Recent research from North Carolina State University evaluated the effectiveness of two common veterinary drugs in combating bed bugs. The drugs were analyzed as a measure to control resurgent bed bug populations in poultry operations.
The study is called “Systemic veterinary drugs for control of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, in poultry farms,” and it is already published in the Parasites & Vectors.
As the authors of the study explained in the article, the common bed bug is the Cimex lectularius L., which is a hematophagous ectoparasite that was pretty common in poultry houses through the 1960s. The purpose of this research was to find the best treatment for fighting against the parasite since:
- the control methods are limited because of the sensitive nature of the poultry environment,
- scarce products with missing labels to work against bed bugs, and
- the high resistance of the parasite to a broad spectrum of active ingredients.
What are the evaluated drugs?
The evaluation was carried out using fluralaner and ivermectin. These drugs are very common to eliminate or kill fleas and ticks on dogs, cats, and other uses.
Methods:
As part of the methods, the researchers conducted dose-response studies of fluralaner and ivermectin against different bed bug strains using a membrane feeding system.
Additionally, chicks receive some doses of the drugs by topical treatment and ingestion. Together with scientists from the Veterinary College at NC State University and entomologists, they tested the mortality rates of the bed bugs in the following ways:
- After the parasites consumed blood mixed with the drugs on the lab bench
- After bed bugs bit and fed off chickens that received the drugs either by any of the methods
Results:
Both drugs resulted in high mortality of bed bugs. However, the
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