One of the most exciting results of the bed bug resurgence has been the development and introduction of new pest management products, equipment and research. Claims of the “next big thing” abound in the industry and popular press.
Consumers and professionals are faced with the difficult task of separating the products, equipment and techniques that work, from those that don’t. Last year the careful observer saw at least three noteworthy additions to the pest professional’s body of knowledge: the scientific confirmation of something we already knew, a first step toward a novel biopesticide and an out-of-the-box idea whose potential is still unknown.
Research performed at The Ohio State University regarding total release foggers was published in the June 2012 issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology. In it, Dr. Susan Jones and Joshua Bryant confirmed over-the-counter pyrethroid foggers had little or no effect on populations of bed bugs when harborage areas were readily available. This research confirmed what professionals long suspected: Foggers do not penetrate cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide.
Last year, researchers at Penn State University published a paper in the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology that reported preliminary efforts to determine whether an entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, could be used as a potential biopesticide for controlling bed bugs. The research demonstrated that, under laboratory conditions, bed bugs are very susceptible to the fungus. However, it remains to be seen how bed bug populations will react under field conditions because of potentially lower concentrations of fungal spores.
Finally, Eastern Virginia Medical School’s experimental approach garnered the most media attention. Bed bugs fed blood-containing ivermectin, a drug used to treat parasitic worms in humans and animals, suffered high mortality in laboratory studies. This approach is intriguing but has potential drawbacks. One such drawback is a longer than normal treatment course than is typically prescribed for ivermectin (to account for the feeding patterns of bed bugs). To gain control, all of the bugs in a population must first feed on the person undergoing treatment. I’m pretty sure that’s an activity most clients want to avoid.
It’s hard to predict what the next big thing will be in the battle against bed bugs. However, expect novel delivery systems, and new formulations and modes of action. Any new technology will need to incorporate the practical considerations of technicians in the field and realistic client expectations.
My prediction for the future of bed bug control? Don’t expect a “silver bullet.”
References:
Barbarin, A.M., N.E. Jenkins, E.G. Rajotte, M.B. Thomas. 2012. “A preliminary evaluation of the potential of Beauveria bassiana for bed bug control.” Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 111: pp. 82-85.
Jones, S.C. and J.L. Bryant. 2012. “Ineffectiveness of over-the-counter total-release foggers against the bed bug (Heteroptera: Cimicidae).” Journal of Economic Entomology 105: pp. 957-963.
Contact Dr. Fredericks, technical director for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), at jfredericks@pestworld.org.
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