The Business of Bed Bugs
1 Jan, 2008 By: Michael F. Potter Pest Management Professional
Like a pox from the past, bed bugs once again are causing chaos across the globe. The cryptic, bloodsucking bugs are resurfacing in cities, small towns and suburbs, infesting everything from homes to hospitals. Some pest management professionals (PMPs) report their phones are ringing with bed bug calls as often as they used to for termites — which is itself pretty remarkable considering five years ago most operators had only seen bed bugs in books. To better understand this phenomenon, we surveyed PMPs in the trenches. Their overwhelming responses (509 professionals completed our 42-question online bed bug survey) have afforded us a revealing assessment of the state of bed bug management. Read on to learn what's happening beyond your company (including what's working and not working industrywide) top bed bug management obstacles and opportunities, and what we may face in the future as we take on the business of bed bugs.
BUGS GONE WILD
The online survey's first series of questions examined the extent to which bed bug infestations are increasing in this country. A whopping 91 percent of respondents reported their organizations had encountered bed bug infestations in the past two years. Only 37 percent said they encountered bed bugs more than five years ago, while 21 percent reported facing them more than 10 years ago. Of those who encountered bed bugs 10 or more years ago, most (91 percent) said the frequency was not more than once or twice per year.
These statistics offer convincing evidence that bed bugs are on the rise, which is not news to the pest management industry, but perhaps to those skeptics who think the industry is sensationalizing the problem. When asked, "Approximately how many bed bug jobs did your company do last year?" the majority of respondents said 1-5 (38 percent) or 6-20 (27 percent). Another 17 percent of respondents reported their companies tackled 21 to 100 bed bug jobs last year, and 6 percent said they did more than 100.
Bed bugs are appearing in extremely diverse locations. The greatest percentage of respondents said they've been finding infestations in single-family homes (80 percent), apartments/condominiums (72 percent), and hotels/motels (58 percent). A notable percentage of respondents also said they've encountered infestations in college dormitories (24 percent), nursing homes (18 percent) and shelters/hostels (17 percent). A smaller percentage reported finding bed bugs in hospitals (6 percent), primary/secondary schools (5 percent), public transportation (4 percent), laundries and dry cleaners (3 percent) and movie theaters (2 percent).
The resurgence of bed bugs in such varied places should not be too surprising. In the 1930s and '40s, for example, infestations were common in hospitals. Older PMPs mention how widespread they were in movie houses, with entire rows of seats infested. The bugs were likewise rampant on trains, buses and moving vans during that era. In Europe, in the late-1930s, almost 50 percent of inspected moving vans were infested with bed bugs. Two respondents in our survey also mentioned finding bed bugs on moving vans, renewing concerns for items in transit and storage. Other unusual places where respondents reported finding bed bugs included office buildings, private automobiles, motor homes, a tractor-trailer rig, a drugstore and a pet groomer.
The extraordinary ability of this pest to be transported from one place to another means it can materialize just about anywhere. Last year in New York alone, the Department of Education reported finding bed bugs in 43 different schools during just January and February. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere, with an entire school district in Northern Kentucky canceling classes after a single bed bug was found on a child.
CUSTOMER ATTITUDES
As expected, most survey respondents also indicated their customers are worried about bed bugs. When asked to describe the attitude of their customers who have had bed bugs, 97 percent indicated that customers were concerned, with 77 percent saying bed-bug customers were very upset and concerned.
Which of the following methods do you routinely use to control bed bugs?
The emotional strain of living with this pest should not be taken lightly, especially by those who themselves have not yet experienced a bed-bug infestation. The rationalization that being bitten by bed bugs is no worse than being bitten by mosquitoes ignores the fact that one pest breeds and feeds mainly outdoors, while the other cryptically enters our clients' homes and businesses (even their travel destinations and modes of transportation), seeking to suck their blood while they try to get a good night's rest.
Because bed bugs are so reviled, customers appear willing to do whatever is needed to exterminate them. More than half of respondents believed that their customers were "not very" (29 percent) or "not at all" (30 percent) concerned about PMPs applying insecticides to control their bed bug problems — a telling statistic considering that more than three-fourths (77 percent) of householders said they were concerned about using pesticides to control traditional general household pests in a survey we conducted more than a decade ago (see end references).
Approximately how many bed bug jobs did your company do last year?*
Also of note, survey respondents reported serious misuses of pesticides by "do-it-yourselfers" purchasing bed bug products from the Internet. In some instances misuse has been so blatant that health of the occupants has been compromised.
