle Mosquito Control Workshop, Southeast Regional Public Health Pest & Vector Management Conference, Science Teacher Workshop and Florida Mosquito Control Association Short Courses).
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