Bed bugs are not cockroaches! Does differential adsorption of insecticides mean we have to re-assess treatment strategies?

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., have a lack of expanded arolia and similar tarsal structures; and a propensity to remain in harborage sites for most of their lives. This potentially creates a very small insecticide-exposure profile when compared to other urban pests. Yet, when using residual insecticides for controlling remaining insects in an infestation, we rely on the bed bug to move across treated surfaces and adsorb enough insecticide that a lethal amount can then be absorbed into the bed bug. Using gas chromatography and formulated insecticides containing chlorfenapyr, we quantify the difference in insecticide adsorption rate between bed bugs and similar sized German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.). The results of this work have potential significance in how residual insecticides are tested and deployed for use against bed bugs.