Date of Award

January 2015

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Entomology

First Advisor

Ameya D Gondhalekar

Second Advisor

Gary W Bennett

Committee Member 1

Mike E Scharf

Committee Member 2

Frank Wessels

Abstract

Complete and effective elimination of common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) infestations continues to be a challenge for the pest management industry. However, effective bed bug control can be achieved through integrated pest management (IPM) programs that use a variety of control techniques. An integral component of an IPM program is the type of insecticide applied. However, insecticide products for bed bug control are somewhat limited as resistance to some pyrethroid insecticides, such as deltamethrin has developed. Currently, chlorfenapyr and bifenthrin are two insecticides approved for bed bug control. Chlorfenapyr is a pro-insecticide from the pyrrole class. Bifenthrin is a type-I pyrethroid that can be applied indoors, but it is also available to the general public and therefore has the potential to be misused for bed bug control. Insecticide resistance is an inevitable consequence of widespread and continuous insecticide application when the proper strategies are not implemented. If bed bugs develop resistance to chlorfenapyr and bifenthrin, it would significantly inhibit the effective management of these notorious pests. Notwithstanding, the susceptibility levels of field bed bug populations to chlorfenapyr and bifenthrin have not been determined on a large scale. Due to the impending threat of insecticide resistance, the primary goal of this research was to screen bed bug populations from across the United States for chlorfenapyr and bifenthrin susceptibility. To screen the field populations , a diagnostic bioassay-based susceptibility monitoring program was developed and implemented.

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