Daily Archives: June 5, 2012

Bedbug infestations can be maddening. So readily available bug bombs that fill the house with a pesticide fog are understandably tempting. But research shows they're not likely to work.

Writing in the Journal of Economic Entomology, researchers from Ohio State University say they tested three popular bug bomb products on five different populations of bed bugs, collected "in the wild" from homes around Ohio. All three products failed miserably.

A bug bomb is basically an aerosol can that fills a room with insecticides called pyrethrins. They didn't exactly have a stellar reputation before, either. There are anecdotal reports that the products stir up the bugs, causing them to leave their hiding places and potentially scatter to new locations. And as NPR's Jon Hamilton reported last year, many bedbugs are becoming resistant to pyrethrins.

"If [bug bombs] don't work in the first place, that's what people need to know," lead author and entymology professor Susan Jones tells Shots. So she tested three products, including two general-purpose bug bombs, Spectracide Bug Stop Indoor Fogger and Eliminator Indoor Fogger, and one marketed specifically for bedbugs, Hot Shot Bedbug and Flea Fogger. All three are manufactured by Spectrum Brands.

The bombs were detonated while bugs were either exposed in open containers, or hidden under strips of paper or cloth that simulated, in a minimal way, the fabrics, mattresses and pillows in which they normally hide. That should have made the foggers' job easy. "This is like giving them the most favorable conditions in the world" for killing bed bugs, Jones says. But even when the bugs were denied shelter, nearly all of them survived, the tests found.

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 bed bugs to carry a label saying as much. EPA didn't confirm that assertions. But in an email, 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.

The Federal Trade Commission's website goes even further. "Steer clear of bug bombs or foggers," it warns, citing the scattering effect.

Jones says there are other reasons to avoid the insecticides, which are flammable, can be toxic and, when overused, contribute to increased resistance among the bugs.

"The $10 that you spent on an over-the-counter fogger would be much more effectively spent at a laundromat," Jones says. The heat of a drier can kill bedbugs and their eggs. But she says that's just one of many steps to ridding yourself of a bedbug infestation. Still, she advises leaving the insecticides to the professionals.

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Beset With Bedbugs? Don't Bother With Bug Bombs

(CBS News) Got a bedbug infestation?Many people turn to do-it-yourself "bug bombs" or "foggers" to rid the creepy crawlers from their bedrooms, but a new study shows the products that have been sold for decades might not even work.

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"There has always been this perception and feedback from the pest-management industry that over-the-counter foggers are not effective against bed bugs and might make matters worse but up until now there has been no published data regarding the efficacy of foggers against bedbugs," said study author Susan Jones, an urban entomologist with the Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, said in a news release. "If you use these products, you will not get the infestation under control, you will waste your money, and you will delay effective treatment of your infestation."

Ohio State University researchers tested three commercially sold foggers, Hot Shot, Spectracide, and Eliminator for the study, published in the June 3 issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology. After testing the brands on five different groups of live bedbugs for two hours, the scientists saw the foggers had little if any effect on the insects.

Jone said bedbugs hide in cracks and crevices such as under sheets and mattresses, or deep in carpets where foggers won't reach. Bugs that do come in contact with the mist may be resistant to the pesticide and can survive, she said.

The bottom line? You might be wise to leave it to the pros.

"Bed bugs are among the most difficult and expensive urban pests to control. It typically takes a professional to do it right," Jones said. "Also, the ineffective use of these products can lead to further resistance in insects."

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also says to steer clear of bug bombs or foggers, saying they can make the problem worse by scattering bedbugs throughout your home.

Bedbugs feed off blood and survive for months without a meal, according to WebMD. Infestations often occur in hotels, nursing homes, hospitals and cruise ships where lots of people sleep. People can be allergic t o the bites, experiencing itching or in rare cases life-threatening anaphlyaxis.

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Foggers, "bug bombs" are no match for bedbugs, scientists say