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Traps need to be highly attractive to the bed bug, Cimex lectularius, to catch them at low population numbers. Typically, traps are manufactured in plastic or cardboard and have an aggregation pheromone incorporated into the design for attraction. Yet, the material of the trap will also influence ho...

Cimex hemipterus is spreading to areas where only C. lectularius have been historically observed, such as the Middle East, North Australia, but also temperate regions like Russia. In Europe, until now mostly episodic observations of the species were known. We collected material from around 600 bed b...

Bed bug (Cimex lectularius) monitors are effective tools in detecting early infestations and evaluating the results of control programs. Among the monitors, bed bug sticky monitors are not toxic and easy to use. But we observed that that bed bugs were repelled by the contact between the sticky film ...

Bed bugs were evaluated in the laboratory to determine the effects of varying feeding regimens and environmental conditions on their susceptibility to two commercial products containing chlorfenapyr, Phantom® II Aerosol and Phantom® SC Insecticide. In the first study, bed bugs were reared under four...

This study aimed to assess the records and experience of Integrated Pest Control and Management Companies in Colombia and Spain to contribute to the epidemiological knowledge of bed bug infestations in both countries. To accomplish this objective, a confidential 27-question questionnaire, designed u...

Proactive monitoring is consistently being recommended as a method of rapid bed bug detection in multi-unit housing. The purpose of this study was to compare the cost and maintenance time required to implement either a passive or electronic bed bug monitoring system in multi-unit facilities. While t...

Lateral flow strip tests are a cost-effective method for detecting specific proteins in biological samples, which can be performed in the field without specialized expertise. While most recognizable in the pregnancy tests, there are many other applications for lateral flow strip technology. The pest...

Resistance to insecticides is one of the multiple factors related to sudden bed bug reemergence. In this work, we evaluated synthetic repellents and the attractant role of cuticular compounds as potential alternatives to conventional strategies used in pest control management. On the one hand, we fo...

Different types of various textured fabrics bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) prefer to use as harborages, and the effect of various species of the entomopathogenic fungi Ophiocordyceps on bed bugs. Three synthetic fabrics were used: red 100% polyester fleece, red 100% polyester knit fabric, and red 100%...

The development of resistance against insecticides, which are primarily used for bed bug (Cimex lectularius) control, is considered to one of the main reasons for the worldwide expansion of this pest. This study provides evidence of the occurrence of resistance and the mechanisms associated with a d...

To investigate insecticide resistance in modern field populations of bed bugs in Australia, a program to collect and screen field specimens was initiated. Thirty-five bed bug strains (a mixture that included both C. lectularius and C. hemipterus) were collected from across Australian and subsequentl...

The quality and quantity of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from insects are extremely important in genomic research. We tested the hypothesis that DNA can be extracted from bed bugs when stored in different preservatives at various temperatures. The bed bugs were stored in five preservatives ...

Having started working exclusively with bed bug infestations in 2005 and taking a unique science and fact lead approach to extermination we have always used the data produced in our work to refine the methods we use and to develop better processes. Initially focused on educational and raising unders...

The objective of this study was to implement and evaluate bed bug detection systems in low-income, high-rise housing for the elderly and disabled. In a previous study, one, two or four ClimbUp Insect Interceptors BG or the BlackOut BedBug Detectors placed per apartment resulted in 80% to 90% bed bug...

The Cimicidae or bed bugs are sucking blood insects and Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus are the main species cited with distribution in Brazil. They are nocturnal insects, remain protected in their hideout in most of the day and biting people during sleep, virtually any fissure or protected l...

Extracts of the exuviae of nymphal bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) were analysed for volatile compounds that might contribute to arrestment of adult bed bugs. Four volatile aldehydes, (E)-2-hexenal, 4-oxo-(E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-octenal, and 4-oxo-(E)-2-octenal were consistently detected in the headspace ...

Initially infestations of houses by Cimex lectularius were sporadically detected in the middle of the previous decade and increased over the past years. Data obtained by the Environmental Health Department have shown events increase by 1000% in the past five years for the whole city. Among the 21 Ci...

Whole-home thermal remediation for bed bug control was conducted in fourteen apartment units in Lynchburg, Virginia. Apartment units were divided into categories of low, medium, or high levels of clutter to determine if the time to bed bug lethal temperature (55o C), and treatment efficacy were infl...

