Do-It-Yourself Bed Bug Products: Do They Work? Dr. Susan C. Jones

Transcription

1 Do-It-Yourself Bed Bug Products: Do They Work? Dr. Susan C. Jones

2 Pesticide Misuse? Columbus, OH 4/26/11 Columbus, OH 6/28/12

3 No Entry! (bed bugs, that is)

4 Is This Pesticide Misuse? Photos courtesy of Andrew Christman

5 Misuse of OTC foggers ( bug bombs ) San Diego, CA 470 sq ft home 19 foggers Ignited by water heater pilot light >$150,000 damages

6 Misuse of OTC foggers ( bug bombs ) Australia 10 foggers Ignited by refrigerator motor? ~$50,000 damages

7 TRFs

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9 Efforts to Restrict/Clarify Use of Bug Bombs

10 Efforts to Restrict/Clarify Use of Bug Bombs

11 Over-The-Counter Fogger Efficacy Studies Hotshot Bedbug and Flea Fogger Pyrethrins 0.05%, Esfenvalerate 0.1%, Piperonyl Butoxide 0.1% (synergist), MGK % (synergist), Nylar 0.1% (IGR) Spectracide Bug Stop Indoor Fogger Bed bugs are not listed on label Tetramethrin 0.1%, Cypermethrin 0.6% Eliminator Indoor Fogger Bed bugs are not listed on label Cypermethrin 0.515%

12 Over-The-Counter Fogger Efficacy Studies --Materials and Methods-- wading pools (45-in diameter) with fluon on sides to prevent bb escape Each fogger treats up to 2000 ft 3 Treatment room: 1190 ft 3 Control room: 1330 ft 3 experimental units randomly distributed in pools 5 bugs/ rep x 10 reps / trt / population Assessed bugs physical condition at: 2.5 h (re-entry after airing room) 24 h 5 to 7 d

13 EPM King Kingry Marcia Pointe Harlan EPM King Kingry Marcia Pointe Harlan Mean (+/- SE) percent moribund and/or dead HotShot Bedbug and Flea Fogger --Effects On Bed Bug Nymphs + Adults (All Data Corrected for Control Mortality)-- re-entry 24 h 5-7 d a a a a a ab a a a a a a a a b f f f a a a a a a a a a ab a a a a a d e f Tested a total of 600 adults and 600 nymphs, with no significant difference in their response. BBs were out in the open Without harborage BBs could get under a flat filter paper disc With optional harborage EPM Pointe pyrethroid-resistant bb s (collected in 2010) Harlan pyrethroid-susceptible bb s (>35 years in lab)

14 Mean (+/- SE) percent moribund and/or dead Tested a total of 400 adults and 400 nymphs, with no significant difference in their response. HotShot Bedbug and Flea Fogger --Effects On Bed Bug Nymphs + Adults (All Data Corrected for Control Mortality)-- re-entry 24 h b EPM Harlan EPM Harlan Without harborage b a a a a a BBs were out in the open BBs were underneath thin fabric With forced harborage EPM pyrethroid-resistant bb s (collected in 2010) Harlan pyrethroid-susceptible bb s (>35 years in lab) a

15 Mean (+/- SE) percent moribund and/or dead Tested a total of 300 adults and 300 nymphs, with no significant difference in their response. Spectracide Bug Stop Indoor Fogger --Effects On Bed Bug Nymphs + Adults (All Data Corrected for Control Mortality)-- re-entry 24 h 5-7 d c a b ab ab ab EPM Marcia Harlan EPM Marcia Harlan Without harborage de e e ab ab ab ab ab With optional harborage EPM and Marcia pyrethroid-resistant bb s (collected in 2010) Harlan pyrethroid-susceptible bb s (>35 years in lab) ce d d

16 Mean (+/- SE) percent moribund and/or dead Eliminator Indoor Fogger --Effects On Bed Bug Nymphs + Adults Tested a total of 150 adults and 150 nymphs, with no significant difference in their response. (All Data Corrected for Control Mortality)-- re-entry 24 h a a a EPM Marcia Harlan EPM and Marcia pyrethroid-resistant bb s (collected in 2010) Harlan pyrethroid-susceptible bb s (>35 years in lab) a Without harborage b b

17 Over-the-Counter Foggers --Conclusions-- Pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs did not die or become severely affected after fogging (statistically the same as controls) Nymphs and adults showed a statistically similar lack of response Even pyrethroid-susceptible bed bugs were unaffected if they were in a harborage There was a lack of insecticide penetration into harborages

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19 Manufacturer s Response: United Industries Corporation, which makes all three of the products tested in the study, emphasized in a statement that only the Hot Shot brand fogger is designed to be used on bedbugs. The company stood by its line of Hot Shot products, saying they are "proven to be effective against bed bugs." The Hot Shot fogger "is particularly effective when used in in conjunction with our bedbug-killing direct sprays," said John Pailthorp, the company's division vice president of marketing. "We advise homeowners to follow up with a repeat, full-scale treatment one to two weeks after the initial fogging to ensure that bedbugs have been eradicated. And, as always, we recommend a professional evaluation if the problem is particularly severe."

