Determining Optimal Harborage Crack Size for Bed Bugs
Faculty Mentor Name
Corraine McNeill
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius), are cryptic, nocturnal insects that spend 90% of their time in a harborage. Harborages can include crack and cervices within the home. The purpose of this research was to determine whether adult bed bugs preferred a certain crack size for harborage. Factors such as aggregation, non-aggregation, gender, and hunger status were further evaluated to determine bed bug preferred nesting locations. Eight drill bit sizes were used to make the cracks: 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 5/53, 3/16, and 7/32. Drill bit sizes 7/32, 1/8, and 3/16 were preferred for bed bugs aggregated in groups of 10. Harborage preference varied due to gender and hunger status. The majority of fed males in aggregation (33%) preferred harborages with the drill bit size 7/32, while the majority (27%) of starved males preferred drill bit size 1/8. In comparison, the majority of fed females (30%) and the majority of starved females (26%) in aggregation both preferred the drill bit size of 3/16. Regardless of gender and hunger status, the majority of lone bed bugs preferred drill bit size 3/16 (37.25% fed males; 22.73% starved males; 31.48% fed females; and 25.17% starved females). Overall, knowledge of optimal crack size can provide great benefits for enhancing bed bug monitoring tools by increasing trap captures.
Determining Optimal Harborage Crack Size for Bed Bugs
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius), are cryptic, nocturnal insects that spend 90% of their time in a harborage. Harborages can include crack and cervices within the home. The purpose of this research was to determine whether adult bed bugs preferred a certain crack size for harborage. Factors such as aggregation, non-aggregation, gender, and hunger status were further evaluated to determine bed bug preferred nesting locations. Eight drill bit sizes were used to make the cracks: 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 5/53, 3/16, and 7/32. Drill bit sizes 7/32, 1/8, and 3/16 were preferred for bed bugs aggregated in groups of 10. Harborage preference varied due to gender and hunger status. The majority of fed males in aggregation (33%) preferred harborages with the drill bit size 7/32, while the majority (27%) of starved males preferred drill bit size 1/8. In comparison, the majority of fed females (30%) and the majority of starved females (26%) in aggregation both preferred the drill bit size of 3/16. Regardless of gender and hunger status, the majority of lone bed bugs preferred drill bit size 3/16 (37.25% fed males; 22.73% starved males; 31.48% fed females; and 25.17% starved females). Overall, knowledge of optimal crack size can provide great benefits for enhancing bed bug monitoring tools by increasing trap captures.