Bed Bug News & Notes

A University of California, Irvine entomologist has discovered that a brief blast of heat can kill bed bugs traveling on the outside of luggage, suggesting an additional way to use a non-chemical means of control.

Catherine Loudon, a senior lecturer in ecology and evolutionary biology, reports that exposing soft-sided luggage to high temperatures — between 158°F and 167°F — for six minutes was sufficient to kill all the bed bugs on the exterior, including those under zipper flaps and decorative piping. Her study appears in Pest Management Science (the manuscript was accepted online on Aug. 1, 2016; visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ps.4409/full).

Loudon’s study examined whether heat treatments could effectively eradicate bed bugs on the exterior of soft-sided suitcases. “Luggage transport is one way that these bugs spread,” she said. “Being located on the outside of luggage provides one of the few cases in which they are less insulated and more vulnerable to heat treatment.”

To investigate the amount of exposure required to kill these pests, Loudon released bed bugs on the exterior of a suitcase and then placed it into a heated chamber for varying periods of time at varying temperatures. She discovered that the six-minute blast was long enough to kill the bed bugs but short enough that the bag’s contents would not be excessively warm.

“Any tendency of bed bugs to move into the luggage was also evaluated,” she said. “During heating, only one bug in 250 was found to have moved inside the luggage.”

She added that the technique represents a promising way to reduce the spread of bed bugs, suggesting the possible use of luggage heating chambers similar to the ones in her study at hotels and airports.

Pur Systems of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., has patented such a device and provided access to a prototype for the research. Loudon cautioned that the treatment would not kill any bed bugs inside luggage but could be part of an Integrated Pest Management approach.

ESA Names Winners: Bed Bug Edition

The Entomological Society of America recently announced the winners of its 2016 awards. The awards were to be presented at the International Congress of Entomology in Orlando, Fla., Sept. 25-30.

In the student award category, the Lillian & Alex Feir Graduate Student Travel Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry or Molecular Biology aims to encourage graduate students working with insects or other arthropods in the broad areas of physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology to affiliate with ESA’s Physiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology Section and to attend the ESA Annual Meeting or an International Congress of Entomology. This year’s winner, Zachary DeVries, completed his bachelor of science degree in zoology with a minor in statistics in 2011 from Auburn University. Upon completion of his degree, DeVries began pursuing his master’s degree in entomology at Auburn University, working with Dr. Art Appel. He completed his master’s degree in 2013.

DeVries is now a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University, where he is studying the physiology, behavior and management of urban pests under the direction of Dr. Coby Schal. DeVries’ dissertation encompasses a number of topics, including bed bug host attraction, host-associated divergence among bed bug lineages, and German cockroach management and health effects.

In the professional awards category, the Recognition Award in Urban Entomoology, which recognizes and encourages outstanding extension, research and teaching contributions in urban entomology, was given to Dr. Michael F. Potter of the University of Kentucky. Potter specializes in pests impacting people, buildings and property. He received his bachelor of science degree in entomology from Cornell, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Integrated Pest Management from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining the University of Kentucky in 1991, Potter was the national technical director for Orkin. Before that he worked in the agrichemical industry for Union Carbide/Rhone-Poulenc.

Potter’s full-time extension program provides cutting-edge aid and advice about a variety of pests — including bed bugs — to millions of clients worldwide, including homeowners, schools, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, businesses, museums, zoos, parks, government agencies — and especially the professional pest control industry.

SenSci Products To Be Distributed to Canadian Markets

BedBug Central’s bed bug products, SenSci Activ and SenSci Volcano, are now available in Canada.

After recently expanding into the European markets, BedBug Central announced that Gardex Chemicals and Univar Environmental Sciences in Canada are now distributing SenSci Activ and Volcano.

The SenSci Volcano is a bed bug interception device that has a clear bottom to make bed bugs easy to view once in the device, designed for minimal household dust collection and is discreet in appearance, the firm says. The Volcano can be used alone or paired with the SenSci Activ lure. The SenSci Activ is a bed bug lure designed to mimic the chemicals on the surface of the skin in order to attract bed bugs to a monitor.

Karen Furgiuele, president of Gardex Chemicals, said the company has always been happy with the products BedBug Central delivers. “We’re impressed with what BedBug Central has done and where they have progressed with bed bug products,” she said. “It’s kind of a no-brainer with any innovation that comes out of BedBug Central.”

Mike McWilliams, sales manager for Univar ES Canada, agreed the SenSci products are a great addition to Univar’s current product line in the defense against bed bugs. “Like any new product it takes time for companies to test it and start using it as one of the tools in the toolbox,” McWillams said. “Univar decided to carry it as it is a new quality product in the fight against bed bugs. With the loss of the Verifi and the only other options are passive monitors, this product adds value by having a lure. It becomes a unique product offering in a segment where no other options are currently available.”

Learn more at www.bedbugcentral.com.

Editor’s note: Suppliers and PMPs, if you have a bed bug control product or service you’d like to have highlighted in an upcoming issue, please send a press release and a high-resolution photo to jdorsch@giemedia.com.