Attending the North American Bed bug
Summit provided some great insights into some
of the most effective tools that Pest Management Professionals have at their
disposal and some disappointing results of some of those same tools.
Over the coming weeks, I will present the findings from the
different sessions that I attended to highlight the successes and failures as
reported by the top Entomologists in the world doing bed bug research. First
however let me say as an overall statement, that there is no silver bullet,
yet.
Session: Bringing the Heat: A Look at Heat Treatments.
Roberto Pereira – University
of Florida
-generally speaking Bed bugs are less resistant to heat than
other insects
-one major concern in heat treatments are bed bug escapes.
-findings reveal that a pesticide crack and crevice
treatment along baseboards before heating will actually prevent more escapes
into wall voids because of the pesticide blocking the escape paths.
-wall voids and exterior of walls treated generally do not
reach lethal temperatures and bed bugs along the baseboards and outlets can
escape to these cool zones.
-findings also revealed that bed bugs in harbourages away
from the walls, generally do not move and cluster in their harbourage and
therefore are exterminated with the heat.
-findings with the application of pesticides to baseboards
before heat treatment
-100% of bed bugs killed in harbourages in the centre of the
room
-25% (7 of 28) bed bugs at the baseboards moved to cooler
temperatures and remained alive after treatment.
-
University of
Florida and
Florida’s
Department of Agriculture is working on a safe application of Heated Nuvan
Strips (DDVP)
-findings revealed 100% kill rate of all bed bugs and eggs
in four days.
-Nuvan strips is a low cost alternative to heat treatments.
Overall properly done heat treatments are 95-98% effective,
with the remaining 3-5% population needing another layer of treatment for 100%
efficacy.
