Bed bugs are rated as the most difficult pest to get rid of by professional pest controllers. Bed bugs usually only leave their concealed, safe harbourages during feeding. This cryptic way of living in combination with a lack of an immediate bite reaction in many human hosts makes early detection difficult.
PESTEX TECHNICAL THEATRE
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY 20 MARCH 2019
13.00 - 13.45
Within 10 weeks under optimal conditions, a bed bug population founded by a single mated female may go from linear to exponential growth. Thus, it is of utmost importance to detect an infestation as early as possible.
SPEAKER: Dr Jette Knudsen, Nattaro Labs, Sweden
Dr Knudsen’s knowledge about bed bug biology and behaviour together with many years’ of research in chemical ecology have led to new possibilities to detect bed bugs. By using a lure that mimics the scent of a bed bug harbourage it is possible to attract females and males as well as all stages of bed bug nymphs.
After earning her PhD she worked as a researcher at the Danish Environmental Research Institute (1993-1995), followed by a postdoc at Aarhus University, positioned in Ecuador (1996-1997). After that, she served as associate professor in chemical ecology at Gothenburg University (1998-2003) and then continued her work in the Pheromone group, Lund University, Sweden (2005-2012).
Her interest in the chemical ecology of bed bugs was raised during fieldwork in Kenya in 2006. Since 2013 she has worked with the biology and chemical ecology of bed bugs at Nattaro Labs, Sweden.
This seminar is free for anyone attending PestEx.
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