Category EV L22 What Method Works Best to Control Bedbugs: Organic or

Commercial?

Abstract PANDEMIC IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK!!!!

What makes bedbugs so important? These pests have been making a

comeback! Nowadays, it seems as though bedbugs are getting more

attention than political figureheads. Since the ban of DDT, bedbugs have

been invading every threshold that a human occupies. These pests are

hard to get rid of due to their ability to hide anywhere, fast reproduction

process, and ability to live off of one blood meal for over a year.

This project looks at the best control for bedbugs: organic vs. commercial

methods. Controls that were tested included aerosol Hot Shot, aerosol

Terro, Dry Ice (Carbon Dioxide), No-Pest Strips, steam, and a homemade

organic solution. It was hypothesized that organic methods would be more

effective than the commercial. The experimental results supported the

hypothesis because after 12 seconds of steam (the fastest-acting organic

control) 100% of the population was dead compared to the 12 minutes it

took for both commercial aerosol sprays (which were the fastest-acting

commercial controls).

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