In vitro comparison of four treatments which discourage infestation by head lice

Products which discourage the transmission of head lice are appealing; however, few studies have tested this concept. This study aims to test the efficacy of four commercial products which claim to discourage infestation by head lice; MOOV Head Lice Defence Spray (MOOV), Wild Child Quit Nits Head Lice Defence Spray (Wild Child), 100% Natural Head Lice Beater (Lice Beater) or Lysout Natural Anti-Lice Spray (Lysout). An in vitro challenge test was used. Briefly, one half of a filter paper lining the base of a petri dish was treated with the test product. Lice were then introduced to the centre of the dish, which was covered and placed in the dark at 20°C for 30 min. The number of lice on the treated and untreated sides of the filter paper was then counted after 2, 4 and 8 h post-application. MOOV was significantly more effective at discouraging the transmission of lice than the water control (p < 0.01), while Wild Child and Lysout were not at all time points. Lice Beater was significantly worse than the water control after 2 h (p < 0.01), while there was no difference after 4 and 8 h. MOOV was found to perform significantly better than Wild Child (p < 0.05) and Lice Beater (p < 0.05) at all time points. It also performed significantly better than Lysout at 2 (p < 0.05) and 8 h (p < 0.05), but not 4 h. MOOV offers the best efficacy and consistency of performance of the four products tested to discourage the transmission of head lice

Research to realisation: the challenging path for novel pest management products in Australia

In this 'Overview', we explore the linkages between basic research and the commercial development of novel pest management products in Australia. Despite the large volume of research in fundamental and applied aspects of entomology, very few new pest management products are developed and commercialised in Australia. Reasons for this include demanding and expensive regulatory requirements which (as in many other countries) mean that commercial development is the province of large multinational agrochemical companies. We describe the Australian regulatory system and the opportunities and difficulties it can present, using examples from recently registered Australian products, Magnet® moth attractant and the MOOV® range of insect repellents. The science behind these products is described in a series of papers in this issue of 'Australian Journal of Entomology'. We also explore some of the commercial imperatives in novel product development, and aspects of the interactions between researchers and commercial partners. Finally, we discuss potential advantages of Australia as a locale for commercial development of novel products