What can we think about today if not pesticides?
Fletcher, M.G., Axtell, R.C. (1993) Susceptibility of the bedbug, Cimex lectularius, to selected insecticides and various treated surfaces Medical and Veterinary Entomology 7:1 69-72 doi:10.1111/j.1365-2915.1993.tb00654.x
PDF available from NCSU’s Scholarly Publications Repository.
This study is from 1992. If you guess the bed bugs had to be Dr. Harlan’s, you would be wrong:
The bedbugs used in these tests were from colonies established about 1 year earlier from specimens collected in a broiler-breeder chicken house in North Carolina, U.S.A.
Chickens. Already in 1994 a USDA ARS workshop (PDF) considered research needs around bed bugs as occasional but “notoriously difficult to control” pests in poultry breeder houses.
In the Fletcher/Axtell study, dichlorvos, pirimiphos methyl and bendiocarb were the winners, so to speak.
But, interestingly, the researchers tested residual activity on various surfaces: metal, wood, cardboard, cotton cloth and cotton/polyester:
In the residual tests of formulated chemicals (Table 2), bendiocarb (FICAM(r)) and pirimiphos methyl (ACTELLIC(r)) were initially toxic to bedbugs on all surfaces (test concentrations of 600ppm or less) but they had short residual lives on most of the surfaces. Only ACTELLIC(r) was more toxic on wood than on metal which is inconsistent with the absorbency of the materials. Carbaryl (SEVIN(r)) and tetrachlorvinphos (RABON(r)) retained substantial toxicities on all surfaces, except metal. However, relatively high concentrations of carbaryl and tetrachlorvinphos were required to produce 90% mortality initially (1000-8000ppm, except on metal which was 500ppm for both chemicals). In the case of carbaryl on wood, 8000 ppm only produced 36.7% mortality initially. Permethrin (ATROBAN(r)) was initially active at low concentrations (20-100 ppm) but only exhibited residual activity on metal and wood. Lambda-cyhalothrin (KARATE(r)) was active at low concentrations (5-400ppm) on all surfaces and exhibited relatively long-lasting residual activity, with the shortest residual life on metal.
I’m not sure what the status of dichlorvos is in NYS, by the way. This is Cornell’s searchable database. And I think the Canadians still have bendiocarb… but not us.
Yes, we hear at least once a day that it’s not about pesticides, that bed bug control is all about the technician, that skilled pest control techs can eradicate an infestation even with the inadequate materials at our disposal.
All of that may be true, but where does that leave us? A widely-deployable solution is what is required; why does this seem so impossible?
Some possibilities (not saying feasible, just possible):
- a return to an effective pesticide, even temporarily, to achieve control—and yet, uncomfortable thought, because others, Australia for example, have some of these grown-up pesticides and still have a substantial bed bug problem, can this really be the solution?
- the development of something new: this one we’re told, by the same well-meaning people, not gonna happen anytime soon—but why aren’t we asking why not?
- investment in alternative control methods—if our society decides to eschew pesticides wholesale and effectively let them die, then we have to invest appropriately in alternatives; we can’t get caught unprepared like this, can we? Good and effective and widely-deployable bed bug control methods and tools. Yes, there is thermal, but it’s not for everyone—will it ever be?
- if highly skilled pest control technicians can solve bed bug problems with traditional treatment methods, then maybe the answer is more highly skilled pest control technicians. Highly skilled pest control techs everywhere. What would it take?
UPDATE 5/14/09: A good PCT article about dichlorvos is available as a reprint at this link, The Return of DDVP (PDF), March 2008, Lisa Lupo. Or at PCT if you don’t mind the online viewer thing.
These pages may be of related interest:
