Amid nationwide chaos due to the emergence of bed bugs, a research team from Seoul National University has achieved a significant breakthrough.
The Seoul National University researchers have discovered that imidacloprid and fipronil, substances not from the pyrethroid family to which bed bugs have been showing resistance, are effective in exterminating bed bugs, according to a report by JoongAng Ilbo on the 8th. The government’s joint countermeasure headquarters is considering utilizing these research findings.
Professor Kim Joo-hyun of the Department of Tropical Medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine and his team have recently submitted these research results to the Journal of Medical Entomology in the United States.
Imidacloprid and fipronil are insecticide ingredients already approved by the Ministry of Environment. Imidacloprid is a pesticide that controls plant pests, while fipronil is used in external parasiticides for dogs and cats.
Mainly, imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid pesticide introduced as an alternative in the United States. However, neonicotinoid pesticides are currently suspected to be the cause of honey bee disappearances. There are also reports of its detection in umbilical cord blood, passing through the human placenta, leading to calls for restraint in the overuse of this pesticide.
Currently, bed bug pesticides use pyrethroid-based ingredients. However, it has been confirmed that most bed bugs found in Korea strongly resist this ingredient. This has raised concerns about the effectiveness of most bed bug pesticides.
According to the Seoul National University research team, bed bugs that reappeared in Korea between 2009 and 2019 already resisted pyrethroid pesticides. It was also revealed that the semi-winged bed bugs first discovered in 2021 strongly resist pyrethroid pesticides.
Professor Kim Joo-hyun said, “This research confirmed the most effective non-pyrethroid substances for bed bug extermination,” and emphasized that “since it’s a formulation already approved by the Ministry of Environment, it can be immediately applied once the dosage and method of use are determined.”
The Ministry of Environment and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency are actively considering the introduction of alternative pesticides.
Park Kyung-hwa, head of the Chemical Substances Division at the National Institute of Environmental Research, stated on the 6th, “We will quickly review safe methods and dosages to use alternative pesticides for bed bug control, referencing the research results of Seoul National University and the case of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introducing alternative pesticides.”
Above all, experts emphasize the importance of strictly adhering to dosage and usage instructions when using pesticides in the current bed bug situation.
Head Park Kyung-hwa advised, “When bed bugs are found at home, physical control should be prioritized, and if you’re going to use neonicotinoid pesticides available at pharmacies, you need to understand the precautions carefully.”
Professor Kim Joo-hyun also emphasized, “In the United States, bed bug control has been a social issue for the past 10 years, and they have introduced neonicotinoid pesticides. However, there are reports that bed bugs are starting to develop some resistance to neonicotinoid pesticides. As no pesticide can be used forever or be a perfect solution, we should not rely on one type of pesticide but continuously monitor and control the situation.”
By. Han So Won
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