Eye morphology, spectral sensitivity, and harborage color preferences all have significant differences between male and female bed bugs. Bed bug eye automontage images revealed that females had wider eyes than males. Electroretinogram studies gave evidence that bed bugs have at least one photorecept...

Bed bugs, Cimex lectulariu, occur wherever there is human activity. While infestations are most common in homes and apartments, they are also prevalent in hotels, raising questions about their impact on travel and tourism. To investigate how much the public knows and cares about bed bugs while trave...

For the past 15 years bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, have been aggressively spreading across the United States and pushed professionals to create bed bug treatment protocols with voids in basic research on many control options. The first response to this problem was to use pesticides as the backbone t...

Cimex lectularius, continues to spread across the world, and developing effective and efficient control and monitoring techniques is the focus of researchers and pest control professionals. In the research presented here, interception devices were implemented as part of a bed bug treatment protocol ...

Worldwide, there are many reports of pyrethroid resistance in bed bugs (Cimex spp.). Previous studies on the Common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., have identified two mutations (V419L and L925I) in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene responsible for knockdown resistance (kdr). However, noth...

Insecticide resistance in bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L. and C. hemipterus F.) is a major factor in the pest’s resurgence. Various studies have demonstrated resistance to the pyrethroids, carbamates and the organophosphates. Resistance has been suspected in Australia, with anecdotal reports of poor ...

Pyrethroid-resistance in bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, has been described in many countries, but up to now, for Germany no data are available. However, pest control companies increasingly report difficulties in controlling bed bugs with pyrethroids. In the present study four bed bug strains were coll...

A large-arena bioassay is used to examine gender differences in the spatiotemporal patterns of bed bug, Cimex lectularius Latreille 1802, behavioural responses to either a human host or CO2. After release in the center of the arena, 90% of the newly fed bed bugs move to hiding places in the corners ...

The number of bed bug controls in Budapest has been steadily increasing since 2000, an abrupt rise, however, began from 2007. To apply an effective control strategy, it is essential to identify the causes of the increase in the number of bed bugs. To determine the causes, during the past one and a h...

Four essential oil-based products and a liquid-based borate spray were tested for their efficacy against adult, pyrethroid-resistant, field-strain and Harold Harlan susceptible-strain bed bugs using direct spray applications. The most effective product was Green Bug (100% mortality in one hour or le...

In 2012, a proactive bed bug suppression program was implemented in a low-income housing facility and evaluated over the course of one year. The mean treatment time and application cost were calculated for each unit. In 2013, both the number of initial infestations and the costs associated with bed ...

Contrary to recent news reports, the United States continues to be inundated with bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L.). Based on a nationwide survey of pest professionals, infestations still are increasing. While most pervasive in residences, the bugs are becoming more common in schools, offices, public ...

Bed bug (Cimex lectularius) infestations on board aircraft is a growing concern and has substantial financial impact on commercial airlines, in some cases it has resulted in Port Health Authorities grounding aircraft. Airlines that have a proactive approach to bed bug management fare much better tha...

The most common species of bed bugs in the world is Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, 1758. This species prefers to feed on human blood and causes several health effects like skins rashes, psychological effects and allergic symptoms. In the developed world bed bugs were largely eradicated as pests in the ...

In order to avoid treatment failures in bed bug control and to prevent the development of insecticide-resistant bed bug strains, laboratory efficacy tests of products for bed bug control must be adapted more to practical conditions. For our study, Cimex lectularius of the insecticide susceptible lab...

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the knockdown effect and effectiveness of imidacloprid 21% + betacyfluthrin 10.5% to control bed bug in laboratory conditions. During the experiment the temperature was ± 2 27oC, relative humidity 66% ± 5 and photoperiod of 12 hours. Imidacloprid 21% + betacyf...

Once common, infestations caused by these hematophagous insects practically disappeared at the 1950’s. However, its recurrence has been observed in several countries, including Brazil. This fact, although concerning, lacks deeper studies. The objective of this research was to describe bed bugs overr...

The bed bug Cimex lectularius L. is blood-feeding parasite of humans, bats and different domestic animals. In the early 1990s, pest management professionals began to see an increase in beg bug infestations across the world. Now the bed bug problem is very important in many countries, however, in Rus...

