Bed Bug Control
Bedbugs are a very specialized group of true bugs (of the insect Order Hemiptera) that have evolved away from their plant-feeding cousins to specialize in sucking blood from vertebrate hosts. Probably evolved from insects that originally fed on the blood of bats in caves; the two main pest bedbugs; the common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) and the tropical bedbug (Cimex hemipterus) now feed almost exclusively on man. When bitten, people generally have a very red, very itchy reaction which can succumb to secondary infections; however there is no evidence to suggest that bedbugs are vectors of disease.
Bedbugs are very much an urban pest problem; one that was more or less forgotten about until only a few years ago. The increased ease in international travel and the more focussed (less broad spectrum) nature of professional pest control pesticide applications have been a couple of reasons offered for the recent resurgence in bedbug activity. They are now an increasingly common pest in a variety of situations. Due to their cryptic nature and the fact that they will utilize all manner of cracks and crevices as harbourages, their successful control can be difficult. A thorough Inspection of the infested area, as well as adjacent rooms and areas is absolutely essential and control methods should integrate both chemical and non-chemical approaches.
Various populations of common bedbugs from Australia and elsewhere in the world have been shown to exhibit resistance against various insecticides (pyrethroids and carbamates), it is clear therefore that it is in everyone’s best interest to acknowledge the work done by local and international researchers and choose products for bedbug management accordingly. It is also important to adopt rotation of chemical groups in any management program and ensure that non-chemical methods are also employed where appropriate. Since bedbugs do not readily pick up insecticide from residual surface deposits it is important to target bedbugs directly with an insecticide application and also to be aware that dusts can provide a better delivery mechanism in many situations.
Resistance management is obviously not just about switching from one product, which has been working, to another; it is about working with a programmed package of options (some chemical and some non-chemical) which provide different modes of action on an integrated or rotational basis.
Ficam W and Ficam D are key products to rotate with pyrethroids against bedbugs. The fact that they are both odourless and non-repellent makes them ideal options for bedbug management . Reports of reduced susceptibility of local bedbug strains to bendiocarb means it is now critical to use Ficam in conjunction with other products which have also been shown to be effective. Crackdown was originally developed as a tool for German cockroach management, prior to the advent of gel baits. The impact of piperonyl butoxide in the formulation is now very important in helping to overcome the resistance mechanism in bedbugs. Cislin Dust has been shown to be far more effective than permethrin-based dusts against susceptible bedbug strains. Cislin 25 is one of the few products approved for the application to mattresses as part of bedbug management.
The main point of reference for the control of bedbugs should be ‘The Code of Practice for Control of Bedbug Infestations in Australia’. (http://medent.usyd.edu.au/bedbug/bedbug_cop.htm). This is a document which has been put together by an Industry working party and it addresses the key elements in successful bedbug control.
The Bayer Environmental Science products which are recommended for use in bedbug control are listed below:
Bed Bug Control
Bedbugs are a very specialized group of true bugs (of the insect Order Hemiptera) that have evolved away from their plant-feeding cousins to specialize in sucking blood from vertebrate hosts. Probably evolved from insects that originally fed on the blood of bats in caves; the two main pest bedbugs; the common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) and the tropical bedbug (Cimex hemipterus) now feed almost exclusively on man. When bitten, people generally have a very red, very itchy reaction which can succumb to secondary infections; however there is no evidence to suggest that bedbugs are vectors of disease.
Bedbugs are very much an urban pest problem; one that was more or less forgotten about until only a few years ago. The increased ease in international travel and the more focussed (less broad spectrum) nature of professional pest control pesticide applications have been a couple of reasons offered for the recent resurgence in bedbug activity. They are now an increasingly common pest in a variety of situations. Due to their cryptic nature and the fact that they will utilize all manner of cracks and crevices as harbourages, their successful control can be difficult. A thorough Inspection of the infested area, as well as adjacent rooms and areas is absolutely essential and control methods should integrate both chemical and non-chemical approaches.
Various populations of common bedbugs from Australia and elsewhere in the world have been shown to exhibit resistance against various insecticides (pyrethroids and carbamates), it is clear therefore that it is in everyone’s best interest to acknowledge the work done by local and international researchers and choose products for bedbug management accordingly. It is also important to adopt rotation of chemical groups in any management program and ensure that non-chemical methods are also employed where appropriate. Since bedbugs do not readily pick up insecticide from residual surface deposits it is important to target bedbugs directly with an insecticide application and also to be aware that dusts can provide a better delivery mechanism in many situations.
Resistance management is obviously not just about switching from one product, which has been working, to another; it is about working with a programmed package of options (some chemical and some non-chemical) which provide different modes of action on an integrated or rotational basis.
Ficam W and Ficam D are key products to rotate with pyrethroids against bedbugs. The fact that they are both odourless and non-repellent makes them ideal options for bedbug management . Reports of reduced susceptibility of local bedbug strains to bendiocarb means it is now critical to use Ficam in conjunction with other products which have also been shown to be effective. Crackdown was originally developed as a tool for German cockroach management, prior to the advent of gel baits. The impact of piperonyl butoxide in the formulation is now very important in helping to overcome the resistance mechanism in bedbugs. Cislin Dust has been shown to be far more effective than permethrin-based dusts against susceptible bedbug strains. Cislin 25 is one of the few products approved for the application to mattresses as part of bedbug management.
The main point of reference for the control of bedbugs should be ‘The Code of Practice for Control of Bedbug Infestations in Australia’. (http://medent.usyd.edu.au/bedbug/bedbug_cop.htm). This is a document which has been put together by an Industry working party and it addresses the key elements in successful bedbug control.
The Bayer Environmental Science products which are recommended for use in bedbug control are listed below:
