An Overview Of Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Treatment In The United States: Using Science To Create Progressive Protocols

Abstract:
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 to a bed bug treatment protocol but research quickly detected high levels of resistance within field populations, which forced professionals to evaluate non-chemical options to assist in the control of this pest. Due to the speed at which bed bugs have spread, as well as the resistance issues they present, both academia and the pest control industry has been forced to find alternatives on how to slow their spread and control them properly. This session will look at the past 15 years of bed bug control in the United States and review the history of treatment protocols during that time. Using research conducted over the past decade, different options to control bed bugs will be evaluated. Some treatment tools that will be covered include pesticides, bed encasements, monitors, steamers, amongst others and the value each provide to efficiently and effectively control bed bugs will be discussed.