What Is Hepatitis C? Ultrasonic Bedbug Devices Debunked as Useless Dec. 10, 2012 -- Despite their claims, ultrasonic devices won’t keep bedbugs at bay, a new study shows. Bedbugs are wingless, rust-colored insects that are roughly the size of an apple seed. They don’t spread disease, but they do bite. Their bites can trigger allergic reactions, including welts and itching. Recent media reports about bedbug epidemics have helped boost an industry filled with products and services that are designed to prevent bedbug infestations and/or get rid of these creatures if you already have them. Now new research in the Journal of Economic Entomology shows that devices that produce sound waves do little to deter these creepy, crawly pests. and followed the instructions for use on their labels. During the experiment, they created an area where the device emitted sound waves, as well a silent comparison area. There were no differences in the number of bedbugs observed in either area, suggesting that bedbugs were neither deterred by nor attracted to sound waves emitted by any of the devices.
As far back as 2001, the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to more than 60 manufacturers of these types of devices, saying that claims of effectiveness for these products must be supported by scientific evidence. Ultrasonic Devices Don’t Repel Bedbugs Many in the insect-control field are not surprised by these findings. “Throughout the annals of pest control, ultrasonic devices have been evaluated against everything from rodents to roaches and fleas to mosquitoes,“ says Michael F. Potter, PhD. He is an entomologist at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. “Never have they proven themselves to be effective control tools. If anything, I would expect the bugs to utilize them as a [haven], since they often emit small amounts of heat, which serves as a short-range attractant to bedbugs.” According to Potter, “the results are not surprising, but useful in the sense that they debunk another so-called secret weapon in the battle against bedbugs.
As is often the case in pest control and life in general, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Susan C. Jones, PhD, agrees. She is an associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University in Columbus. “They are popular for all sorts of insects and rodents,” she says. But “the research does not support the claims that the manufacturer makes. They typically don’t work.” These devices retail for $20 to $40. “I would take that money and use it to launder all clothes and put them in a sealed tote, because this would protect them more than [ultrasonic] detection,” Jones says. Drying bedding and clothing at high temperatures for 20 minutes kills bedbugs, she says. What else can you do? “Bedbugs are a labor-intensive and time-intensive insect to deal with,” Jones says. If you suspect you have bedbugs, call a professional and they can tell you if it is a look-alike or a real bedbug. Dini Miller, PhD, is an associate professor of urban entomology at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. “If these worked, we wouldn’t have a bedbug problem in the U.S.,” she says.
Unfortunately, “we don’t have a great answer for bedbugs right now,” she says. “We are pretty good at taking care of 12 bedbugs, but where things get tough is when you have 1,200.” Heat and insecticides are the best available answers now, but they are not fail-safe. The best way not to get a bedbug infestation is to keep the critters out of your home. “It doesn’t matter if you notice a few when travelling or get bites,” Miller says. “You just don’t want them to come home with you.” Check yourself and any belongings before you come home.Información relacionada disponible en español EPA has registered more than 300 products for use against bed bugs. Most of these can be used by consumers, but a few are registered for use only by specially trained professionals. EPA evaluates data on the safety and the effectiveness of the products before approving them. Learn more about EPA's regulation of bed bug products. These 300 registered products fall into seven chemical classes of pesticides that are currently registered and widely used for bed bug control:
There are also two additional chemical classes registered for very narrow use patterns. Dichlorvos (also known as DDVP, an organophosphate) is registered as a pest strip for treatment of small enclosures; and propoxur (an n-methyl-carbamate) is registered only for use in commercial and industrial buildings where children are not present. Each chemical class kills bed bugs using a different mode of action. It can be helpful to use pesticides that differ in their mode of action because it can reduce the likelihood that the bugs will develop resistance. The following paragraphs discuss in more details each of the more commonly used chemical classes for bed bugs. Learn more about effectiveness of bed bug pesticides. Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common compounds used to control bed bugs and other indoor pests. Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins.
Both compounds are lethal to bed bugs and can flush bed bugs out of their hiding places and kill them. However, where resistant bed bug strains exist, these treatments may cause them to move to a new hiding place or temporarily flush them out of existing locations. Some bed bug populations have become resistant to pyrethrins and pyrethroids. Sometimes using a combination product (either multiple pyrethroid or pyrethrin active ingredients, or one that combines different chemical classes into the same product) can improve bed bug control. It can also be helpful to switch to an entirely different chemical class to control resistant bed bug populations. Some pyrethroid pesticides come in the form of a total release fogger. See Should I Use a Fogger? for information about fogger use and safety. Desiccants: Desiccants work by destroying the waxy, protective outer coating on a bed bug. Once this coating is destroyed, the bed bugs will slowly dehydrate and die. Desiccants are a valuable tool in bed bug control.
Because desiccants work through a physical mode of action, the bed bugs cannot become resistant to desiccants as they can to pesticides with other modes of action. In addition, they have a long-lasting effect and don't disturb normal bed bug activities. When using desiccants to control bed bugs it is critical to use those that are registered by EPA and labeled for bed bug control. Desiccants that are intended for other uses, such as food-grade or for use in swimming pools, pose an increased inhalation risk to people. Use of desiccants is limited to cracks and crevices use only to reduce inhalation risk. Biochemicals: Cold pressed neem oil is the only biochemical pesticide registered for use against bed bugs. Cold pressed neem oil is pressed directly from seeds of the Neem tree, a tropical evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia and Africa. The oil contains various compounds that have insecticidal and medicinal properties. It is also used in making products including shampoos, toothpaste, soaps, and cosmetics.
Performance trials conducted at the approved label rates show both products control bed bug adults, nymphs, and eggs. Pyrroles: Chlorfenapyr is the only pyrrole pesticide currently registered for use against bed bugs. The compound is a pro-insecticide, i.e. the biological activity depends on its activation to form another chemical. The new chemical disrupts certain functions in the bed bug's cells, causing its death. Neonicotinoids: Neonicotinoids are synthetic forms of nicotine and act on the nicotinic receptors of the nervous system by causing nerves to fire continually until they fail. Because neonicotinoids use this different mode of action, bed bugs that are resistant to other pesticides will remain susceptible to the neonicotinoid. Insect growth regulators: Insect growth regulators are chemicals that mimic juvenile growth hormones in insects. They work by either altering the production of chitin (the compound insects use to make their hard external "shell" or exoskeleton) or by altering an insect's development into adulthood.