A product designed to “revolutionise how bed bugs are tackled” is being supported by Innovate UK's latest open funding competition.

Vecotech has received a grant of £220,034 to develop a product to detect infestations in it’s first stages, which in turn would lead to more effective control.

The product utilises an aggregation pheromone identified by The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Professor James Logan, of Vecotech and Head of Department of Disease Control at LSHTM, said:

“Bed bug control remains one of the most lucrative and growing markets in the pest management industry globally, and insect numbers are also reported to be increasing rapidly.”

“The common bed bug bite can cause reactions ranging from minor irritation to severe allergic hypersensitivity. They are a pest of significant public health importance and a major global economic problem, widely infesting homes, hospitals and dormitories and damaging the hospitality industry through infestation of hotels, cinemas and transport.”

“There are a few bed bug detection methods and monitoring devices available, but there are no established products with proven reliability and efficacy for detecting low-level infestations quickly.”

“The objective of this project is to develop an effective test prototype of this powerful lure, to be used in a bed bug-specific trap, capable of detecting early stage infestations, that is effective, sensitive, long lasting, safe, affordable and discrete.”

Innovate UK

This project is one of 53 projects that won a combined total of £17.44 million in grants from Innovate UK.

All 53 projects cover new products, processes or services that have the potential to generate significant positive impact and growth for the UK economy.

Fionnuala Costello, Head of Open Programmes at Innovate UK, said:

“All of these projects are tackling issues that affect many people and cover key sectors linked to the government’s Industrial Strategy. They have the potential to have a lasting impact.”

“The overall quality of applications from across the country was of exceptionally high standard and covers a wide range of industries, from digital and creative to biosciences and medicine development, which shows the appetite of UK businesses to innovate and grow.”

Source: Online