Protecting Human Health and Urban Environment Through Integrated Pest Management Programs

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/> Integrated pest management (IPM) programs have been recognized as more effective to manage urbanpests and reduce pesticide use. An effective IPM program takes consideration of pest biology and ecology. Therefore, our next 5-year project will focus on developing effective IPM programs. Through basic and applied research on pest biology, behavior, ecology, and various control techniques, we will design, test, and disseminate new and improved pest management solutions. We will deliver the research findings to the public by: 1) publishing research findings in peer-reviewed journals and trade journals; 2) maintaining an urban pest management web site; 3) presenting research findings at professional meetings; 4) conducting workshops and training to pest management professionals; and 5) preparing audience-appropriate extension publications. By reducing
pesticide applications and more effectively controlling urban pests, food contamination and adverse impact to human health from pesticide use and pest infestation can be minimized.
<p>APPROACH:<br/> We will conduct both laboratory and field experiments to determine how bed bugs locate their hosts, their spatial distribution patterns, and their dispersal behavior. Experimental arenas and naturally-infested residences will be used in these studies. Our previous studies showed that bed bug behavior is affected by feeding status and strain. They are attracted to carbon dioxide, heat, and chemical lure. Their distribution in a naturally-infested home varies with the host behavior, population levels, clutter present in the home, etc. In the laboratory, we will use different sizes of arenas and observe how bed bugs move around in relation to the presence/absence of a host cue, a vertical object, time after feeding, etc. In the field, we will place monitors in numerous locations within an apartment to determine the bed bug spatial distribution patterns and
analyze the association between bed bug distribution and pest control treatment, location of furniture where resident sleeps or rests on, bed bug infestation history, population level. We will place 20-30 bed bug monitors per infested apartment and their surrounding apartments (left, right, above, below) to determine the spatial distribution patterns of bed bugs and dispersal of bed bugs. We will improve current bed bug detection tools through three steps: 1) screening for more effective bed bug lures, 2) developing a convenient and inexpensive carbon dioxide source and release method, and 3) evaluate new bed bug trap designs in naturally infested apartments. We will extract volatile compounds from worn socks and analyze the components and their attractiveness to bed bugs using olfactometers. The most effective compounds will be further evaluated in arenas and/or in the field. The
effective attractants will then be combined with carbon dioxide or heat to test their synergistic or additive effects. Our past studies showed that both passive (without lure) and active (with lure) monitors are valuable tools in bed bug management. Passive monitors are suitable in occupied rooms. Active monitors are suitable under all conditions but more effective in un-occupied rooms. The current monitors can be improved by modifying the trap design or the lures. We will test various designs and lures in the laboratory or in the field using similar methods as described in Singh et al. (2012). A critical step in effective bed bug management is early detection. Resident report or visual inspections are unreliable in our field studies. To eliminate bed bugs economically and effectively, and minimize their spread, a proactive monitoring program must be in place. We will test a proactive
monitoring program in multi-unit dwellings. The program consists of interviews, installing monitors in suspected units, and periodically inspecting the monitors based on bed bug counts. We will study the cost-effectiveness of custom bed bug IPM programs in different communities. Two to three housing authorities with high number of bed bug infestations will be selected to participate in the study. One housing authority will be using their current pest control service. The other 1-2 housing authorities will adopt a new bed bug management protocol which consists of educating residents, biweekly monitoring, placing interceptors under furniture legs, using steam and other non-chemical intervention methods, and application of insecticide sprays or dusts when necessary. We will conduct surveys at the beginning and end of the program to evaluate the effectiveness of the bed bug IPM program. We
anticipate these studies will provide the much needed cost-effectiveness data and help reduce the prevalence of bed bug infestations in our society. In collaboration with manufacturers and pest control companies, laboratory and field experiments will be conducted to evaluate the comparative efficacy of novel urban pest control techniques and existing technologies in controlling a range of urban pests, including bedbugs, cockroaches, ants, and termites. The technologies to be evaluated will include both non-chemical and chemical tools with an emphasis on least toxic technologies. Standard assay methods in the laboratory and in the field will be used to evaluate new technologies for the control of these pests. We will collaborate with pest management professionals and building managers in identifying difficult-to-control cockroach populations. We will collect and maintain these
populations in the laboratory, study their feeding behavior andinsecticide resistance profile, and evaluate alternative methods to control these populations. Newer formulations of bait matrices will be investigated where appropriate.