Evaluating the labor and the efficacy of tarpaulin and tape-and-seal fumigations using Vikane (99.8% sulfuryl fluoride) in single family homes to eliminate Cimex lectularius L.

The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.) has become a well-established pest in low-income, elderly and disabled homes. Bed bugs have been very successful at invading the many void spaces between the exterior and interior surfaces of single-wide modular homes. Fumigation with Vikane® (sulfuryl fluoride) is a control method that has the potential to overcome these obstacles and ensure 100% elimination of all pyrethroid-resistant bed bug life stages. There are currently no field evaluations documenting the efficacy of sulfuryl fluoride for bed bug elimination in single-family homes using the 1.9x dosage rate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the labor and efficacy of sulfuryl fluoride for eliminating bed bugs in low-income, infested homes, with complicated construction issues and high clutter levels.