Field efficacy of deltamethrin for rodent flea control in San Bernardino County, California, USA.
A study was conducted to determine the initial and residual activity of deltamethrin (0.05% dust) applied to rodent burrows (at approximately 14 g/burrow) against fleas in the Silverwood Lake area of San Bernardino County. In initial toxicity (2-d post-treatment), deltamethrin provided 97% flea control and in residual toxicity it resulted in 68% control of the rodent fleas at 15-d post-treatment. The flea fauna consisted of Oropsylla montana (89.9%) and Hoplopsylls anomalus (10.1%). All rodents captured in this study were California ground squirrels, Spermophilus beecheyi. In mark-release-recapture trials, using the microchip identification implant method at the treatment site, the recapture rate of rodents was 29% from 2- to 58-d post-treatment, declining to 21% after 98 d. In the tail-clip method at the treatment site, the recapture rate of 40% at 15-d post-treatment rose to 87% and 73% at 56- and 58-d post-treatment, respectively. At the control site, the recapture rate of 100% at 15-d post-post-treatment dropped to 20% after 98 d. In another trial at Camp Cedar Crest in the Running Springs area, deltamethrin applied to rodent burrows resulted in 70% control of fleas infesting S. beecheyi. Based on the two trials, deltamethrin showed a good initial control of rodent fleas in enzootic or epizootic plague control.
Mian
Lal S
LS
Department of Health Science and Human Ecology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA 92407-2397, USA.
Hitchcock
James C
JC
Madon
Minoo B
MB
Myers
Charles M
CM
D000818:Animals; D002140:California; D005843:Geography; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods; D009570:Nitriles; D011156:Population Density; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012589:Sciuridae; D005423:Siphonaptera
D009570:Nitriles; D011722:Pyrethrins; C017180:decamethrin