Behavioral response of bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, to potential chemical attractants using a Y-tube olfactometer

Cryptic in nature, bed bugs often go unnoticed until large infestations have been established. Early detection is vital in order to prevent outbreaks and financial losses due to the costs associated with pest control services and replacement of infested items. If bed bug chemical attractants could be determined, an effective monitoring and trapping device could be designed. The objective of this study was to identify those chemicals that are attractants to Cimex lectularius. Potential chemical attractants were selected from a chemical analysis of an area heavily infested with bed bugs and from the headspace of bed bug infested culture jars, as well as, an extensive literature search selecting known attractants to hematophagous arthropods. Seventy eight chemicals were tested for attractiveness at a concentration of 1%. Chemicals identified from culture jars were tested at 1%, 10%, and 100% concentrations. A Y-tube olfactometer was used to test each chemical against a control. The strongest attraction response to any single chemical was glycerol at concentrations of 10% and 1% respectively. Further studies will determine the optimum concentration and the combination effects of chemicals that exhibited a positive response in this study.