Exploitation of very high or low temperatures for bed bug, Cimex lectularius, control can be a supporting measure or even an alternative to chemical control methods. To observe the influence of heat, groups of adults, juveniles and eggs (group size = 20 individuals) were exposed to ambient temperatu...

The Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) is responsible for urban pests in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. We advise approximately 2’000 people per year who have questions or problems regarding arthropods and their control, we survey the pest situation in the city and control rats in public areas. Si...

It is the challenge of every thermal treatment to achieve the lethal temperatures in inaccessible harborages. With thermal treatments hot air is the heat transfer medium. This medium has a low heat capacity and the heat transmission rate from hot air on a solid body is relatively poor, especially if...

Detection and control of bed bugs can be challenging and alternative control methods are needed. Among new bed bug management techniques localized heat treatments, use of volatile insecticides and heat combination, and new detecting techniques using electronic sensors. However, management of bed bug...

The bed bug has had a longstanding relationship with low-income high-density housing. Proximity of dwellings, re-use of furniture, and control options limited by affordability, have all contributed to the continuation of this pest in such areas. The recent resurgence and spread of this pest may be a...

Populations of the common bed bug Cimexlecturaliusare undergoing a huge resurgence, but little is known about their patterns of spread and dispersal. We have begun to address this information gap by conducting population genetic studies of bed bug infestations in the U.S. using microsatellite marker...

The near absence of bed bugs from human dwellings for fifty or more years has left us with limited knowledge of its biology and few answers to eliminate populations. Research findings with relevance to global bed bug management are presented. Monitoring of spontaneous activity of bed bugs demonstrat...

From 2001 to 2004, Australia experienced a resurgence in bed bug infestations involving both the common (Cimex lectularius) and Tropical (Cimex hemipterus) species. It was found that all Australian mainland states had experienced an exponential rise in bed bug infestations since 2001, with an overal...

Seven commercial pest control products were assayed against Cimex lectularius (L.) adults and 4th instar nymphs under laboratory conditions for 48 hr. After initial exposure a selection of the porous plates were aged under mixed lighting, at 22ºC for 5 weeks, and assayed using 4th instar nymphs to d...

Pyrethroid, carbamate, and organophosphate insecticides are frequently used for bed bug control. A baseline susceptibility study for commonly used insecticides was carried out with a susceptible C. lectularius laboratory strain. LD50-values against a susceptible strain in a contact bioassay format a...

Widespread resistance to conventional residual neurotoxic insecticides such as pyrethroids is likely to be a major factor in bed bug infestations. To identify an insecticide with an alternative mode of action that is effective against the bed bug, the juvenile hormone analogue (S)-methoprene, was ev...

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., has made a rapid and unexpected comeback in the United States. In an online survey of 509 U.S. pest control firms, 91% encountered bed bugs in the past two years, whereas only 37% recalled seeing them five years ago. Perpetual movement of people, zero tolerance for...

The Urban Pest Advisory Service (UPAS) is responsible for urban pests in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. We give approximately 2,000 consultations per year concerning pests and their control, survey the pest situation in the city and control rats in public areas. We present data on the temporal cha...

Based on historical data on the number of inquiries to the advisory service at the Danish Pest Infestation Laboratory we have tried to analyse the variation in bed bug infestations in Denmark since the 1950s. The bed bug problems in Denmark have gone from low levels in the 1950s, gradually increasin...

Records show that the bed bug, Cimex lectularius (L.), was common in the early years of the 20th century, but in developed countries declined steadily from the 1930s onwards, and remained at a relatively low level through the 1970’s – 1990’s. However, in developed countries, there were nonetheless s...

Structural fumigation for household nuisance pests, like cockroaches or ants, is generally considered to be prohibitively expensive. However, for pests that are of public health importance, fumigation may be a more viable option than previously thought. Infestations of the bed bug, Cimex lectularius...

A new and unique desiccant powder (N.I.C. 325) has proven effective in several large metropolitan areas in the United States for the control of a variety of urban pests including Cimex lectularius, Amblyomma americanum, Ctenocephalides felis, Recticulitermes flavipes and Coptotermes formosanus. The ...

The control of bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) as well as pigeon ticks (Argas reflexus) in human dwellings is usually carried out by a treatment with residual insecticides/acaricides combined with special flushingout- preparations. As the hiding and breeding places of bed bugs and pigeon ticks can be sp...