GAČR 206/07/P098
The objective of the presented project is to get the knowledge interactions of bats with roost ectoparasites, bed bugs of groups of Cimex dissimilis and C. lectularius. Results of the finished grant of the GA CR (No. 206/02/0961) and subsequent field research have shown frequent movements between different shelters in Pipistrellus pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus. The new project is focussed on potential causality of the bat movements and the dynamics in numbers of the bed bugs. Furthermore, the abundancy of bed bugs, the level of parasitation of adults and juveniles and the level of comfort behaviouor (grooming) in adult females will be assessed. Behavioural patterns will be recorded by a digital camera. Survival ability and feed promptness of bed bugs will be tested under suboptimal microclimatic conditions and different time of starvation. Sampling of bed bugs in bat boxes occupied by nursery colonies of P. pygmaeus will be taken in two steps: i) manually sampling and ii) recording of movement activity by videosystem.
Project Period1/2007 – 12/2009