Addition of Alarm Pheromone Components Improves the Effectiveness of Desiccant Dusts Against Cimex lectularius

We demonstrate that the addition of bed bug, Cimex lectularius alarm pheromone to desiccant formulations greatly, enhances their effectiveness during short-term exposure. Two desiccant formulations, diatomaceous earth (DE) and Dri-die (silica gel), were applied at the label rate with and without bed bug alarm pheromone components, (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-octenal, and it (E)-2-hexenal:(E)-2-octenal blend. First-instar nymphs and adult females were subjected to 10-min the response. Optimal effectiveness was achieved exposures, and water loss rates were used to evaluation with it pheromone concentration of 0.01 M. With Dri-die alone, the water loss was 21% higher than ill untreated controls, and water loss increased nearly two times with (17)-2-hexenal and (E)-2-octenal and three times with the (E)-2-hexenal: (E)-2-octenal blend. This shortened survival of first-instar nymphs from 4 to 1 d, with it similar reduction noted in adult females. DE was effective only if supplemented with pheromone, resulting in it 50% increase in water loss over controls with the blend, and it survival decrease from 4 to 2 d in first-instar nymphs. Consistently, the addition of the pheromone blend to desiccant dust was more effective than adding either component by itself or by using Dri-die or DE alone. Based oil observations in small microhabitat, the addition of alarm pheromone components prompted bed bugs to leave their