Bed Bug University: NA Bed Bug Summit 2011

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.

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