latest news and science updates from airmid healthgroup
Sometimes people can mix up these indoor pests, so this blog post will describe some of the differences between the two.
Earlier this month some of our team travelled to LA to present our latest bed bug research at the 2016 AAAAI Conference. The conference is the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. We were delighted to continue the tradition of presenting at this prestigious gathering of experts. This year the conference was held in the Los Angeles Convention Center.
This method involves petri dishes, a heating plate/mat and a plastic membrane - Parafilm ‘M’. A small amount of blood is placed into the lid of a petri dish, which is then covered with stretched parafilm ‘M’ plastic. The bottom of the petri dish is used to push down the parafilm so that it is in contact with the blood. A hotplate is used to keep the temperature of the blood at 37°C and the insect containers are placed upside down on the parafilm so that the bed bugs can feed through the mesh lid. The petri dish method shares some disadvantages with the water bath method, such as expensive heating equipment and the leaking of blood. While leakage may occur, one of the advantages of the petri dish method is that there is a reduced risk of this leaking blood causing damage e.g. bed bug drowning. Other advantages include its quick setup and the use of disposable petri dishes (Chin-Heady et al. 2013).Last week, we discussed the most effective bed bug feeding method—the live host method using human and animal blood—as well as its shortcomings. In this week's installment of our three-part series on bed bug research, we will cover the first of the two main artificial feeding methods in use today: the water bath method.
 |
|
Goddard. Feeding by the Common Bedbug. 2009. |
In the first part of our three-part series on bed bug research, we will cover the most effective method of feeding laboratory reared bed bug colonies in terms of cost and reliability—the live host method. Humans or animals can be used and while both methods are effective, each presents its own challenges.
It’s summer—the prime time of the year for travel. Yet, with the hustle and bustle of hotels, luggage, airports, and rental cars, summer travelling also starkly correlates with rises in bed bug problems. To assist in tackling this issue, airmid healthgroup presents a special three-part blog series to provide advice to researchers looking to combat the spread of these insects. Over the nextthreeweeks, airmid healthgroup will discuss methods to keep bed bugs alive for research and their associated challenges.
