Nattaro Labs - Formulation, encapsulation and dispersal of bed bug lure

Purpose and goal

As a result of the completed project, Nattaro Labs AB is ready to launch a monitor trap and bait under our own brand, but also to sell our bait as a stand‐alone product for other suppliers to use in their monitor traps. To succeed with the launch, our existing bait has been developed into a finished product. The project has allowed us to balance and control the release of the pheromones. We have increased the life length of the bait and we will package the final product as a user‐friendly, flexible and efficient commercial product.

Expected results and effects

The focus of the project has been to develop a bait, to be used in our own monitor trap, as well as an input to other traps on the market. The purpose of the bait is to attract bedbugs in the following applications: 1) confirm suspected infestations, 2) continuous monitor environments with a high risk of infestation, 3) Verify that the treatment was successful so that no bed bugs remains in the affected area. The final product consists of exchangeable bait and a mechanical trap. The bait, which consists of pheromones, will be encapsulated and packaged in a user‐friendly and commercial format.

Planned approach and implementation

The project has been carried out together with our partners. The first step involved an investigation of possible improvements and changes in the formulation to obtain a balanced release in the correct concentration and for a longer period of time. The second step consisted of a optimization of the encapsulation, to affect the release of the components. The third step involved testing of the formulation storage properties. The result of all the development steps have been tested in our laboratory with live bed bugs, as well as in the field, in order to ensure full functionality.