Lethal effect of sucking with a vacuum cleaner and direct-spray with powdered dry ice on bed bugs, Cimex lectularius

Abstract

Nymphal and adult bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, were vacuumed up, put in plastic Petri dishes, and kept at 25°C. Most of them were crushed; 92.1％ mortality of adults and 100％ mortality of nymphs were achieved within one day after being vacuumed up. The rest of adults (7.9％) exhibited abnormal behavior, and all of them were dead within 8 days. Adults, first-instar nymphs, and eggs of the bed bugs were sprayed directly with powdered dry ice for about 4 seconds, then kept at 25°C. Seven days after spraying, 89.3％ mortality of adults was obtained, and 90％ of first-instar nymphs and over 97.2％ of eggs were dead within 14 days.