PCPB has registered more than 20 products for use against bed bugs. Most of these can be used by consumers, but a few are registered for use only by specially trained professionals. PCPB evaluates data on the safety and the effectiveness of the products before approving them.
These 20+ registered products fall into seven chemical classes of pesticides that are currently registered and widely used for bed bug control:
- pyrethrins,
- pyrethroids
- desiccants,
- biochemicals,
- pyrroles,
- neonicotinoids, and
- insect growth regulators.
Each chemical class kills bed bugs using a different mode of action. It can be helpful to use pesticides that differ in their mode of action because it can reduce the likelihood that the bugs will develop resistance.