Source: UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE submitted to NRP
BED BUG IMPACT, EARLY DETECTION PRACTICES AND INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT IN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SPECIAL GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1000737
Grant No.
2013-34103-21213
Cumulative Award Amt.
$131,567.00
Proposal No.
2013-04461
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2013
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2016
Grant Year
2013
Program Code
[QQ.S]- Integrated Pest Management - South Region
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
2621 MORGAN CIR
KNOXVILLE,TN 37996-4540
Performing Department
Entomology and Plant Pathology
Non Technical Summary
Problem. Bed bugs, parasitic insects of human and other animals, have expanded globally in the last decade (Cooper 2006, Doggett et al. 2004). The southern region of the U.S. has not escaped the bed bug's resurgence (Gangloff-Kaufmann et al. 2006). In 2012, 12 cities/areas and 7 states in the southeast were included in Orkin's top 50 cities in the number of bed bug treatments (PR Rollins Inc. 2013). While not known to biologically transmit human disease-causing organisms (Delaunay et al. 2011), this bug has been labeled a "pest of public health importance" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to its ability to cause a variety of adverse physical (bites, anemia, allergic reactions) and mental (stress and related illnesses) health issues and fiscal concerns (CDC and EPA 2010). In addition, the bed bug is now the most difficult pest to control in the urban environment (Potter et al. 2011). Pesticide misuse by the public, when attempting to control this pest, was responsible for over 100 cases of pesticide poisonings (CDC 2011). Managers of elderly/disabled properties are dedicating extensive staff time and funds towards pest control in an attempt to provide pest-free housing to these sensitive populations (Taisey, personal communication, Coggins letter of support). Background. Managing bed bugs in multifamily housing is extremely challenging (Hollingsworth et al. 2009, Miller 2009). Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and are easily transported by humans. High resident turnover rates increase the chances of new bed bug introductions into buildings. Many people share a building and come in contact with one another. The elderly are less likely to respond to bed bugs bites (Potter et al. 2010) and may have poor vision; thus, bed bugs go unnoticed until the populations have reached high numbers. Bed bug dispersal is aided by devices such as wheel chairs, walkers and canes. Bed bug management is complex and a good example of using an integrated (IPM) approach to managing a pest. The National Pest Management Association lists potential components of a successful bed bug management program at their web site bedbugbmps.org. Some of the IPM methods of control include client education, clutter reduction, detection, laundering, sealing cracks and crevices, physical removal, vacuuming, steam, heat, mattress and box spring encasements, cold treatments, fumigation and application of insecticides and others. IPM in affordable housing also uses many of these techniques (stoppests.org) to control pests. Wang et al. (2012) demonstrated that nonchemical control methods (encasement of mattresses and boxspring, steaming, and hand removal) are effective when populations are detected at low infestation levels. Many detection methods or devices have been produced to detect bed bugs (Vaidyanathan and Feldlaufer 2013, Wang and Cooper 2011, Lewis et al. 2012, Wang and Cooper 2012). Choice of monitoring devices is dependent on many factors including cost, availability of electricity, presence of a host, length of time available to detect, visibility of traps to clients, and need to detect bed bugs at low population levels. Taking all of these factors into account, it appears the most successful and affordable passive devices to be used in large scale multifamily housing may be the ClimbUp Insect Interceptors (Wang and Cooper 2011), and possibly the BDS system and BlackOuts. In this proposal, we aim to introduce these monitoring tools into a housing IPM program to demonstrate the effective and economical use of monitoring and to develop protocols under these conditions. It is important for residents to understand their role in managing pests. Molecular techniques were developed (Booth et al. 2012) to determine the amount of genetic similarities (or relatedness) of bed bugs to determine effective population size of introductions to buildings. Determining the number of genotypes and population structure of bed bugs in a building infestation would be used to educate residents on their influence over the bed bug spread into and around the building and to direct the PMP in control method selection based on the presence of pyrethroid resistant strains. Program objectives are listed in part v. Justification: All residents, especially those of multifamily housing, of the southeast and the nation stand to benefit from the results of this project. This project addresses the IPM Road Map's focus area of residential and public areas and the IPM Road Map's future directions for IPM programming because early detection of small bed bug populations will allow nonchemical controls to be used, thus reducing the indoor pesticide load and potential side-effects due to pesticide exposure. Adopting strategies to detect populations, while they are still limited in size and distribution, will increase the likelihood of success regardless of the control method