If you were planning to buy an over-the-counter fogger to do battle with bedbugs, save your money. Researchers at Ohio State University have confirmed what professional exterminators have long claimed: Insect bombs just plain don't work when it comes to combating bedbugs. Not only that, but the products may actually increase your infestation of tiny bloodsuckers.
The OSU study was published June 3 in the Journal of Economic Entomology. In a news release from the Entomological Society of America, co-author Susan Jones wrote, "There has always been this perception and feedback from the pest-management industry that over-the-counter foggers are not effective against bedbugs and might make matters worse. But up until now there has been no published data regarding the efficacy of foggers against bedbugs."
According to HealthDay, Jones noted that "most bedbugs hide in protected sites, such as under sheets and mattresses, in cracks and crevices, and deep inside carpets. This makes it highly unlikely that insecticide mist from foggers can reach them. Even if it does, many bedbug populations have varying degrees of resistance to insecticides." Also, HealthDay pointed out that the sprays may actually heighten that resistance in bedbug populations, especially in urban areas.
The lesson here is that you need to call in the pros if you want to be able to chant the old childhood rhyme: "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."
