Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius L.) in Mississippi: Survey of the …

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Research Article

Goddard, J.

Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-2085, jgoddard@entomology.msstate.edu

Received: 5-V-2011 Accepted: 17-VIII-2011

Abstract: Bed bugs are blood-sucking insects which had nearly disappeared in developed countries until fairly recently, when a dramatic increase and spread of the insects began in the 1980s. Since then, bed bugs increasingly have been reported inside U.S. hotel rooms, dormitories, and apartments. In this study, entomologists at the Mississippi Department of Health, as well as licensed pest control personnel throughout the state, were queried for information about the scope and extent of bed bug infestations throughout Mississippi for the time period from 1 September 2010 through 28 February 2011. In addition, pest management personnel were asked to provide information about pesticides and other control methods used for bed bug control in Mississippi. A total of 179 bed bug infestations were reported by the respondents covering the six-month period. Health department personnel reported 40 infestations around the state, with an average of 5.0 infestations per responder, while pest management personnel reported 139 infestations with an average of 5.1 infestations per responder. About 30% (8/27 pest control; 3/11 health dept) of responders reported no infestations in their area, so bed bug problems appear to be focal in distribution. Pesticides remain the primary control tool for bed bugs in Mississippi, with most responders saying they use products in the pyrethroid class of pesticides. This particular finding is worrisome in light of widespread pyrethroid resistance. New and expanded educational efforts aimed at both homeowners or tenants and pest management professionals are needed in the fight against this emerging pest.

Keywords: Bed bugs, geographic distribution, incidence, control, Mississippi

Introduction Bed bugs are small, flat, oval-shaped wingless insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals such as humans, bats, birds, and pets (Figure 1) (Ryckman et al. 1981, Thomas et al. 2004, Reinhardt and Siva-Jothy 2007, Little and West 2008). They have traditionally been common in the developing world, and especially in areas of extreme poverty and crowding. These blood-sucking parasites had nearly disappeared in developed countries until fairly recently, when a dramatic increase and spread of the insects began in the 1980s (Potter 2006, Goddard and de Shazo 2008). Since then, bed bugs have been increasingly reported inside U.S. hotel rooms, dormitories, and apartments (Cleary and Buchanan 2004, Gangloff-Kauffmann et al. 2006, Anderson and Leffler 2008). Bed bugs feed at night, hiding in crevices during the day. Hiding places include seams in mattresses, crevices in box springs, and spaces under baseboards or loose wallpaper. There are five nymphal stages that must be passed before

Figure 1. Adult bed bugs on mattress (Photo by Dr. Blake Layton, Mississippi State University).

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Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius L.) in Mississippi: Survey of the ...

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