If you’ve ever conducted a bed bug screening, you know that it can be labor intensive and time consuming.
A flashlight is key in the inspection process, as the first and second instars are often translucent or brightly colored, not to mention tiny, and can blend in with their surroundings. Adults and later stages, although larger and reddish-brown, may mate with objects of darker colors.
Light infestations can result in hours being spent inspecting beds, chairs, and other resting areas only to find a bed bug or two. A heavy infestation, on the other hand, can be quickly identified by going into a home and seeing accumulations of bed bugs on ceilings, in corners, or under bed covers.
Regardless of the level of infestation, it is crucial to identify as many bed bug havens as possible in order to make treatment strategies more targeted and effective. There are entire books on bed bug control that provide detailed information on how to identify and examine them; Here I will focus on treatment strategies.
EXCLUSION. Exclusion is not a method we generally think of for bed bugs. Preventing bed bugs from entering homes, work areas, or businesses should be a goal of any good bed bug control program. This is done primarily by educating the homeowner or business customer. Fact sheets and/or short videos on how to spot bed bugs, how to get them into your home or business, and travel tips are widely shared.
But have you ever thought about helping your business customers with their policies? Policies such as cleaning and storing uniforms in the work environment are helpful for restaurants, cleaning services, police stations, and other customers who provide or need a uniform.
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Providing a consistent service instead of employees washing their own uniforms can help prevent bed bugs from making their way from the employee’s home to the workplace. Providing each person with a clear plastic container for personal items can further help reduce the risk of introduction in the workplace. The clear container allows for bed bug containment as well as quick identification of where the bed bugs may be located in a structure.
Some property management companies may benefit from a heat treatment policy. By placing luggage and other items that can be heat treated in a heat chamber before bringing them into an apartment or condo, you reduce the risk of bed bug introductions.
Policy review helps customers understand their own policies and allows you to assist with policy updates if your program changes due to improved tools or methods and/or if the customer’s business model needs to change.
MONITORING. We know that monitoring bed bugs is difficult. They are introduced and found in hidden areas. However, installing passive trapping devices under the legs of beds, sofas, and chairs can help trap bed bugs and quickly start a service to the home or business. A proactive inspection service could also be set up as part of a surveillance programme.
In apartment buildings and hotels, it is common for each service to inspect a certain number of units for pests. Pull back two corners of the bedding and inspect the mattress edges for fecal stains, cast scales and bugs to give you a quick yes/no answer. While you may still miss bed bugs if you only inspect a limited area, this helps to quickly identify units in need of bed bug service and creates a more proactive approach to bed bug infestations. This can be especially helpful for low-income apartments and hotels, where customers may be reluctant to notify management that they have found or have found bed bugs in the unit.
CHEMICAL TREATMENTS. Unlike 20 years ago when bed bugs re-emerged as a pest, there are now many traditional chemical products such as liquid residues, contact aerosols and dusts labeled for bed bugs. These products are applied in areas where bed bugs may travel to reach a food source or shelter.
By shrouding bedding, you remove the sanctuary area where bed bugs can live.
© Matthew Lanciano | one
One thing to consider is resistance to pesticides. Research studies have shown bed bug populations with mechanisms of resistance to pyrethrins, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids and diatomaceous earth. Not every bed bug population has the same resistance mechanisms, but repeated use of the same product and active ingredient will help select susceptible individuals and help create a resistant population. Choosing products with different chemical classes will help reduce the potential for resistant bed bug populations.
VACUUM CLEANER. Vacuum cleaners are an excellent tool to include in a bed bug treatment program. While using a vacuum to physically remove bed bugs and cast skins is time consuming, it has an immediate impact on the customer. The removed insects are no longer there to bite and can no longer reproduce and build the population. The combination of physical removal with traditional pesticides offers the instant relief of fewer bed bugs and the targeted application of pesticides in areas where eggs or tiny instars may have been missed during the removal process.
CASING. Covers for mattresses, box springs and pillows trap bed bugs so they cannot feed. In addition, the use of encasements changes where bed bugs live. By encasing mattresses, box springs, and pillows, you remove the shelter for bed bugs to live in. The enclosure provides a smooth surface instead of a ridge, reducing habitat areas. Research has shown that bed bugs are pushed between the mattress and box springs or into other cracks and crevices on or near the bed frame through the use of covers. Fences not only reduce habitat areas, but can also reduce inspection time. Some encasements are impregnated with a pesticide. This can help bring some rest to a difficult-to-treat area.
BIOLOGICAL STRATEGIES. Biological strategies are often not considered in bed bugs. However, there is a biopesticide labeled for use against bed bugs that contains fungal spores from Beauveria bassiana. Like many traditional pesticides, the product is placed in areas where bed bugs can roam. The spores come into contact with the bed bug and are carried back to the havens. Special equipment is required for the application.
EXTREMELY COLD. There are several strategies that temporarily alter the environment in which bed bugs are found. These strategies leave no residue and can be considered a one-time service. The use of extreme cold applied to fabric seams freezes and kills bed bugs in the area. This can be used in place of traditional pesticides or for customers who may be sensitive to chemical applications.
WARMTH. Heat, on the other hand, raises the ambient air to a temperature lethal to bed bugs. It can get into areas where traditional pesticides cannot easily be applied. When choosing heat, be sure to speak with a sprinkler and fire suppression systems expert. High temperatures can trip and/or damage these devices, resulting in flooding or other damage.
SULFURIDE. Sulfuryl fluoride can be used for fumigation of buildings, containers and vehicles against bed bugs. Fumigation of large multi-unit apartment complexes and hotels can be the best way to quickly eliminate a heavily infested structure. Additionally, fumigation may be the only option for customers with electronic devices infested with bed bugs, as the electronics could be damaged by heat or liquid pesticides.
FINAL THOUGHTS. Choosing bed bug control strategies can seem daunting and hopefully the information provided here will help. Read all manufacturer’s labels and instructions, and familiarize yourself with applicable federal, state, and local laws as they can assist in your selection. Think about the services your company offers and your target customer base. Perhaps a traditional service with pesticide applications, housing, physical removal of bed bugs, and interceptors will suffice; however, an alternative service involving fumigation, heat, extreme cold, and/or fungal spores in place of traditional pesticide applications may be desirable. Whatever you decide, make sure you train your technicians to meet service expectations and clearly communicate to customers what to expect.
