AGENDA

FIFRA SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY PANEL (SAP)

OPEN MEETING

March 6 - 7, 2012

FIFRA SAP WEB SITE http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap/

OPP Docket Telephone: (703) 305-5805

Docket Number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-1017

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Conference Center - Lobby Level

One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.)

2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202

Methods for Efficacy Testing of Bed Bug Pesticide Products

Please note that all times are approximate (see note at end of Agenda).

Day 1

Tuesday, March 6, 2012





8:30 a.m.	Opening of Meeting and Administrative Procedures – Joseph
Bailey, Designated Federal Official, Office of Science Coordination and
Policy, EPA

8:35 a.m. 	Welcome and Introduction of Panel Members – Martha Sandy,
Ph.D., FIFRA SAP Session Chair

8:40 a.m.	Opening Remarks – Steven Bradbury, Ph.D., Director, Office
of Pesticide Programs (OPP), EPA

8:50 a.m.	Overview: U.S. Bed Bug Problem and the Role of Efficacy
Studies - Lois Rossi, Division Director, Registration Division, OPP, EPA

9:10 a.m.	Laboratory Methods for Efficacy Testing of Bed Bug Pesticide
Products - 

	Kevin Sweeney, M.S. - RD, OPP, EPA

10:15 a.m.	Break

10:30 a.m.	Laboratory Methods for Efficacy Testing of Bed Bug Pesticide
Products - 

	Kevin Sweeney, M.S. - RD, OPP, EPA

12:00 p.m.	Lunch

1:00 p.m.	Public Comments

2:00 p.m.	Charge to Panel

Charge 1) Laboratory test methods  

The draft guidelines describe laboratory test methods for evaluating the
efficacy of a variety of bed bug pesticide products.  Please discuss:

(a) Whether, given the objectives and the types of products being
evaluated, the test methods are appropriate to evaluate the efficacy of
bed bug products with regard to kill and knockdown; repellency;
pesticide resistance; and discriminating dose.

(b) Whether there are additional or alternative laboratory test methods
beyond those discussed in the draft guidelines for testing the efficacy
of bed bug pesticide products.	

2:30 p.m.	Charge 2) Standardized test system elements and conditions
(Section (h) pp. 10)

The draft guidelines describe standard elements and conditions that are
recommended for each type of efficacy evaluation.  Please discuss:

(a)  The appropriateness of suggested environmental conditions (such as
temperature and humidity). 

	(b)  The proposed test organism.  In particular, please discuss:

(i) Whether the testing should be done only with one species, the common
bed bug, Cimex lectularius and whether it is appropriate to use unfed
adult bed bugs with a sex ratio of 1:1 to test adulticide products.

(ii) The advantages and disadvantages of including a susceptible strain
in every test and whether the Harlan strain is the preferred susceptible
strain.

(iii) The advantages and disadvantages of including a resistant strain
in every test and how an investigator should select a resistant strain
or strains.

(iv) The adequacy of the use of field collected bed bug strains from
urban areas in three regions of the U.S. to represent the variability in
susceptibility of bed bug populations for conducting efficacy
evaluations.  

(v) The recommended approach for grouping and evaluating the data from
the tested bed bug strains to assess efficacy of bed bug products. 

(c) The advantages and disadvantages of including a positive control in
every test.	

3:30 p.m.	Break

3:45 p.m.	Charge 3) Specific guidance for laboratory studies for
resistant ratio determination, characterization of bed bug strain
susceptibility, and discriminating dose selection (Section (i) pp.11)

The draft guidelines propose a method to collect the data necessary to
calculate a resistance ratio.  Resistance ratios should be calculated
for bed bug populations collected from the field in three regions in the
U.S.  The lethal dose values to be used in these calculations are to be
derived from probit analysis.  For pyrethroid insecticides, deltamethrin
is proposed as the laboratory standard.  From the collected data and
resistance ratio values, the procedure recommends an approach to select
a discriminating dose for a product.  Please discuss: 

(a) Which insecticides should be chosen as standards for other
insecticidal modes of action. 

(b) Whether it is useful to compare the resistance ratios of bed bug
field populations to the resistance ratio for a corresponding dose of
deltamethrin when evaluating pyrethroid insecticides.  

(c) Whether a resistance ratio of 100x is adequate to screen field
strains for resistance against insecticides and if not, what other
approaches are recommended for detecting resistance in bed bug
populations.

	(d) What type(s) of data analysis and statistical testing would be most
appropriate for these data sets.

(e) The discriminating dose selection for products, including whether
the LD90 value of the least susceptible field population is the best
value to use as the basis for discriminating dose selection.  

	

5:00 p.m.	Meeting Adjourns

Day 2

Wednesday, March 7, 2012





8:30 a.m.	Opening of Meeting and Administrative Procedures – Joseph
Bailey, Designated Federal Official, Office of Science Coordination and
Policy, EPA

8:35 a.m. 	Introduction of Panel Members – Martha Sandy, Ph.D., FIFRA
Scientific Advisory Panel Session Chair

8:40 a.m.	Follow-up from Previous Day Discussions

9:00 a.m.	Charge to Panel

	Charge 4) Exposure times to product treatments [Sections (j) (pp. 13)
and (l) (pp.17)]

	For residual surface and impregnated material testing, the draft
guideline proposes two possible approaches to exposing bed bugs to
pesticide product applications in the laboratory: 1) single dose with a
fixed exposure time of 24 hours followed by mortality assessments
through 96 hours unless all bed bugs die or control mortality exceeds
10%; and 2) single dose with an exposure time that is continuous until
all bed bugs die or control mortality exceeds 10%.  The single dose is
generally the lowest label recommended dose for the product. Please
discuss:

(a) Whether the exposure times provide sufficient data to measure the
efficacy of a bed bug pesticide or whether other exposure times or
testing scenarios should be used.