chosen. Developing early detection systems for multifamily housing will provide tremendous economic savings to the housing industry. Upon completion of the multi-state (AL, TN [& VA]) survey proposed in this project, we will have a better understanding of the economic impact of bed bugs on the multifamily housing industry. New nonchemical control techniques, using integrated techniques such as directed heating and vacuuming, will be affordable to most. Although results may not be as thorough as those of a complete IPM program including pesticides, it would provide an option to those unable to afford most options before this study. Because of the keen interest in bed bugs by housing managers and residents, we will use bed bug management as a way to further introduce IPM for all pests into Tennessee housing. By introducing IPM to multifamily housing we will balance and reduce the risks from pests and pesticides. Improvement in bed bug management techniques has been identified as a need by stakeholders in the Southern Region. The Southern Extension and Research Activities (SERA) 003, lists projects that address critical and emerging issues of bed bug management as an IPM priority in minutes of 9-27- 2011 http://www.sripmc.org/Policy/Priorities/ IPM_priorities_2012.pdf. In the minutes of the Tennessee Healthy Homes Advisory Board, March 1, 2013, University of Tennessee/Knoxville, board members unanimously concurred that bed bugs are a priority issue in Tennessee's multifamily housing developments. Results of a 2012 survey responded to by 91 of 95 Tennessee county's Extension agents indicated that 60% of the counties had experienced bed bugs in the past 5 years which is a three-fold increase in distribution in this state since 2005 (Vail 2006). This multi-state project involves the southern states of Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama; however, ALL residents, especially those of multifamily housing, of the southeast (107,967, 830) and the nation stand to benefit from the results of this project. This research addresses two IPM techniques (detection and nonchemical control) and incorporates the results into a complete IPM approach in multifamily housing. The Southern Extension and Research Activities (SERA) 003, IPM priority of addressing critical and emerging issues of bed bug management will be engaged.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
75%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
7215320113075%
2165320301025%
Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems; 721 - Insects and Other Pests Affecting Humans;

Subject Of Investigation
5320 - Houses (human residences), furniture, household equipment, non-textile furnishings;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology; 3010 - Economics;
Goals / Objectives
The overall project goal is to increase IPM adoption and improve management, especially of bed bugs, in multifamily housing. Bed bugs cause physical, mental and economic issues and their numbers are surging. They are exceptional hitchhikers and pose a significant management challenge in multifamily housing. We propose research objectives to (1) assess bed bug management in multifamily housing in several southern states to determine management needs and costs; (2) determine number and placement of bed bug monitoring devices for detection at low infestation levels; (3) use conducted heat to improve visual inspections; and (4) determine whether distribution of bed bugs within sites is due to single or multiple introductions, and quantify dispersal.
Project Methods
Research Obj. 1. To assess that state of bed bug management in multifamily housing in two rural southeastern states to determine pest management needs and costs of this pest. We will modify the survey developed by Dini Miller of Virginia Tech, vetted by the National Apartment Association and an executive housing director from HUD, and IRB-approved at Virginia Tech. The University of Tennessee Human Dimension Research Lab will conduct the survey. A sample of 1000 will be drawn to include both public and private housing managers, as well as different sized municipalities and housing complexes. Each respondent will receive a discrete survey code to track participation and prevent duplicates. Cognitive interviews and a small pre-run of the coded survey will test for clarity and effectiveness of the questions. After resulting modifications and IRB-review at University of Tennessee, the survey will be pre-announced by letters delivered by USPS mail. Three subsequent invitations and reminders will be delivered by email in small batches to penetrate security and spam screens. Research Obj. 2. Most apartment buildings used in this study will house the elderly or disabled. A canine bed bug scent detection team will inspect all rooms in 3 or more multifamily buildings and will be told to record bed bug infestations as no,low (10 or so) or high per room with no indication of the location of bugs within the room. Once 72 low infested rooms are found, black Climb-Up Insect Interceptors (http://www.insect-interceptor.com/), Bedbug Detection Systems (BDS, http://www.catchmaster.com/bbeds/) or BlackOut Bed Bug Detectors (http://www.blackoutbedbugdetector.com/) will be placed in rooms assigned randomly throughout multifamily structures. One of four trap configurations (1, 2, 3 and 4 interceptors) will be used per room and a minimum of 6 rooms will be assigned per configuration and trap type. Installations may be staggered to allow trap placement. Evaluations will be conducted at six post-placement intervals (24hours and 7, 14, 30, 45 and 60 days). At 14 days post-placement, treatment