Really?

Posted on July 26, 2009 by Renee Corea

An article is in the July/August 2009 issue of Dermatologic Therapy:

Kolb, A, Needham, GR, Neyman, KM, High, WA (2009) Bedbugs. Dermatologic Therapy. 22:4. 347-352. doi: 10.1111/j.1529-8019.2009.01246.x

The pyrethroid class of insecticides has been particularly effective in controlling bedbug infestations, but resistance problems are mounting (see below). Additionally, pyrethroids can produce a flushing effect that allows a faster analysis of treatment efficacy (4,7,18,29). The downside of using a flushing agent is that this may cause them to scatter to other locations. Other effective insecticides include dichlorvos and malathion (4).

The last time malathion was around for indoor use in the United States, Gulf War I was ending, so was the Warsaw Pact, the web had just been invented, people were beguiled by Dr. Lecter, and Mama Said Knock You Out was a hit.

These pages may be of related interest:

  1. An International Public Health Pesticides Workshop
  2. BASF’s bed bug prevention pitch
  3. John Jay’s bed bug “condition”
  4. Lou Sorkin, Susan Jones and Michael Potter hit it out of the park
  5. Going back to check to make sure they’re all dead (plus items from the CoP)

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3 Responses to Really?

  1. CiLecto says:
    August 2, 2009 at 12:42 am

    Something may be effective while not available. Mayo Clinic also lists Malathion http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bedbugs/DS00663/DSECTION=prevention

    BTW, perhaps the phase-out Malathion angle as contributor to the resurgence is worth more exploration.

  2. Renee Corea says:
    August 2, 2009 at 1:52 am

    Hi CiLecto. I’ve seen that Mayo article. I think it’s wrong and sad and actually harmful. It makes me wonder at all the other Mayo articles I have ever read on other subjects and how completely and automatically I trusted them. When you don’t know anything or nearly anything about a subject, authority is powerful. Their bed bug article is wrong. Knowing this is a weird feeling. Wrong and harmful. This is what it says:

    Use insecticide sprays containing dichlorvos, permethrin or malathion around cracks and crevices in your home. Lawn and garden insect control sprays may contain these insecticides. However, professional inspection and extermination may be best.

    Think about that. Among other things, it’s telling people to go look at their garden sprays. It’s irresponsible and bad.

    But enough about Mayo. Let’s consider this Kolb et al. article.

    The malathion reference in this particular paper is cited. The source is a 2004 article, a review. That article itself cites “dichlorvos, permethrin and malathion” as effective, this time citing two other articles, one published in 1981 and another in 1993.

    Malathion went bye-bye in 1991. Saying that malathion is effective against bed bugs in a 2009 article is what I would call pretty bad. It’s almost as if these authors that keep dragging malathion from the dead can’t spend two minutes getting acquainted with reality and must instead regurgitate what has already been published. If it can be cited, it must not be true.

    I hate this. As you may be able to tell.

    It’s 2009 and we’re deep in all this bed bug shit and these people don’t know that malathion is gone? And pyrethroids have been particularly effective? In the eighties maybe.

    Sorry for the rant!

    Thanks for your comment. I’m fine now, really. ;)

  3. Renee Corea says:
    August 2, 2009 at 2:07 am

    Also: yeah, note that chlorpyrifos was cancelled for indoor use in 2001. Or withdrawn. Gone either way.

    Whereupon the US government with infinite foresight began to invest in the development of alternatives.