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Bayer BE, Aldridge RL, Moreno BJ, Golden FV, Gibson S, Wahl JL, Linthicum KJ. Transfluthrin diffusers do not protect two-person US military tents from mosquitoes in open field and canopy warm-temperate habitats. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2023; 5:100156. [PMID: 38187816 PMCID: PMC10770594 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Spatial repellents are volatile or volatilized chemicals that may repel arthropod vectors in free space, preventing bites and reducing the potential for pathogen transmission. In a 21-week field study, we investigated the efficacy of passive transfluthrin-impregnated diffusers placed in two-person United States (US) military tents located in canopy and open field habitats in north Florida to prevent mosquitoes from entering. Mosquito collections with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traps baited with light and carbon dioxide were conducted weekly for weeks 0-4, every two weeks for weeks 5-10, and monthly for weeks 11-21. Our results demonstrated that these transfluthrin-impregnated devices did not function as spatial repellents as expected and did not create a mosquito-free zone of protection. Instead, we observed consistently higher collections of mosquitoes from tents with transfluthrin-impregnated diffusers, and higher rates of mosquito mortality in collections from tents with transfluthrin diffusers, compared to untreated control tents. Based on these findings we do not recommend the use of passive transfluthrin-impregnated diffusers for mosquito protection in two-person US military tents in warm-temperate environments similar to north Florida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara E. Bayer
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Robert L. Aldridge
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Bianca J. Moreno
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Frances V. Golden
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Seth Gibson
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Wahl
- Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Environmental Safety and Health, Starke, FL, 32091, USA
| | - Kenneth J. Linthicum
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
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Cavallaro MC, Sanders CJ, Hladik ML. Measured efficacy, bioaccumulation, and leaching of a transfluthrin-based insecticidal paint: a case study with a nuisance, nonbiting aquatic insect. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2022; 78:5413-5422. [PMID: 36057132 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pest management professionals will require a diverse, adaptive abatement toolbox to combat advanced challenges from disease vector and nuisance insect populations. Designed for post-application longevity, insecticidal paints offer extended residual effects on targeted insect pest populations; a measured understanding of active ingredient bioavailability over time is valuable to fully assess treatment efficacy and potential environmental risks. This study was initiated because a nuisance net-spinning caddisfly, Smicridea fasciatella, is lowering the quality of life for riverfront residents at the type locality. RESULTS We tested the efficacy and potential mobility of a transfluthrin-based paint (a.i. 0.50%), comparing the impacts of UV exposure and substrate texture over time. Direct UV exposure decreased efficacy (β ± S.E. = 0.008 ± 0.001, P < 0.001) and a coarse texture maintained greater efficacy (β ± S.E. = -3.7 ± 1.3, P = 0.004) over time. Notably, the coarse texture + indirect UV treatment maintained 100% mortality after 240 days. UV exposure and substrate texture did not have a significant impact on leachate concentrations over time, and successive immersion tests indicated a two-phase emission pattern. Bioaccumulation increased with time on the cuticle of dead adult S. fasciatella; after 24 h of direct exposure the concentration of transfluthrin was 25.3 ± 0.9 ng/caddisfly with a maximum concentration of 345 ng/caddisfly after 7 days. CONCLUSION Our predictions were validated with measured, time-dependent impacts on efficacy, leachability, and bioaccumulation. Because of the mobility of active ingredient in the environment, insecticidal paints merit low-impact protocols to improve public health outcomes and environmental safety. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Cavallaro
- Bullhead City Pest Abatement District, Bullhead City, AZ, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Corey J Sanders
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Michelle L Hladik
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
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