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Bed Bugs: What you need to know Part2
Thorough Inspection Works Best
Pest Management Magazine - June 2009, By Richard Diggs Sr.
There’s many different methods and approaches pest management professionals (PMPs) adopt to address this sudden resurgence of bed bugs. I’m not saying we have the be-all, end-all of answers, but we do have a method that I know works.
At Alexandria Pest Services, we’ve taken the same approach to bed bug management that we’ve taken for all pests: Thoroughness and quality service.
I can’t stress enough the importance of being thorough in your inspection. We firmly believe in providing thorough and quality services by going beyond the normal time spent on accounts and treatment methods.
We have three crews that do strictly bed bug jobs (and a separate crew for follow-up inspections). Our bed bug business has grown so well, we currently do an average of 15-20 bed bug jobs each day.
Our method works. That’s why I’m able to simply sit back and smile when I hear people say they can’t get rid of bed bugs — because I know our method works and it’s been proven.
Learning About Bed Bugs
It was nearly six years ago when Dr. Harold Harlan taught us about bed bugs. He was staff entomologist for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) at the time, and bed bugs were just starting to re-emerge as a major problem for PMPs — nothing like they are today.
We tested many products on bed bugs back then. We did it ourselves and we tested many different application methods. That’s when we discovered that dusts work excellent — but it’s all in how it’s applied.
Applying dusts, though, isn’t the only technique we employ. As PMPs, we know once bed bugs take hold of a dwelling, they can spread and get everywhere. It’s no wonder so many PMPs are having a tough time eradicating this pest.
Along with dusts, we use a combination of steam and liquid pesticide. The most important tool we use, however, is communication with the client. The more educated they are about bed bugs and the treatment method we’re using, the easier it is for us to thoroughly eliminate bed bugs from their dwelling.
PMPs who know bed bugs know they can get in the walls and live in there for a whole year. A big problem lies in how to treat for something that’s hiding behind a wall. What can you put in there? Dust is the perfect solution (PMP May 2009, pg. 22). We found that Tempo dust is the best — it works quickly — we’ve been using that for years.
The Process
We start with an inspection. A bed bugs team will go in and make a complete analysis of the apartment or home — much like a doctor taking down a complete case history of a patient.
Our inspection forms include basic information, such as apartment size and whether or not its been treated for bed bugs in the past. We also rate the sanitation of the dwelling and thoroughly check for any evidence of pests (casings, eggs …) — be it bed bugs, cockroaches or anything else.
The apartment is then rated on its current risk and infestation of bed bugs: from Low (no evidence or live pest activity) to Severe (live activity in multiple locations).
We even interview the each of the tenants to find out who they are, whether they have any pre-exisiting medical conditions, if they have any pets and, most important, what type of pest activity they’ve experienced.
Once our team identifies bed bugs, we’ll service all the surrounding units whether they find bed bugs in them or not. Both sides, above, below — we service them all. And, each unit will have it’s own separate report. We perform the same thorough inspection for each and every unit we service.
Normally, during initial treatment, the first thing the bed bug team does is steam around the baseboards and all the furnishings and mattresses. Since bed bugs will go in and under carpeting, we’ll steam the carpet as well. A good-quality steamer will kill them in the carpet. We did our own tests on that as well.
After the team is finished steaming, the team starts drilling the walls. This process is similar to doing a wall-board treatment for termites, only inside. We drill just above the baseboards and that’s where we apply the dust.
We’ll do this all the way around the apartment — bedroom, living room, dining room — anywhere we can drill.
We’ve also found that sometimes, if there are gaps in the ceiling area, bed bugs will move up to those areas as well. We’ll drill around those areas and apply the dust there too.
And, we use a liquid treatment around the baseboards and also around the bed frames. We’ll do crack-and-crevice treatment as well. For heavy infestations, we’ll use a vacuum to vacuum up the bed bugs.
