Evaluation of Multiple Insecticidal Products for Control of the Common Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius (L.))

The common bed bug has reemerged as a major pest in the United States. Pest management professionals need reliable up-to-date information on how to manage bed bug infestations. My study was intended to evaluate the efficacy of several insecticides currently labeled for bed bug control. In product efficacy tests, field strain bed bugs were found to be 99-450 times less susceptible than laboratory strain bed bugs to several pyrethroid products. The non-pyrethroid products tested, chlorfenapyr and a non-toxic desiccant dust, killed laboratory strain bed bugs, but were extremely slow acting taking greater than 9 days to kill 50%. None of the insecticides tested, including the pyrethroids, were repellent to laboratory or field strain bed bugs. A field test was conducted comparing 2 pesticide treatments regimens (traditional and novel) for bed bug control in low income apartments. Both the traditional and novel combinations caused significant reductions in bed bug populations. Both treatments reduced the number of bed bugs by the end of the test period, but neither treatment combination completely eliminated the bed bug infestations, even after an average of 1.3 gallons of product was applied in each apartment. Laboratory assays were conducted to determine the effect of hydroprene exposure on bed bug development. Although hydroprene did not appear to interfere with nymphal development, fifty percent of the bed bugs died during the final molt. The bed bugs which survived to adulthood showed no reduction in fecundity when compared to control groups.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Life Sciences

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Entomology

Department dc:contributor.department

Entomology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Moore, David Joseph II

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Miller, Dini M.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Paulson, Sally L.
• Bloomquist, Jeffrey R.

• field evaluation
• hydroprene
• Bed bugs
• repellency
• pyrethoids

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Dc Identifier Other

etd-12182006-140716

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76923