of these rooms may be required. The longer intervals coincide with the times housing personnel would replace air filters and could potentially evaluate trap catch under future protocols. We will determine whether bed bugs can still be caught under these field conditions without cleaning or additional preparation after two weeks. Research Obj. 3. U Large inflatable children's pools (up to 10 ft. long), with inner sides dusted with talc to prevent bed bugs from escaping into the lab, will hold furniture previously inspected to be bed bug free. HOBO Pro v2 U23-003 data loggers (Onset Computer Corp.) with external temperature sensors will record temperatures within the furniture prior to, during and after the hair dryer has moved over the exterior surface. Sensors will be placed just below the surface, away from the surface and in the interior's center to determine whether all areas would reach the thermal threshold. Temperatures of 122F experienced for 1 minute will kill all stages of the bed bug (Kells and Goblirsch 2011). Twenty bed bug males will be introduced into furniture and allowed to find harborage for a set time. Each furniture type will be replicated at least three times. A heating pad or similar device will be placed on appropriate surfaces for 8 hours at night to simulate a person resting or sleeping. A hair dryer will be directed along cracks and crevices at a predetermined effective killing rate and distance from the surface. If bed bugs move into view of the inspector, they will be vacuumed and time, location and number recorded. After heating is completed, the inner workings and interior and exterior cracks and crevices of the furniture and the pool's inner surface will be inspected to determine whether any bed bugs survived the inspection/treatment. If only dead bed bugs are found in the furniture or pool and the treatment is deemed a success, this technique will be evaluated in the field. Research Obj 4. Sample and Unit Selection. Using one of the previously examined structures (Objective 2), bed bugs will be collected at 24 hrs, and 7, 14, 30, 45 and 60 days. Bed bugs collected during years 2 & 3 of the grant will be used in a fine-scale population genetic analysis. Briefly, we will select 20 specimens from the low infestation units and 50 specimens from the high infestation units for a goal of 2000 specimens in the analyses. DNA Extraction and Microsatellite Genotyping. To minimize DNA contamination, DNA extractions and microsatellite analyses will be conducted in different University of Tennessee laboratories using specifically assigned reagents and equipment dedicated to each procedure. a. Assessing genetic diversity and population structure within a single housing structure. Statistical analyses for genetic polymorphisms will be conducted using DNAsp version 4.10.9 (Rozas and Rozas 1999) and include calculating haplotype diversity (Hd) (Nei 1987), nucleotide diversity (π) (Nei 1987), mean number of pairwise nucleotide differences (K) (Tajima 1987), number of synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations (S/NS), the parameters θS and θG, and the statistical tests for neutral mutation (Tajima's D, Fu and Li's D, and Fu and Li's F). To determine the genetic structure based on microsatellite data we will use Principle Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) calculated in GenALEX (Peakall and Smouse 2006) and Bayesian clustering analysis using STRUCTURE v2.3 (Pritchard et al. 2000). The value of K that best fit our data will be selected using the ΔK statistic. b. Assessing spatial and temporal dispersal within a single housing structure. FST trees will be constructed for populations within buildings using the NEIGHBOR program in PHYLIP3.61 with linearized FST values. This value will be plotted against the natural logarithm of pairwise geographic distances among collections to test for isolation by distance and thereby infer dispersal. We will use Mantel test (isolation-by-distance) to determine if geographic distance (spatial) or time (temporal) serves as a barrier to gene flow (no dispersal) or a corridor to dispersal (high levels of gene flow) within and among buildings (Mantel 1967, Liedloff 1999). To visualize spatial analyses for Extension instruction, collections and microsatellite data along with results will be georeferenced into ArcMap 9.0 ArcGIS (Environmental Systems Research Institute. Redlands, CA USA) and all data layers will be projected to a coordinate system created for the multiunit building (collection site elevation, latitude, longitude) a 3D view of spatial distribution . To visualize areas of gene flow (and depict dispersal) genetic diversity represented as nucleotide diversity will be transformed by taking the arcsine of the square root of genetic diversity to linearize the data because values near 0 or 1 (untransformed values) are nonlinear (Beck et al. 2005). In Spatial Analyst of ArcGIS, we will use the inverse distance weighting (IDW) function on all of the data points (i.e., collection sites) at a power of 2 to predict genetic diversity values between the collection sites. The IDW function will create a surface of polymorphism by interpolating polymorphism values from each collection site (population), based on the spatial and temporal distance of each collection from one another. " We will categorize the results to display the population structuring results based on nucleotide polymorphism with higher values (represented as darker pixels) having a greater degree of polymorphism and gene flow than lower values (represented as lighter pixels) with a lesser degree of polymorphism and gene flow.

Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences of this grant were service providers, residents, staff and managers of low-income, high-rise housing for the elderly and disabled and associated community partners, pest management professionals, entomologists, graduate and undergraduate students. In 2014, thirty-six floor meetings on Preventing Future Bed Bug Infestations and Resident's Role in Managing Bed Bugs & German Cockroaches were given to 733 low-income high-rise residents in three facilities. Results from objective two on monitoring for low level bed bug infestations were incorporated into management recommendations. A presentation on the components of this grant, particularly the survey (obj. 2), was presented to 26 members of TAHRA (Tennessee Association of Housing and Redevelopment). Scientific presentations on objective 2 made to 100 members of the National Conference on Urban Entomology in San Antonio, TX on May 19, 2014 and 40 members of the Tennessee Entomological Society Conference, Oct. 17, 2014. A presentation on bed bugs and cockroaches was made to 13 students in the UT EPP 325/525 Medical and Veterinary Entomology Class on April, 2014 and one on bed bugs was made to 20 students in UT EPP201 Impact of Insects and Plant Diseases on Human Societies. The target audiences reached by our efforts in 2015 included 230 pest management professionals at theNational Pest Management Association's Southern Conference, attendees of the Univeristy of Tennessee's EUReCA - The Exhibition of Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievement, 29 undergraduates in Impact of Insects and Plant Diseases on Human Societies or Public Health: Intro to Environmental Health classes, 75 residents of three local housing communities, 80 pest management professionals of a local company, and 108 housing personnel or pest management professional at the First Annual Tennessee Bed Bug and Cockroach Management in Multifamily Housing Meeting we organized in Knoxville, TN. In 2016 a poster on the preliminary data analysis of objective 4, Genetic Variation of the Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), at a Fine Spatial Scale within Low-Income High-Rise Housing, was presented to entomologists at the Southeastern Branch Entomological Society of America, Raleigh, NC. Two scientific presentations on objective 3, vacuuming bed bugs from naturally and articifically infested furniture, were given at the International Congress on Entomology, Orlando, FL and the Tennessee Entomological Society, Knoxville, TN. A second international presentation on objective 2, detecting bed bugs using four or fewer monitors in low-income high-rise apartments, was given to 150 pest management professionals attending the meeting of the Structural Pest Management Association of Ontario. Two presentations on bed bug prevention, detection and management, including our research results, were given to diverse audiences (70 participants) in Shelby County, TN in coordination with the Healthy Homes Partnership. Seven and nineteen students in the University of Tennessee Entomology and Plant Pathology Department's Medical/Veterinary Entomology course and the UT Environmental Public Health course received guest lectures on bed bugs, respectively. One of our biggest successes with this grant was the creation of an annual meeting devoted to managing bed bugs in low-income housing. This was the second year of this conference and we exceeded capacity of the reserved room. Nationally and internationally acclaimed speakers from Cornell University Northeast IPM Center, Rutgers University, Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee shared their research and bed bug management experiences with 114 housing staff, service providers, health care providers, pest management professionals and others in which bed bugs were interfering with their ability to provide services. Changes in intended practice were captured and are reported elsewhere in this report. Changes/Problems:Objective 3 was changed form using heat to help visual inspection to determining if vacuuming could serve as stand alone treatment to remove bed bugs from furniture because of perceived heat hazards from running the hair dryer. The lead PI, Karen Vail, assumed interim department head duties from August 17, 2015 to August 15, 2016 and that has delayed production of some final outputs. Although an extension to complete this work was denied, we will continue to work on this project until all research papers are submitted. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Jennifer Chandler, research specialist II, was trained in the molecular techniques needed for microsatellite analyses. Two undergraduates reported their research at meetings, one was awarded second place for her presentation. Scientific presentations were made at National Conference on Urban Entomology in San Antonio, TX on May 19, 2014, the Tennessee Entomological Society Conference, Oct. 17, 2014, the Southeastern Branch Entomological Society of America, Raleigh, NC, March 2016, the International Congress on Entomology, Orlando, FL, September 25 - 30, 2016 and the Tennessee Entomological Society, Knoxville, TN, October 6, 2016.. