Pest Management Professional, March 2010

Bed Bugs By Michael F Potter Kenneth F Haynes Mark Goodman Shelby Stamper and Sarah Sams Contributors Past blast from the PMPs currently lack I n early 2009 AMVAC Chemical Corp received a supplemental registration to control bed bugs with its dichlorvos containing Nuvan Prostrips The decision by the U S Environmental Protection Agency to grant such an approval ranks as one of the greatest comeback stories for a pesticide Discovered in the 1950s dichlorvos DDVP was first marketed in 1960 by the Shell Chemical In the late 1980s the EPA began a long and controversial review of the potential health risks from dichlorvos exposure After 20 years and millions of dollars worth of testing funded largely by AMVAC the agency issued a final determination that dichlorvos could remain on the market with certain restrictions Since then the manufacturer has been relabeling and marketing its dichlorvosbased products with bed bugs a prime target While much is known about the performance of available sprays and dusts no studies have been published on the effects of Nuvan Prostrips on bed bugs that have entered items that are hard to treat conventionally This article presents our initial findings and discusses how the strips can be used to help manage infestations Study Methods To evaluate the ability of Nuvan Prostrips to control bed bugs in various household items bugs and eggs were confined in six different objects suitcases shoes framed pictures books clock radios and computer keyboards Such items which are listed on the product label are representative of those that are hard to treat using conventional methods Co under the trade name Vapona In 1963 the company incorporated the volatile organophosphate into vinyl strips popularly known as Shell No Pest Strips to extend its residual life Senior members of the pest management industry will also recall applying dichlorvos in liquid and aerosol form to provide rapid knockdown of flies cockroaches fleas lice and bed bugs Bed bugs used in the study originated from an apartment in Cincinnati and were previously found to be highly resistant to pyrethroid insecticides Groups of adults nymphs or eggs were confined in small containers made of 1 2 inch diameter PVC pipe cut to 3 8 inch length and sealed at both ends with organza screening A total of 324 such containers were used in the experiment each housing 10 eggs 5 nymphs or 5 adults 2160 bed bugs total These were then placed inside the various objects in locations where bed bugs might hide such as beneath the nylon liner of a suitcase effective and efficient insecticides for controlling bed bugs Recent testing by the University of Kentucky suggests Nuvan Prostrips may fill an important niche in the industrys arsenal inside shoes and behind picture frames To simulate bed bugs hiding in book bindings the pages and spine were hollowed out to provide space for the containers housing the insects Clock radios and computer keyboards were dismantled so that the small bug containers could be placed inside Then the electronic equipment was reassembled s Objects provisioned with bed bugs were then placed inside 55 cubic foot sealed cages constructed of PVC pipe covered with a 4 mil clear plastic bag One 056 ounce full size Nuvan Prostrip was hung inside each cage suspended on a 46 PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL MARCH 2010 www mypmp net