RESUMEN
The Turkestan cockroach, Periplaneta lateralis (Walker), is an invasive urban pest prevalent in dry areas of the southwestern United States. Treatment with liquid spray formulations containing insecticides is the most conventional method to decrease Turkestan cockroach population abundance around buildings. Intensive application of insecticide treatments near natural environments has prompted concerns regarding the impacts on non-target aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Technologies embedding insecticides in a paint matrix have successfully been used for the long-term reduction in disease-vector populations in tropical areas. Here, we evaluated the potential effectiveness of three pyrethroid-based paints against Turkestan cockroach nymphs on common surfaces inhabited by this species. Turkestan cockroaches continuously exposed for 1 h to 1-month aged alphacypermethrin and deltamethrin paints applied to concrete, metal, or PVC caused moderate to high mortality. Evaluations using choice boxes indicated that deltamethrin and transfluthrin paints had combined lethal and repellent effects on cockroaches. Alphacypermethrin also caused repellency and killed cockroaches rapidly. We discuss the implications of these findings on cockroach control practices.
RESUMEN
Bed bugs have reemerged recently as a serious and growing problem not only in North America but in many parts of the world. These insects have become the most challenging pest to control in urban environments. Residual insecticides are the most common methods used for bed bug control; however, insecticide resistance limits the efficacy of treatments. Desiccant dusts have emerged as a good option to provide a better residual effect for bed bug control. Several studies have focused on determining the efficacy of dust-based insecticides against bed bugs. However, behavioral responses of bed bugs to insecticide dusts could influence their efficacy. The behavioral responses of bed bugs to six insecticide dusts commonly used in the United States were evaluated with an advanced video tracking technique (Ethovision). Bed bugs took longer to make first contact with areas treated with the diatomaceous earth (DE)-based products MotherEarth D and Alpine than pyrethroid, pyrethrins or silica gel based products, DeltaDust, Tempo 1% Dust and CimeXa, respectively. Lower visitation rates of bed bugs were recorded for areas treated with MotherEarth D, Alpine and CimeXa than that of DeltaDust, Tempo 1% Dust, and Tri-Die Silica + Pyrethrum Dust. Bed bugs spent less time in areas treated with Tri-Die Dust, CimeXa, Alpine, and MotherEarth D than DeltaDust and Tempo 1% Dust, and they exhibited a reduction in locomotor parameters when crawling on areas treated with CimeXa and Alpine. The implications of these responses to bed bug control are discussed.