Use of pest management products

Public Health Significance of Urban Pests 147 control techniques to use against them. Several different active ingredients and formu- lations have been licensed and are currently used against bedbugs, and a variety of insec- ticide formulations and devices must be used to treat infested harbourages. As per label directions, applications of dust formulations should be used in electrical outlet boxes and in other places where it is desirable to use a minimum-risk, long-lasting insecticide.

4.5.5.5. Use of pest management products

The use of a properly labelled or licensed insecticide formulation in combination with the IPM principle recommended for control of bedbugs will often be the quickest, most prac- tical and in some cases possibly the only affordable or viable control option. Most resi- dual insecticides that are labelled or licensed or recommended for the control of bed- bugs are only intended for use as a crack-and-crevice treatment, according to directions on their product labels. The vast majority of such currently available products are either natural or synthetic pyrethroids; some of these products include synergistic chemicals as well. Recommendations in Canada, Europe and the United States for the control of bedbugs cover pyrethrins such as 6 mlm 2 synergized natural pyrethrum, pyrethroids such as permethrin, organophosphates such as 50 mlm 2 fenthion, 4–8 vv and carbamates such as 200 mlm 2 propoxur, 1 wv. For any class of insecticide product active ingre- dient included in products currently labelled for use to control bedbugs, type I pyrethroids are among the least toxic. The application concentration of pyrethroid active ingredients registered as bedbug control products is seldom more than 1 vv. Also, most non-resi- dual pyrethroids are rapidly detoxified by normal exposure to sunlight, oxygen in air, common household cleaning agents and microbes routinely found on nearly all exposed surfaces. For monitoring and for improving control results, certain aerosol formulations of pyrethroids are sometimes used to stimulate flush hidden bugs, so they will move out of cryptic harbourages, making their presence more readily detectable; however, such aerosol products seldom kill many of the bedbugs that emerge. Dust formulations of insecticidal products currently labelled for use in controlling bed- bugs are of low toxicity and pose little risk to people when used in accordance with label directions. IGRs are used to alter bedbug reproductive processes. Such regulators have essentially no effect on vertebrate systems as applied, because of their modes of action and because of the very small amount of active ingredient applied when used according to label direc- tions. They can, however, have a significant impact on bedbug fertility and the success of egg hatching Takahashi Ohtaki, 1975. Currently, the vast majority of pesticide products labelled for use on mattresses contain very low concentrations of very low-toxicity and low-volatility pyrethroid formulations or else their active ingredients are such non-insecticide products as silica aerogel or dia- tomaceous earth. Any such licensed pest management products for use on mattresses, as well as nearly all Bedbugs 146 Products listed in this section are for illustrative purposes only. The choice of insecticide products and specific application techniques can depend on many factors, which include the following: • the physical locations and structural details of the bugs’ harbourages • the availability of the product • the products’ own labels, which can vary greatly from country to country • exact local conditions • any applicable national and local laws or regulations • many different, related official recommendations. True fumigation of small volumes or limited amounts of furniture, clothing, or other personal items can kill all stages of bedbugs present, possibly including bedbug eggs. Such a treatment, however, would not prevent reinfestation immediately after the fumigant had been sufficiently removed for the items treated to be used again. True fumigation of a whole building should be equally effective at killing all mobile stages of bedbugs pre- sent, but would not prevent a reinfestation and would seldom be needed, practical or affordable WHO, 1982; Snetsinger, 1997; Gooch, 2005.

4.5.5.1. Surface treatments