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In 2014, thirty-six floor meetings on Preventing Future Bed Bug Infestations and Resident's Role in Managing Bed Bugs & German Cockroaches were given to 733 low-income high-rise residents in three facilities. Results from objective two on monitoring for low level bed bug infestations were incorporated into management recommendations. A presentation on the components of this grant, particularly the survey (obj. 2), was presented to 26 members of TAHRA (Tennessee Association of Housing and Redevelopment). A presentation on bed bugs and cockroaches was made to 13 students in the UT EPP 325/525 Medical and Veterinary Entomology Class on April, 2014 and one on bed bugs was made to 20 students in UT EPP201 Impact of Insects and Plant Diseases on Human Societies. In 2015, 230 pest management professionals at the National Pest Management Association's Southern Conference were informed of bed bug research, 29 undergraduates in Impact of Insects and Plant Diseases on Human Societies or Public Health: Intro to Environmental Health classes, 75 residents of three local housing communities, 80 pest management professionals of a local company, and 108 housing personnel or pest management professional at the First Annual Tennessee Bed Bug and Cockroach Management in Multifamily Housing Meeting we organized in Knoxville, TN. In 2016, a second international presentation on objective 2, detecting bed bugs using four or fewer monitors in low-income high-rise apartments, was given to 150 pest management professionals attending the meeting of the Structural Pest Management Association of Ontario. Two presentations on bed bug prevention, detection and management, including our research results, were given to diverse audiences (70 participants) in Shelby County, TN in coordination with the Healthy Homes Partnership. Seven and nineteen students in the University of Tennessee Entomology and Plant Pathology Department's Medical/Veterinary Entomology course and the UT Environmental Public Health course received guest lectures on bed bugs, respectively. One of our biggest successes with this grant was the creation of an annual meeting devoted to managing bed bugs in low-income housing. This was the second year of this conference and we exceeded capacity of the reserved room. Nationally and internationally acclaimed speakers from Cornell University Northeast IPM Center, Rutgers University, Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee shared their research and bed bug management experiences with 114 housing staff, service providers, health care providers, pest management professionals and others in which bed bugs were interfering with their ability to provide services. Changes in intended practice were captured and are reported in the Extension companion to this grant. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? For nearly 20 years, bed bug populations have resurged and yet bed bugs are still considered the most demanding pest to control inside homes. The results of our survey of Alabama and Tennessee housing managers confirm that low-income, high-rise housing for the elderly and disabled are experiencing the highest infestation rates. We have demonstrated that passive, pitfall monitors placed one, two or four per apartment detected bed bugs in 70 - 90% of low-level infested apartments for low-income elderly and disabled. However, time to detection averaged about 4 weeks. While housing managers may find cost-savings in applying fewer monitors per apartment, a 1-month or 3-month inspection interval is suggested when using a few monitors. Vacuuming as a stand-alone treatment to remove bed bugs from furniture is not recommended because of the length of time required to remove all bed bugs. Molecular analyses of a subset of the bed bugs collected from the three buildings used in the monitor study indicate a few females were responsible for these infestations too, but we must wait for the analyses to be completed for all bed bugs before any conclusions can be drawn. While we have discovered ways to help manage bed bugs, these techniques will need to be implemented by housing managers and pest management professionals to have an impact on the overall success of reducing bed bug infestations in housing. Results of this research grant were implemented in the companion Extension grant, proposal number 2013 - 05342. Obj. 1. Assess bed bug management in multifamily housing in several southern states to determine management needs and costs. Housing manager respondents (156) of our 2014 survey from Tennessee (69.6%) and Alabama (30.4%) represented privately owned (34%), HUD public (30.4%), subsidized, privately owned (30.4%) and university (5.9%) housing and accounted for 20,458 units. Survey results: When comparing bed bug infestation rates of all properties combined, trends indicate infestation rates are still climbing. A greater share of HUD public housing properties have had bed bug infestations than other property types. Mid- and high-rise construction types had higher shares of units infested than other construction types in 2013, the latest reportable year in the survey. A greater percentage of elderly/disabled housing had bed bugs compared to general residential or students housing. On average, managers rely on resident complaints as the most common method in which bed bug infestations are identified. HUD housing managers were the most proactive in providing new residents educational materials (67.5 %) and using monitoring devices, however, only 12.5% reported using monitors. Rent was higher in private properties without bed bug history. All managers indicated no change in property value was due to bed bug infestations, but 26.3% indicated bed bugs would reduce the market value of the property an average of 25% if they were to sell it the day they completed the survey. The mean percentage decrease in net operating income because of bed bugs was 3.2% from 2012 to 2013. Range in percentage decrease in operating cost was 5 - 50%. Obj. 2: Determine number and placement of bed bug monitoring devices for detection at low infestation levels. Passive monitors, those lacking an attractant to lure bed bugs to the monitor, have been shown to be more accurate than visual inspections when bed bug populations are low, but most studies recommend using a monitor under each bed leg and legs of upholstered furniture. We evaluated monitors placed one, two or four per apartment to find the minimum number of passive monitors needed to detect low-level bed bug infestations in this environment. The Bedbug Detection system was less effective under these study conditions and only detected bed bugs in 39% of the apartments monitored, whereas the ClimbUp Insect Interceptors BG and the