Effectiveness of BugZip Luggage and Clothing Encasements ...bugzip.com/pdf/Sean-Rollo-BugZip.pdf ·...
Transcript of Effectiveness of BugZip Luggage and Clothing Encasements ...bugzip.com/pdf/Sean-Rollo-BugZip.pdf ·...
Effectiveness of BugZip Luggage and Clothing Encasements in Preventing Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius) Sean Rollo, BSc. Zoology / Board Certified Entomologist
ABSTRACT The resurgence of bed bugs has many travelers worried about the potential of bringing the unwanted guests home with them. BugZip luggage and clothing encasements are made of heavy‐duty clear vinyl that resists tears and can easily hold large objects inside (such as luggage). The specially designed three‐sided bed bug resistant zipper allows easy access to your clothes and belongings while keeping out bed bugs when traveling. The luggage encasements were tested to determine whether bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) could escape from them. Bed bugs were placed inside the encasements and enticed to exit by artificially simulating a host on the outside of the enclosure. During the trials conducted, bed bugs did not escape the encasements thus indicating that they may play an important role in inadvertently bringing bed bugs home after traveling. KEY WORDS Bed Bugs, Cimex lectularius, encasement, BugZip
INTRODUCTION The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) typically harbors in/on mattresses, box springs, and bed frames. Other locations may include under baseboards, in dressers, night stands, and other furniture. When staying at a hotel it is common practice to place luggage on the floor, in a closet, or on the luggage rack for the duration of a stay. Bed bugs do not actively seek out luggage to harbor in, but may inadvertently stumble into/onto it when traversing from their harborage space to their food source (people) and vice versa. Once lodged in/on the luggage the traveler runs the risk of returning home and introducing bed bugs to their residence. This experiment aims to discover whether BugZip encasements could be used as part of a bed bug prevention strategy when traveling. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bed Bug Colony Cimex lectularius were collected from a colony consisting of both wild and laboratory strains raised by the authoring researcher. Approximately 400 bed bugs (varying life stages) were used. The bed bugs were housed in a 1,000ml rigid walled Ziploc container lined with shredded paper and sealed with a screw lid until just prior to the commencement of the experiment. Escape Test Bed bugs were placed in one of four BugZip luggage encasements (30” x 20” x 15”). The zippers on the luggage and clothing encasements were identical and as such it was not required to test the clothing encasements in conjunction with the luggage encasements as the results should not differ.
Replicates Replicate 1: Encasement fully zipped up with 50 adult and 50 nymph (1st‐5th instars) bed bugs inside Replicate 2: Encasement fully zipped up with 50 adult and 50 nymph (1st‐5th instars) bed bugs inside Replicate 3: Encasement fully zipped up with 50 adult and 50 nymph (1st‐5th instars) bed bugs inside
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The arenas were stored at room temperature (not climate controlled) with approximately 12 hours of artificial light and 12 hours of darkness per day. The replicates were observed once per week at the same time of day for a four week period to determine the number of bed bugs on the inside and outside of the encasement. RESULTS The encasements that were fully zipped (replicates 1‐3) did not have any bed bugs escape from them2 while the control had a total of 22 escapees (see Table 1). Table 1: Number of bed bugs observed inside the encasement vs. outside the encasement respectively in the format x (y) where X represents on the inside and Y on the outside. Replicate # Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Total
1 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0) 2 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0) 3 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0) 100 (0)
Control 94 (6) 87 (13) 85 (15) 78 (22) 78 (22) DISCUSSION Experimental Design The experiment aimed to actively entice bed bugs to escape the encasements via the zipper teeth and zipper end stop by mimicking a host on the other side of the BugZip product. This design produced results opposite to the intentions of the product, which is to keep bed bugs out. However, in the interest of testing the validity of the zipper’s ability to prevent bed bugs from passing, the route (either in or out) they take is irrelevant. Product Design The design of the BugZip encasement is to keep bed bugs from entering it and infesting the associated contents. These contents are not likely to actively attract bed bugs3. Since the experiment sought to actively entice bed bugs across the zipper thresholds via the use of a CDC 3000 bed bug monitor and failed, it strengthens the argument that a passively traveling bed bug would not likely get inside a fully zipped BugZip encasement. Prevention The results of this experiment demonstrate that a BugZip encased suitcase is much better protected from inadvertently becoming infested than one that is not encased at all. The BugZip encasement must be discarded after use or there would be the risk of bed bugs on the exterior of it being transported to a person’s home.
2 It was impossible to count the bed bugs accurately on the inside of the encasements. The number reported was based on the number of known escapees found either in the arena or in/on the CDC 3000 bed bug monitor. The design of the arena was not escape proof and as such bed bugs may have escaped the testing area unaccounted. 3 Further research would need to be done on whether previously worn clothing would contain enough human kairomone to actively attract bed bugs.
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