20 Manufacturer s Response: Charlie Duckworth, who does research and development for Spectrum Brands, says only the Hot Shot product is designed specifically for bedbugs. "That one has data that it does kill bedbugs," he says, citing information the Environmental Protection Agency reviews before approving insecticides. Duckworth says EPA will soon require products not proved effective on bedbugs to carry a label saying as much. EPA didn't confirm that assertions. But in an , an agency spokeswoman said that pesticide resistance, available hiding spots, and other factors can make it hard to treat bedbugs successfully. "Foggers and bug bombs should not be used as the only method to attempt to control bed bugs," the EPA website says.

21 Correspondence with EPA From: "Jones, Susan" From: To: Susan Jones, Susan Lois Marion Kevin Sent: Sunday, June 03, :59 PM To: From: Susan Jennings Susan Jennings Cc: Cc: Sent: Friday, June 01, :50 PM Kevin Sweeney; Lois Rossi; Marion Johnson Subject: Date: 05/25/ :05 PM To: Jones, RE: ineffectiveness Susan of bug bombs against bed bugs Subject: ineffectiveness of bug bombs against bed bugs Susan, Cc: Kevin Sweeney; Lois Rossi; Marion Johnson Subject: Re: ineffectiveness of bug bombs against bed bugs Thank Susan, you for your response. I am aware that EPA has drafted bed bug product performance guidelines and convened an SAP to review the draft At your guidelines. presentation I am also to the aware, National however, Conference that even on Urban if the Entomology Agency moves this quickly, week (May the guidelines 22, 2012), will I asked not be how in EPA effect would for quite respond some to time and may new Susan, not data even showing apply retroactively that certain over-the-counter to products that are products currently were registered ineffective and against make bed bugs, claims. and you replied that EPA would have to review the data. Hence, I've attached the proof of my manuscript which is scheduled for publication in an ESA (Entomological Every day for the last five years, I have done little else other than conduct bed bug-related work, including responding to frequent, lengthy Society Thank of you America) for providing peer review us journal, with Journal an advance of Economic copy Entomology, of this article. in early It June contains Based some interesting on my research, information. I am As calls from desperate consumers dealing with bed bugs. The quality of life of people nationwide has been severely affected by bed bugs. requesting you Before know, many we a data of are these currently call people in for call, in they Hotshot process have bought of Bedbug updating and used and products our Flea efficacy that Fogger did guidelines not product. work (sometimes and I'm the hereby using information ineffective requesting and dangerous home contained remedies, sometimes in your using article 25(b) products will help that do inform little except us perhaps in that affecting process. bugs that are directly contacted, and sometimes using ineffective that EPA conventional carefully consumer review products any data with full pertaining Section 3 registrations). to bed bugs By that the time is/was these people submitted reach me, for their the bed product bug problem is much worse and more costly to deal with than it would have been had they had access to effective products. registration Please feel free to ensure to contact rigorous me, should efficacy you data have that any were additional not based questions the Harlan or strain concerns. and that represent actual use In of your the product you against did not bed respond bugs. to my request that EPA call-in the efficacy data for the products that I tested and found to be ineffective. Perhaps Thanks, I used incorrect language in my original request, so I m herein rephrasing my request: Will EPA please Please note that my data should not be an entirely new to EPA, as I recall that Marion Johnson was in the audience at the 2011 Bed review Bug Susan. the efficacy data pertaining to bed bugs for currently registered OTC fogger products? If Summit in Chicago when I gave a presentation on this research, and I was on the same panel with Kevin Sweeney at NPMA 2011 not, in New what Orleans immediate when I likewise action presented can research the Agency on ineffectiveness take to of protect bug bombs. consumers I've copied the FTC from on this purchasing , it is these my products understanding Susan Jennings that that do not EPA work, should are take potentially the lead dangerous, on this issue. and whose use contributes to pyrethroid resistance and only exacerbates their bed bug Public problem, Health making Coordinator, it even more difficult Office and of costly Pesticide to remediate. Programs Sincerely, For US your Environmental information, OSU, Protection ESA, and NPMA Agency are planning press releases next week regarding this manuscript, with an embargo date Susan of (706) June 4th I expect that (v) some of the media may be contacting EPA since the products are EPA registered. Please contact me if you require additional information. Please keep me informed of your progress on this issue. (706) (f) Susan C. Jones, Ph.D. Associate Professor Sincerely, Susan C. Jones, Ph.D. Associate Professor

22 Correspondence with EPA

23 Acknowledgments Joshua Bryant Andrew Hoelmer Mark Janowiecki Dr. Harold Harlan

24 Thank You! Sleep tight, and don t let the well, you know the rest