Dusted! A primer for using desiccant dust to control and prevent bed bugs

摘要

Desiccant dust has been around in one form or another for decades. For some pest management professionals, it's a go-to product for controlling and preventing bed bugs. Others can benefit greatly from its use.WHY? Desiccant dust kills bed bugs by damaging the waxy layer of the cuticle that helps them retain moisture, thus causing them to dry out.So far the pests haven't figured out a way to resist dehydration even though some have developed ways to resist conventional insecticides. "Resistance to desiccating dust is exceedingly rare in the insect world," said Mike Potter, urban entomologist, University Kentucky.