Applying the central tenets of

IPM to bed bug infestations

Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program

Andrew Sutherland

Bay Area Urban IPM Advisor

UCCE and UC IPM

A new Advisor?!

• Andrew Sutherland: Bay Area Urban IPM

Advisor

– Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San

Mateo, Santa Clara counties

– Professional / commercial landscape IPM

– Structural / industrial IPM

• amsutherland@ucanr.edu

• http://ucanr.edu/sites/urbanIPM/

Outline of presentation

• The what, why, where and who of IPM

• Central tenets of IPM

• IPM for bed bugs

– Education: biology, ecology

– Prevention of bed bug infestation

– Bed bug monitors and detection

– Thresholds for nuisance pests?

– Multiple tactics for bed bug management

– IPM program evaluation

What exactly is integrated pest

management (IPM)?

• ‘a decision-based process involving

coordinated use of multiple tactics for

optimizing the control of all classes of pests

(insects, pathogens, weeds, vertebrates) in

an ecologically and economically sound

manner’

• R.J. Prokopy, 2003

OK……so…

• simultaneous management of multiple

pests;

• regular monitoring of pests, and their

natural enemies and antagonists as well;

• use of economic or treatment thresholds

when applying pesticides;

• integrated use of multiple, suppressive

tactics.

• L. E. Ehler, 2006

• Education

• Prevention

• Monitoring

• Treatment Thresholds

• Multiple Tactics

• Integration

• Evaluation

Central tenets of IPM

Why Urban IPM?

• Urban surface water contamination levels

(w / pesticides) 2 – 3 X higher than that of

surface water in production ag areas

– Diazinon and chlorpyrifos (Bailey et al 2000)

– Pyrethroids (Weston et al 2005; Amweg et al

2006)

– Fipronil (Lin et al 2009)

Problems with pesticide use in

urban areas

• Surface water, soil, groundwater

contamination

• Human health concerns

• Disruption of ecosystem

• Economic costs

• Public perception

Problems with pesticide use in

urban areas

Major users of pesticides in

urban areas

• General (residential) public

• Homeowners / tenants

• Property owners / managers

• Pest management professionals (PMPs)

• Government agencies

• Agriculture

• Non-crop systems: ornamental nurseries

• Urban ag systems

• Education

• Prevention

• Monitoring

• Treatment Thresholds

• Multiple Tactics

• Integration

• Evaluation

Central tenets of IPM

• Education

• Biology

• True bug (Heteroptera / Hemiptera)

• Piercing-sucking mouthparts

• Wingless

• Incomplete / gradual

metamorphosis

• Obligate haematophages

IPM for bed bugs

Other true bugs

• Pests

• Predators

• Some parasites

• Piercing-sucking

mouthparts

• All feed on

liquids

Heteroptera: Cimicidae

• Education

• Biology

• Ecology

• Nest parasites (require harborage)

• Development requires regular blood

meals

• Can survive months to years

without feeding

IPM for bed bugs

Good bed bug harborage = dark,

protected from cold, heat, moisture,

within 2m of host, wood, paper or fabric

Blood meal required prior to molting,

egg-laying

Bat bugs? Swallow bugs?

• Related species

• Attack bats and birds

• Occasionally invade

homes

• IPM involves

management of hosts

• Length of hairs on

pronotum > diameter

of eye

• Education

• Prevention

• Of introduction

• Education and communication

• Traveling precautions

• Second-hand furniture

• Infested personal items

IPM for bed bugs

Education for Prevention

Traveling precautions

• Inquire as to bed bug history

• Inspect room before unpacking

– Start with mattress (seams, tufts)

– Box spring, head board, bed frame

– Under / in bedside furniture

– Baseboards (within 2m of bed)

– Behind wall hangings

– Carpet joints

Traveling precautions

• Inquire as to bed bug history

• Inspect room before unpacking

• Consider sealing luggage

• Store luggage on tile surface or on luggage

rack, avoid placing near bed, on upholstered

surfaces

• Report suspected infestation and then

change rooms ASAP

• Vacuum luggage, wash clothes, properly

store luggage upon return home

The dangers of secondhand

furniture…

• Education

• Prevention

• Of introduction

• Of establishment

• Elimination of harborage sites

• Encasements / barriers

• Appropriate sanitation and

maintenance

IPM for bed bugs

Make rooms ‘bed bug unfriendly’

More prevention of introduction /

establishment (new tenants)

• Inspection

• Preventative heat treatments

• Mattress encasements

Consideration of ‘clutter’

• Education

• Prevention

• Monitoring

• Visual / manual inspection

• Bugs, eggs, exuviae, fecal spots,

blood smears / spots

• Bed bug monitors

• Canine detection

IPM for bed bugs

Bed bug signs

Bed bug inspection

Bed bug monitors

• Active monitors

– Employ some attractant

• CO2

• Heat

• Pheromones / kairomones

– Can detect bugs in absence of host

• Passive monitors

– Harborage or pitfall traps

• Interceptor traps

Bed bug monitor efficacy research

(Vernard Lewis laboratory, UC

Berkeley)

http://www.pestboard.ca.gov/howdoi/

research/monitors_bedbug.pdf

Bed bug monitors: summary

• Active monitors in absence of host

• All tested able to attract bugs…

• Best for detection, evaluation purposes

• Easier to inspect than furniture

• More monitors, more time = better

• Proper placement is key

Canine Detection

Canine Detection

• Classical conditioning

• Potential for very high accuracy (> 90%)

• Potential for false positive detection

• Canine team requires constant training,

re-conditioning

• 3rd party certification

• Should always be confirmed with visual

/ manual inspection by trained PCO

Canine Detection Accuracy

Pest Control Technology: pctonline.com; August 2011

Canine Detection Accuracy

Pest Control Technology: pctonline.com; August 2011

Certification important, but…SHOW ME THE BUGS!

