Oct 25, 2011 – Bed Bugs Out and About
QUESTION:
Is Cy-Kick labeled for use on bed bugs on exteriors of structures? Is there anything that you might suggest that works well? Thanks for all the help.
ANSWER:
Interesting question, and since it would be really odd to find or need to treat for The Common Bed Bug (our principal human parasite species) on the exterior of a structure, I will assume you may be talking about bed bugs associated with either birds or bats. These two other species do still exist and occur in structures, and that is something we need to keep in mind when we identify the bugs found in a home. The most recent time someone showed me bed bugs to identify they did turn out to be Bat Bugs (Cimex pilosellus or C. adjunctus), and in this case this home had recently performed bat removal and exclusion, so the parasites were now wandering around. The distinctive difference, seen under high magnification, is the length of the hairs along the sides of the prothorax, which are longer than the width of the eye on bat bugs, and much shorter on The Common Bed Bug.
Bat bugs also tend to be more active during daylight hours, and if bats or swallows or other birds have been nesting or roosting on the structure they could have seeded the area with the bugs, which may be walking on the exterior surfaces. But, the Common Bed Bug just prefers to be inside and as close to food resources as possible, so treating the exterior surfaces of structures for this human parasite would be unusual. I'm not sure which species you may be dealing with in this situation, but it would be important to gather some specimens and have a positive identification made. That way if it turns out to be bed bugs more likely to be associated with birds or bats you know you need to deal with those host animals before you do anything else, since they would be the source of the problem. In fact, is there a chance that what you are seeing may not even be bed bugs at all?
Down to your basic question though. Cy-Kick is labeled for bed bugs and for use on the exterior of a structure, but with limitations. Except for applications along the foundation you can treat only as a spot or crack and crevice application, meaning you would not be allowed to treat broad surfaces of the structure outside. The specific instructions for bed bugs on this particular label speak only to indoor treatments, so if your state does not allow you to treat in any manner not specifically stated on the product label then you could not use it outdoors for bed bugs.
Another comparable product (also a microencapsulated pyrethroid) is Demand CS, and it DOES have labeling allowing broader uses to exterior surfaces. In answer to the question of what "works well" I will fall back on the current industry position that there is not yet that perfect insecticide for bed bugs, and we should not place total reliance on pesticides to eliminate them. It is going to be more successful if we incorporate the IPM steps that also include various non-chemical materials.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
Is Cy-Kick labeled for use on bed bugs on exteriors of structures? Is there anything that you might suggest that works well? Thanks for all the help.
ANSWER:
Interesting question, and since it would be really odd to find or need to treat for The Common Bed Bug (our principal human parasite species) on the exterior of a structure, I will assume you may be talking about bed bugs associated with either birds or bats. These two other species do still exist and occur in structures, and that is something we need to keep in mind when we identify the bugs found in a home. The most recent time someone showed me bed bugs to identify they did turn out to be Bat Bugs (Cimex pilosellus or C. adjunctus), and in this case this home had recently performed bat removal and exclusion, so the parasites were now wandering around. The distinctive difference, seen under high magnification, is the length of the hairs along the sides of the prothorax, which are longer than the width of the eye on bat bugs, and much shorter on The Common Bed Bug.
Bat bugs also tend to be more active during daylight hours, and if bats or swallows or other birds have been nesting or roosting on the structure they could have seeded the area with the bugs, which may be walking on the exterior surfaces. But, the Common Bed Bug just prefers to be inside and as close to food resources as possible, so treating the exterior surfaces of structures for this human parasite would be unusual. I'm not sure which species you may be dealing with in this situation, but it would be important to gather some specimens and have a positive identification made. That way if it turns out to be bed bugs more likely to be associated with birds or bats you know you need to deal with those host animals before you do anything else, since they would be the source of the problem. In fact, is there a chance that what you are seeing may not even be bed bugs at all?
Down to your basic question though. Cy-Kick is labeled for bed bugs and for use on the exterior of a structure, but with limitations. Except for applications along the foundation you can treat only as a spot or crack and crevice application, meaning you would not be allowed to treat broad surfaces of the structure outside. The specific instructions for bed bugs on this particular label speak only to indoor treatments, so if your state does not allow you to treat in any manner not specifically stated on the product label then you could not use it outdoors for bed bugs.
Another comparable product (also a microencapsulated pyrethroid) is Demand CS, and it DOES have labeling allowing broader uses to exterior surfaces. In answer to the question of what "works well" I will fall back on the current industry position that there is not yet that perfect insecticide for bed bugs, and we should not place total reliance on pesticides to eliminate them. It is going to be more successful if we incorporate the IPM steps that also include various non-chemical materials.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
