Efficacy of steam and diatomaceous earth dust against the tropical bed bug Cimex hemipterus (F.) under laboratory and field conditions

BACKGROUND Over the past two decades, bed bugs ( Cimex spp.) have resurged as common urban pests around the world. The search for efficient and safe control measures has become a key interest among researchers, manufacturers, and pest control professionals. In this study, we evaluated and compared the efficacy of steam, diatomaceous earth (DE) dust, and a combination of both against tropical bed bugs ( Cimex hemipterus (F.)) under laboratory and field conditions. RESULTS In the laboratory study, the mortality of bed bugs after 2 days of exposure to DE dust was 100%. When bed bugs stayed on the surface of an object or in cracks, a brief steam treatment (1 s) caused 100% mortality. However, when bed bugs were hidden under a fabric cover, steam application for 10 s only caused 89 ± 6% mortality. Bed bugs that survived steam treatment exhibited reduced feeding activity. In a 14‐week long study, there was no significant difference in the reduction rate of bed bugs between steam treatment and DE dust treatment. A 37‐week long control study showed that steam and steam plus DE dust treatments eliminated 97–100% of the infestations. CONCLUSION Applying steam and DE dust are effective strategies for eliminating natural tropical bed bug infestations. Continuous follow‐up monitoring and treatment until no bed bugs are found are crucial in completely eliminating the infestation of tropical bed bugs.