• Education

• Prevention

• Monitoring

• Thresholds?

• Is one bug too many?

• State, county mandates

• Liability

• Hypersensitive immune responses

IPM for bed bugs

• Education

• Prevention

• Monitoring

• Thresholds

• Multiple Tactics

• Mechanical / nonchemical

• Biological?

• Chemical

IPM for bed bugs

Mechanical / Nonchemical Tactics

• Disposal of infested items (clearly marked)

• Barriers (previously discussed)

• Laundering

• Vacuum (provide HEPA filter)

• Steam

• Heat (> 45oC or > 115oF)

• Cold (below freezing)

Disposal of bed bug infested items

• Not always necessary

• Items should be sealed, if possible

• Consider rendering unusable

• Items should be clearly marked as

infested

• Consider

encasements or

heat as alternatives

Laundering infested items

• Water temperature should be as hot as

possible (60oC; 140oF)

• Tumble dry at ‘hot’ setting for > 30

minutes, until dry if items wet

• Consider dissolving laundry bags

Vacuuming bed bugs

• Make sure HEPA filter in place

• Use of brushes not advised

• Target known harborages

Steam application for bed bug control

• Kills all stages

• Often used before chemical applications

• Low vapor flow, high temperature best

• Check treated surfaces with infrared

– Should be ≥ 160oF

• Reduce flow rate if possible

Extreme heat and cold

• Heat treatments

– Gas or electric heat sources

– > 45oC or > 115oF, 2-6 hours, dep on temp

– Must be ramped up QUICKLY

– Enclosed treatments best

• Cold treatments (below freezing)

– Not always practical for large items

– Hours to days, depending on temp

Biological control for bed bugs?

• Masked hunter (assassin bug)

– Native to Europe, common in

east, central US

– Preys on bed bugs during all life

stages

– Can bite humans in defense

• Entomopathogenic fungi

– Beauveria bassiana

– Efficacy proven in lab

– Penn State

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

– pyrethrin

– Pyrethroids

– Neonicotinoid / pyrethroid combinations

– Pyrrole: chlorfenapyr

– Insect growth regulator: hydroprene

– Cold-pressed neem cake

– Botanicals and other oils

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

– pyrethrin

– Pyrethroids

– Neonicotinoid / pyrethroid combinations

– Pyrrole: chlorfenapyr

– Insect growth regulator: hydroprene

– Cold-pressed neem cake

– Botanicals and other oils

Natural (sometimes considered

organic) materials; contact

knockdown, but little residual

activity

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

– pyrethrin

– Pyrethroids

– Neonicotinoid / pyrethroid combinations

– Pyrrole: chlorfenapyr

– Insect growth regulator: hydroprene

– Cold-pressed neem cake

– Botanicals and other oils

Most commonly-used, offer

knockdown and residual

activity…OVER-RELIANCE MAY

BE DRIVING RESISTANCE

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

– pyrethrin

– Pyrethroids

– Neonicotinoid / pyrethroid combinations

– Pyrrole: chlorfenapyr

– Insect growth regulator: hydroprene

– Cold-pressed neem cake

– Botanicals and other oils

Reduced-risk materials; generally

take longer than pyrethroids to kill

bugs, may be good choice when

dealing with resistant populations

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

– pyrethrin

– Pyrethroids

– Neonicotinoid / pyrethroid combinations

– Pyrrole: chlorfenapyr

– Insect growth regulator: hydroprene

– Cold-pressed neem cake

– Botanicals and other oils

Newly registered material; long

history of use in agriculture;

manufacturer claims contact,

residual, and repellency

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

• Solids (powder, dusts)

– Borates

– Diatomaceous earth (DE)

– Silica

– Limestone

– Formulations of pyrethrins, pyrethroids

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

• Solids (powder, dusts)

– Borates

– Diatomaceous earth (DE)

– Silica

– Limestone

– Formulations of pyrethrins, pyrethroids

Questionable efficacy

since requires

grooming, ingestion

(stomach poison)

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

• Solids (powder, dusts)

– Borates

– Diatomaceous earth (DE)

– Silica

– Limestone

– Formulations of pyrethrins, pyrethroids

Desiccants: break down

waxy cuticle of insect,

insect dies slowly due to

water loss

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

• Solids (powder, dusts)

– Borates

– Diatomaceous earth (DE)

– Silica

– Limestone

– Formulations of pyrethrins, pyrethroids

Activity, mode of action

similar to as discussed

for liquid formulations

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

• Solids (powder, dusts)

– Borates

– Diatomaceous earth (DE)

– Silica

– Limestone

– Formulations of pyrethrins, pyrethroids

Must remain dry to retain efficacy, have potential to

remain active for long period of time…

Chemical control of bed bugs

• Liquids

• Solids (powder, dusts)

• Fumigation

– sulfuryl fluoride

• Education

• Prevention

• Monitoring

• Thresholds

• Multiple Tactics

• Integration

• No tactic should interfere with another

IPM for bed bugs

• Education

• Prevention

• Monitoring

• Thresholds

• Multiple Tactics

• Integration

• Evaluation

• Monitor for population changes

• Resistant population?

IPM for bed bugs

• Education

• Prevention

• Monitoring

• Thresholds

• Multiple Tactics

• Integration

• Evaluation

IPM for bed bugs

Thanks!...Questions?

• Andrew Sutherland

• Bay Area Urban IPM Advisor

• amsutherland@ucanr.edu

• http://ucanr.edu/sites/urbanIPM/

• 510-777-2481 office

• 510-499-2930 cell

• 1131 Harbor Bay Parkway; Alameda