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10-Minute Presentation

Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology

10-min: MUVE, Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

Residual barrier pesticide applications negatively impact non-target arthropods in Delaware

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

3:06 PM - 3:18 PM Pacific

Location: Oregon Convention Center, B114, OCC

Presenting Author(s)

Ashley Kennedy, BCE (she/her/hers)

Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife Mosquito Control
Wilmington, Delaware

Co-Author(s)

VE

Vincenzo Ellis

University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
BK

Brian Kunkel

University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
WW

Wil Winter, BCE

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife: Mosquito Control
Newark, Delaware

Barrier pesticide treatments for controlling ticks and adult mosquitoes on residential properties have become increasingly common in recent years. Past research supports their effectiveness in suppressing target pest populations; however, more research is needed to evaluate their impact on non-target arthropods. We investigated the impacts of a barrier spray treatment, using bifenthrin as the active ingredient, on arthropod communities at five sites in northern Delaware. We applied treatments at monthly intervals during the summer months of 2021 and 2022 and collected arthropods at treated and untreated control plots at each site via sweep-netting and tick-dragging. We identified 46,076 arthropods representing 17 orders and 193 families and found that barrier treatment with bifenthrin greatly reduces arthropod diversity and abundance. Property managers should carefully consider the impacts of barrier treatments on nontarget as well as target arthropod populations.