This whole process may be a little bit time-consuming, but a good majority of the time it works after just one treatment. Sometimes we have to do a second treatment, but not too many times.
Follow-Up
Simply because a resident does not call to complain of pest activity does not mean the treatment in their residence was 100-percent successful in 100-percent of the cases. A good bed bug management program does not solely rely upon the resident or customer to determine the effectiveness of the treatment program. Proper follow-up is necessary to successfully manage bed bugs.
After initial treatment, our team automatically schedules a follow-up appointment for 14 days later. No matter what, we let the client know we’ll be back in two weeks.
We have a different crew that goes back for that — they do strictly bed bug follow-ups. The majority of the time, they don’t find any signs of active, live bed bugs after our first treatment. Sometimes, if there’s excessive clutter in the dwelling, they will.
Having a fresh set of eyes helps, plus they know exactly what to look for.
The first thing the follow-up crew does is a complete and thorough inspection, similar to the inspection the original crew did on the first visit.
If any live bed bugs are discovered during the follow-up — or any indication that live bed bugs may be present — the crew will steam-treat, perform a crack-and-crevice treatment and take care of whatever residual is left over from the bed bugs treatment.
We have a written protocol, and though each place will be a little different, we know exactly what to do. Everything is spelled out in the written protocol.
Communication is Key
As I said before, I’ve found the more our clients know about what we’re doing, the better communication they can give to their tenants, the better preparation and cooperation.
With that cooperation, we get remarkable results on treating for bed bugs.
In addition, we conduct a bed bug training program for apartment mangers. We’ve also held training programs with the city — the health department, fire department and department of housing.
Our company has made a video to show in our training program. The video demonstrates how bed bugs get in dwellings and that anyone can get them. No one is exempt from getting bed bugs. The video also shows different areas in which bed bugs can live and hide.
It Really Works
One place that we did had 800 units. This apartment complex had been battling bed bugs for quite some time and had employed other companies to eradicate the problem to no avail.
We went in there and I did something I don’t normally do: I gave them a one-year warrantee on bed bugs. Our results were remarkable.
We serviced all 800 units. It took us nearly three weeks to go in and inspect every unit — and we wrote up a thorough report on each unit.
It’s been 18 months and they’re doing great. Occasionally, they’ll have new people move in and bring in bed bugs, but it’s an isolated case. Their problem is nowhere near what it was before we treated.
We’ve found a method that definitely works. We know it works. PMP
You can reach Diggs, owner of Alexandria Pest Services in Alexandria, Va., at 703-923-0925 or e-mail diggspests@aol.com.
Bed Bug Inspection Tips
- Always have all the inspection tools necessary to conduct a thorough inspection.
- Use a bright LED-type flashlight and have extra batteries available.
- Move resident’s personal items and property carefully.
- Suspect where bed bugs may hide and check those areas thoroughly.
- Start at the front door and follow the wall in one direction, much as a mouse travels along the wall. Do this in each room so nothing is missed during the inspection.
- Be sure to document all significant finding of the inspection.
- Fill out the inspection form neatly and accurately.
- Be sure to list the appropriate apartment address on the inspection and treatment forms.
- Refer to typical hiding areas and ensure all such areas have been inspected.
Proper Identification of Bed Bugs
A reasonable assurance that the problem is, in fact, bed bugs may be arrived at through circumstantial evidence and by interviewing residents where the infestation is suspected.
Certain, “tell tale” signs of bed bug infestations commonly occur or are found by PMPs.
Such indications include, but are not limited to:
- The presence of blood stains on mattresses, furniture or walls.
- The presence of bugs or cast skins of bugs found during inspections.
- The occurrence of bites or suspicion of bites by residents.
In some cases, bed bugs may be present for an extended period of time and the victim may be experiencing bites that are either not noticed or incorrectly identified.
Even though a bed bug victim may seek medical advice, the bed bug situation may still be incorrectly identified as a skin or other health disorder.