(b) Whether percent mortality values or lethal time values should be
used as endpoints to assess the success of product applications and the
advantages and disadvantages of each one.

9:45 a.m.	Charge 5) Specific guidance for laboratory studies for forced
exposure (no-choice) residual surface treatment tests (Section (j)
pp.13)

	The methods described for testing residual surface treatments recommend
five types of surfaces: unpainted plywood; linoleum tile; concrete
board; cotton sheet; and medium pile carpet.  Please discuss:

(a) Whether the experimental unit described in the draft guidelines will
provide sufficient data to show how effectively and how quickly a bed
bug product knocks down and kills bed bugs, when applied as a residual
treatment to surfaces.

(b) Whether there is a single surface type that could be used as a
standard or representative surface for testing product residual activity
in lieu of testing multiple surfaces as recommended in the draft
guidelines.

(c) Whether there are modifications or additional tests that could be
recommended to improve residual surface treatment testing.

(d)  What type(s) of data analysis and statistical testing would be most
appropriate for these data sets.

10:30 a.m.	Break

10:45 a.m.	Charge 6)  Specific guidance for laboratory studies to
determine if bed bugs are repelled by, or attracted to, pesticide
product residues (Section (k) pp. 15)

	For pesticide product treatments to be efficacious, bed bugs must
contact pesticide residues.  Testing methods should determine whether or
not pesticide residues alter bed bug behavior, either by repellence from
or attraction to pesticide treated areas.  Please discuss:

(a) Whether the experimental unit described in the draft guidelines will
provide sufficient data to measure the duration and extent to which a
pesticide product’s residues repel bed bugs. 

(b) Whether conditioning of experimental bed bug harborages is
necessary.  

(c) Whether individual responses and/or group responses should be used
to determine whether bed bugs are repelled by pesticide product residues
in harborages. 

(d) What type(s) of data analysis and statistical testing would be most
appropriate for these data sets.

12:00 p.m.	Lunch

1:00 p.m.	Charge 7) Specific guidance for laboratory studies for testing
pesticide impregnated material products (Section (l) pp. 17)

	The draft guideline proposes no-choice and choice tests for treated
materials.  Both are to be conducted in the presence of a non-human host
or artificial membrane system to provide a source of blood.  The
proposed tests evaluate mortality, blood feeding inhibition, and
preference for treated versus untreated surfaces.  Please discuss: 

(a) Whether the experimental unit is adequate for evaluating mortality
and blood feeding inhibition following exposure to impregnated
materials. 

(b) Whether the use of an artificial membrane system to simulate an
animal host and provide blood for questing bed bugs is adequate, or
whether an animal host is necessary.

	

(c) Whether the assessment period is adequate.

(d) Modifications or additional tests that would improve pesticide
impregnated product testing.  

(e) Adequacy of the experimental unit to provide an experimental design
and adequate data to evaluate repellency.

(f) What type(s) of data analysis and statistical testing would be most
appropriate for these data sets.

2:00 p.m.	Charge 8) Specific guidance for laboratory studies of indoor
fogger products (Section (m) pp.19)

The methods described for indoor fogger testing recommend use of an
experimental unit that includes a 216 cubic feet or larger Peet-Grady
chamber.  The test container for bed bugs has 20 holes (1/16" diameter)
in it to simulate a crack and crevice treatment and a bed bug refuge. 
Please discuss:

(a) Whether the experimental unit is adequate for testing indoor foggers
and misters.

(b) Modifications or additional tests that could be recommended to
improve indoor fogger testing. 

			(c) What type(s) of data analysis and statistical testing would be
most appropriate for these data sets.

3:00 p.m.	Break

3:15 p.m.	Charge 9) Specific guidance for laboratory studies for testing
ovicidal products (Section (o) 

pp. 22)

Efficacious ovicidal products are likely to improve the effectiveness of
bed bug management programs.  The draft guidelines describe methods for
evaluating product efficacy against eggs from direct application and
contact with residual surface applications. Please discuss: 

(a) Adequacy of the experimental unit for testing ovicidal products. 

(b) Modifications or additional tests that could be recommended to
improve ovicidal product testing. 

		(c) What type(s) of data analysis and statistical testing would be
most appropriate for these data sets.

4:00 p.m.	Charge 10)  Please provide comments on the overall clarity,
accuracy and completeness of the draft guidelines: “Laboratory Testing
Methods for Bed Bug Pesticide Products”

Please provide any additional comments that highlight any areas of the
draft guidelines that may need to be clarified and note any relevant
topics that may be missing.  Please include references to any published
literature that could help improve the completeness and clarity of the
draft guidelines. 

5:00 p.m.	Meeting Adjourns

Please be advised that agenda times are approximate; when the discussion
for one topic is completed, discussions for the next topic will begin.
For further information, please contact the Designated Federal Official
for this meeting, Joseph Bailey, via telephone: (202) 564-2045; fax:
(202) 564-8382; or email: bailey.joseph@epa.gov

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