A Vacuum for Bed Bugs

French scientists have created  a vacuum for bed bugs.  This method has been attempted before using other types of suction, but now a more powerful method exists.  If put out for use, the creators of this vacuum hope the bed bugs collected can be used for examination and data collection.

 

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New device may help collect bed bugs safely and effectively

In recent years, bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have been appearing more and more often in beds around the world, and entomologists need specimens for research purposes.

Scientists in France have developed a tool that will aid this research, and their device is described in an article called “A High-Performance Vacuum Cleaner for Bed Bug Sampling: A Useful Tool for Medical Entomology” that was published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

“The need for bed bug amelioration requires increased bed bug monitoring and control,” they wrote. “To increase monitoring and control levels, laboratory research on this pest insect is required for the development of innovative strategies and tools to eliminate bed bug infestations. Prior to developing laboratory experimental protocols to control bed bugs, field collection of this insect is necessary.”

With the goal of collecting bed bugs to be used in laboratory research, they modified a Dyson hand vacuum (model DC34) with a sampling vial and a nozzle and created a device that proved to be effective at collecting bed bugs. In a bed bug-infested apartment where the device was tested, it collected more than 700 bed bugs in under 15 minutes, including adults, larvae, and eggs.

Read more: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150514/New-device-may-help-collect-bed-bugs-safely-and-effectively.aspx 

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