BlackOut Bedbug Detector were effective in 89% and 79% of apartments, respectively. The Bedbug Detection System took longer to detect bed bugs than either of the other monitors. When the BDS data was removed from analyses, bed bugs were found in 79% to 90% of one-, two- or four- monitor apartment. Other researchers have found similar detection rates when using 9 or more monitors per apartment, but their detection only required 2 weeks. While most of the bed bug detections in our study occurred at the first 2-wk reading, the average detection time was about 1 month. The pest management professional typically schedule general service inspections at 1- or 3-month intervals and it suggested to use this interval when using four or fewer monitors per apartment. More effort should be expended comparing a quick visual inspection with a different number of monitors placed in various locations to find the most accurate, time- and cost-effective system that will be executed by housing managers. Obj. 3. Determine the effectiveness of vacuuming as a stand-alone treatment to remove bed bugs from furniture. (This objective replaces the original objective to use conducted heat to improve visual inspections because hair dryers became too hot and posed a safety hazard.) Most Extension specialists recommend professional pest management services to manage the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.). Although pest management is provided for residents living in HUD housing, professional services may be unaffordable for other low-income residents. Vacuuming is recommended as one of the bed bug integrated pest management (IPM) components and many people living in single-family homes own vacuums. We tested the hypothesis that a small, inexpensive vacuum could remove all bed bugs from artificially or naturally infested furniture if the furniture was isolated from human contact. Naturally infested furniture: The objective of this part of the study was to determine the time needed to remove bed bugs from naturally infested furniture removed by the pest management company from low-income, high rise housing that (a) had been treated previously with residual (longer-lasting) and nonresidual (short-lasting) insecticides or (b) had previously been treated once with nonresidual insecticides. Vacuuming commenced the day after furniture arrival and typically took place twice a week. For subobjective (a), within one month (25 d), all live bed bugs had been removed from the heavily, insecticide-treated convertible chair/hospital bed when vacuumed for an average of 8 minutes per vacuuming event. By 40 days, all bed bugs (375) had been removed. For subobjective (b), more bed bugs had infested the furniture and more time was required to be remove all bed bugs. To remove 95% and 100% of the bed bugs from these lightly-treated furniture required an average of 33 and 110 days (or 5.4 cumulative hours), respectively. An average of 848 bed bugs were removed from this furniture. Vacuuming has many positive attributes, but relying on vacuuming as a stand-alone treatment for removing bed bugs from isolated pieces of furniture is not recommended because of the length time required for complete bed bug removal. Obj 4. Determine whether distribution of bed bugs within sites is due to single or multiple introductions, and quantify dispersal. Bed bugs collected in objective 2 were used on objective 4. A total of 2147 DNA extractions were completed and PCR performed on 1956. Of the 2147 bed bugs there were 398 1st, 277 2nd, 261 3rd, 184 4th, 148 5th instars, 398 females, and 470 males. We are waiting for the analyses on relatedness to be completed before any conclusions can be drawn.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Vail, K., and J. Chandler. 201X. Bed Bug Detection in Low-Income, High-Rise Apartments Using Four or Fewer Passive Monitors. J. Econ. Entomol. submitted Nov. 10 2016, awaiting review results
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Glafenhein,J., J. Chandler and K. Vail. 2015. Low Cost, Non-chemical Control Strategies for Small Bed Bug Infestations in Furniture. Abstract, University of Tennessee Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement (EUReCA) http://eureca.utdev4.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2015/04/Online-Abstract-Book-2015.pdf
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Chandler, J. and K. Vail. 2014. Can we detect bed bugs in occupied multifamily housing apartments using four or fewer monitors?, p. 57. In Kyle Jordan (ed), The Proceedings of the 2014 National Conference on Urban Entomology, May 18 - 21, 2014, San Antonio, TX
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Vail, K., J. Chandler, J. Glafenhein, and R. Harmon. 2016. Vacuuming Bed Bugs from Naturally and Artificially Infested Furniture. Proceedings of the International Conference of Entomology, September 25 - 30, 2016, Orlando, FL. Distributed via thumb drive.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2106 Citation: Vail, K., P. Barnwell and J. Chandler. 2016. SP 788 Detecting Low-Level Bed Bug Infestations in Multifamily Housing: Bed Bugs Sucking the Budget Out of Your Buildings? University of Tennessee Extension fact sheet, https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP788.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Vail, K. and P. Barnwell. 2016. PB 1763 Bed Bugs: Prevention and Management. University of Tennessee Extension Bulletin, https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1763.pdf
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Vail, K., J. Chandler, P. Barnwell and A. Taisey. 2014. Preventing Future Bed Bug Infestation (For IPM in Housing Demonstration Residents). University of Tennessee Entomology & Plant Pathology Info Note #830.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Vail, K. and A. Taisey. 2014. Residents Role in Managing Bed Bugs & German Cockroaches. University of Tennessee Entomology & Plant Pathology Info Note #829.


Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences reached by our efforts this reporting period included 230 pest management professionals at the National Pest Management Association's Southern Conference, attendees of the Univeristy of Tennessee's EUReCA - The Exhibition of Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievement, 29 undergraduates inImpact of Insects and Plant Diseases on Human Societies or Public Health: Intro to Environmental Health classes, 75 residents of three local housing communities, 80 pest management professionals of a local company, and 108 housing personnel or pest management professional at the First Annual Tennessee Bed Bug and Cockroach Management in Multifamily Housing Meeting we organized in Knoxville, TN. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Vail, K. 2015. Bed Bug Research Update, NPMA Southern Conference, Feb. 11, Memphis, TN (multi-state). Presentation. Glafenhein, J., J. Chandler and K. Vail. 2015. Low-Cost Nonchemical Control Strategies for Small Bed Bug Infestations in Furniture. EUReCA - The Exhibition of Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievement, April 13, Knoxville, TN. Poster presentation. Vail, K. 2015. Successful Bed Bug Monitoring using Four or Fewer Detectors in Low-Income High-Rise Apartments and IPM Implementation in East TN. The First Annual Tennessee Bed Bug and Cockroach Management in Multifamily Housing Meeting. July 29, Knoxville, TN. Presentation How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been have been disseminted to pest management professionals and multifamily housing personnel during the meetings listed below. Vail, K. 2015. Successful Bed Bug Monitoring using Four or Fewer Detectors in Low-Income High-Rise Apartments and IPM Implementation in East TN. The First Annual Tennessee Bed Bug and Cockroach Management in Multifamily Housing Meeting. July 29, Knoxville, TN. Vail, K. 2014. Bed Bugs: Just When You Thought it was Safe to Sleep at Night. UT undergraduate class, Impact of Insects and Plant Diseases on Human Societies, EPP 201, September 29, Knoxville, TN. 18 students Vail, K. 2015. Bed Bug Research Update, National Pest Management Association Southern Conference, Feb. 11, Memphis, TN (multi-state). Presentation. 230 attendees Vail, K. 2015. Managing Bed Bugs in HUD High-Rise Housing. UT undergraduate class, Public Helath 420 - Intro to Environmental Health, March 12, 2015, Knoxvile, TN. 11 students Vail, K. 2015. Preventing and Managing Bed Bug Infestations. May 29, Westview Towers, Knoxville, TN 25 residents. Vail, K. 2015. Preventing and Managing Bed Bug Infestations. June 30, Jellico Towers, Jellico, TN 25 residents. Vail, K. 2015. Preventing and Managing Bed Bug Infestations. July 10, LaFollette Housing Authority, LaFollete, TN 25 residents. Vail, K. 2015. Bed Bug and Cockroach Management in Low-income, High-rise Housing. Cook's Pest Control training, July 1, Knoxville, TN. 80 pest management professionals What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Obj.1 - complete analysis and submit paper to a housing journal. Obj.2 - submit paper to Journal of Economic Entomology. Obj. 3 - finish research on naturally infested furniture. Submit paper to the Journal of Economic Entomology. Obj. 4 - Complete DNA analysis and submit paper to Journal of Medical Entomology.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The assessment of bed bug management in Alabama and Tennessee has been conducted and preliminary analysis performed. A paper submission to a housing journal is planned for this objective. Objective 2 has also been completed and we are currently working on a publication entitled "Bed Bug Detection in Low-Income High-Rise Apartments Using Four or Fewer Passive Monitors" for submission to the Journal of Economic Entomology. Objective 3 is partially completed. Bed bugs are often found among low-income residents and we must find management strategies for those unable to pay for pest management. For this objective, we used a vacuum cleaner followed by a handheld hairdryer to remove bed bugs from furniture in a laboratory setting. Three end tables,upholstered chairs with attached cushion, and twin bed sets (mattress, box spring, and frame) were each infested with 20 male bed bugs using one of three strains. Bed bugs were allowed 3 days to acclimate to the furniture before we attempted recovery. Furniture was vacuumed for approximately 10 minutes and then hairdryer heat applied to cause the bugs to move out of harborages and be removed. The complexity of the chair's interior reduced the number of bed bugs recovered. Seventy-nine percent of all bed bugs introduced to the three furniture types were recovered with vacuuming alone. The hairdryer applications after vacuuming yielded few additional bed bugs and because of potential safety hazards we do not recommend the use of hairdryer heat to aid bed bug removal. The next step is to acquire naturally infested upholstered furniture and determine the length of time needed to remove all bed bugs when relying on vacuuming and bed bug detectors. For objective 4, more than 2514 bed bugs were collected during the evaluation of bed bug monitors in low-income housing (objective 2). To determine if single or multiple introductions were responsible for the widespread distribution in each of four buildings, we need to compare the occurrence of previously known bed bug microsatellites. DNA extractions have been performed on 1847 bed bugs and polymerase chain reactions conducted on 2134 extractions. Complications have been encountered using the Qiaxcel machine, but adjustments have been made and we expect to complete the DNA analysis by March and submit a paper by August of 2016.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Glafenhein,J., J. Chandler and K. Vail. Low Cost, Non-chemical Control Strategies for Small Bed Bug Infestations in Furniture. Abstract, University of Tennessee Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement (EUReCA) http://eureca.utdev4.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2015/04/Online-Abstract-Book-2015.pdf


Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Thirty-six floor meetings on Preventing Future Bed Bug Infestations and Resident’s Role in Managing Bed Bugs & German Cockroaches were given to 733 KCDC residents in three facilities. Results from objective two on monitoring for low level bed bug infestations was incorporated into recommendations. A presentation on the components of this grant, particularly the survey (obj. 2), was presented to 26 members of TAHRA (Tennessee Association of Housing and Redevelopment). Scientific presentations on objective 2 made to 100 members of the National Conference on Urban Entomology in San Antonio, TX on May 19, 2014 and 40 members of the Tennessee Entomological Society Conference, Oct. 17, 2014. A presentation on bed bugs and cockroaches was made to 13 students in the UT EPP 325/525 Medical and Veterinary Entomology Class on April, 2014 and one on bed bugs was made to 20 students in UT EPP201 Impact of Insects and Plant Diseases on Human Societies. Changes/Problems: Obj. 1 Low response rates may reduce the types of groups we can use for analyses. Thus far, our greatest response has been from Tennessee public housing. While we can make some comments about the low responding groups, we probably won’t be able to compare these groups among the others. Obj. 2. Because of results of a previous bed bug monitoring study in this same housing type we decided it was important to increase the number of replicates per treatment. To do so, we reduce the the number of treatments regarding number of monitors per aprtment from four to three. Three bed bug monitor types were evaluated at three numbers (1,2 or 4) per apartment. Bed bug monitors were inspected at 0,2,4,6 and 8 weeks after monitor placement. The proposed shorter inspection times were eliminated because it was not physically possible to inspect all the monitors in one day. We did not use dry ice traps to determine bed bug presence when monitors failed to detect bed bugs because of the potential safety risk in this environment. Instead, additional monitors were added to these rooms and monitoring was conducted two more times over 4 weeks. Obj. 3. We may need to reduce the number of furniture types that we evaluate due to insufficient number of male field strain bed bugs or redundancy of furniture types. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Scientific presentations on obj.2 of this grant were made to 100 members of the National Conference on Urban Entomology in San Antonio, TX on May 19, 2014 and 40 members of the Tennessee Entomological Society Conference, Oct. 17, 2014. A poster on this same objective was presented at the Southeastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America, Greeneville, SC, March 2-5, 2014. A presentation on bed bugs and cockroaches was made to 13 students in the UT EPP 325/525 Medical and Veterinary Entomology Class on April, 2014 and one on bed bugs was made to 20 students in UT EPP201 Impact of Insects and Plant Diseases on Human Societies. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Thirty-six floor meetings on Preventing Future Bed Bug Infestations and Resident’s Role in Managing Bed Bugs & German Cockroaches which incorporates results from Obj. 2 were given to 733 KCDC affordable housing residents in three facilities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Obj. 1 Close survey and begin analyses. Obj. 2. Complete data analyses and prepare manuscript for publication. Obj.3. Continue to grow bed bug colonies to ensure enough males of the right age are available to conduct all of the study. We expect this to require 6 or months and may need to reduce the number of furniture types that we evaluate. Obj.4. Complete bed bug DNA extractions and analysis. Determine relatedness of bed bugs among rooms and buildings.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. After numerous modifications, the survey Demographic Characterization of Bed Bug Infestations and Quantification of Economic Impacts was finalized and inputted for online completion. Email invitations and two email reminders of the survey have been sent to all public housing authority and university housing contacts in the Alabama and Tennessee databases. USPS letters inviting apartment managers to complete the survey for Alabama and Tennessee were sent between June 20 and June 25, 2014. Because the response rate of apartment managers was low, a reminder postcard as sent to the apartment managers. Data collection is near completion. Obj. 2 In December 2013, we initiated the evaluation of three reasonably-priced passive bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.) detection devices to determine the effects of type (BlackOut Bedbug Detector, ClimbUp Insect Interceptor BG and Catchmaster BDS Bedbug Detection System ) and number (1,2 or 4) on catch when placed in multifamily affordable housing apartments with low bed bug infestation levels. At two week intervals through 8 weeks, we recorded number of bed bugs trapped and placed collected bugs in alcohol for use in objective 4. Most bed bug first-finds occurred at two weeks after device placement. The BDS was less effective in detecting bed bugs than the BlackOut or Black ClimbUp when the dependent variables of weeks to first find and percentage of apartments with bed bugs caught were used in the analyses. Our study used two to six times fewer BDS per apartment than recommended which may have contributed to its lack of success. Device number did not significantly impact catch success. On the date bed bugs were first detected, they were more commonly found under bed/sleeping furniture than in the living room area, under the couch/chair or in the bedroom area. Two BlackOuts or Black ClimbUps placed where the resident spends most of their time should be adequate to detect low numbers of bed bugs. Obj. 3. We’ve developed many of the techniques needed to use heat to improve visual detections. Bed bug colony size has grown and we hope to have sufficient bed bug numbers of at least one field strain to conduct objective 3 in the near future. Obj. 4. DNA extraction technique training started in October 2014. We will select from 2514 bed bug samples collected in 127 rooms of 4 buildings while conducting objective 2 and from another monitoring study in these same facilities.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Vail, K., J. Chandler, P. Barnwell and A. Taisey. 2014. Preventing Future Bed Bug Infestation (For IPM in Housing Demonstration Residents). University of Tennessee Entomology & Plant Pathology Info Note #830.
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Vail, K. and A. Taisey. 2014. Residents Role in Managing Bed Bugs & German Cockroaches. University of Tennessee Entomology & Plant Pathology Info Note #829.