THE BATTLE
The majority of respondents reported bed bugs are difficult to control. When asked which of the following four pests they considered the hardest to control, 58 percent said bed bugs, 24 percent said ants, 14 percent said cockroaches and only 6 percent mentioned termites, which is quite a reversal from what we'd have expected 10 years ago.
Problems with efficiently and economically controlling bed bugs were evident from the question: "On average, about how many treatments does it take to get a bed bug infestation under control?" In "simple, uncluttered environments" such as hotel rooms, most respondents said one (19 percent), two (47 percent) or three (27 percent) treatments were needed, while 7 percent reported that four or more treatments normally were required. In "complex, cluttered environments" such as apartments and single-family homes, only 5 percent said one treatment normally did the job, 17 percent said it took two treatments and 28 percent said three treatments were necessary. More than half (51 percent) indicated that four or more treatments were necessary in such situations. Few other pests require so many follow-up visits to provide relief to customers.
The amount of time spent on an initial bed bug service varied widely, ranging from less than 30 minutes to more than five man-hours. When treating "average-sized infestations with average amounts of clutter," 14 percent said the initial service lasted less than one hour, 37 percent said their companies normally spent one to two hours, 42 percent said two to five hours and 6 percent said initial service lasted more than five hours — rivaling the duration of an average termite job. Appreciable amounts of time also are being spent on follow-up services, with the majority of companies (44 percent) taking 30 minutes to one hour, or one to two hours (37 percent).
In which of the following accounts have you encountered bed bugs*
A variety of methods were mentioned in the battle against bed bugs. When respondents were asked which methods they routinely used to control bed bugs, 95 percent mentioned inspection, 91 percent used insecticide sprays and 64 percent used insecticide dusts. Almost two-thirds (65 percent) said they routinely use vacuums, while 25 percent used streamers. More than half (52 percent) recommend encasement of mattresses and box springs.
Other frequently mentioned methods included laundering by clients (86 percent) and disposal of infested items (68 percent) (see end references). A few respondents also mentioned heat treatment, cold treatment with RapidFreeze (carbon dioxide snow), sealing cracks and crevices, applying double-sided sticky tape around bed legs and scrubbing bed bug eggs with toothbrushes.
With regard to inspections, most respondents (91 percent) said they "routinely recommend inspecting surrounding units (adjacent to infested units) in multi-occupancy dwellings such as hotels and apartments," a prudent practice considering that industry surveys have shown them to be infested much of the time.
Somewhat surprisingly, more than half of those surveyed (53 percent) said they "routinely use sticky traps to monitor and detect bed bug activity." While bed bugs are occasionally captured in glue traps, reliability tends to be poor compared to such pests as cockroaches and spiders. The industry badly needs reliable tools for the detection and monitoring of bed bug activity. Detection tools could have great use in the future, and various groups are conducting research for the development of such a device.
Another intriguing finding about inspections involves our perceived ability to detect bed bugs by the odor they emit. Repeatedly, the literature on these pests mentions inspectors' ability to detect infestations by their distinctive "buggy," "nutty," or "sweet-smelling" obnoxious odor. When respondents were asked: "How often do your technicians report smelling the traditional bed bug odor at accounts they've treated?" 60 percent said never or rarely, 27 percent said occasionally, and only 12 percent said often or always, which seems a bit odd considering how widely 'eau-de-bed bug' had formerly been mentioned as a telltale sign of infestation.
We are uncertain as to whether this discrepancy should be attributed to a decrease in overall infestations nowadays or simply to improved ventilation in homes. What is clear, however, is that odor cannot be relied upon by companies or customers to determine if bed bugs are present.
As expected, the most commonly mentioned areas for finding bed bugs were beds (85 percent) and bedding (52 percent). Next most commonly mentioned locations were baseboards/carpet edges (37 percent), furniture such as nightstands and dressers (26 percent), couches/chairs (25 percent), walls and ceilings (14 percent), clothing (6 percent) and appliances (5 percent).
Other areas where respondents mentioned finding bed bugs read like an inventory of almost everywhere imaginable. Some of the more exotic locales included a night stick, tooth brush, toilet tank, ironing boards, clothes hangers, wheelchairs and walkers, pet bedding, inside golf bags, safes and smoke detectors, attics and crawlspaces, the booth of an all-night diner, in the ears of an elderly man, and between the folds of a very large, bed-ridden woman. One respondent insightfully noted that when it comes to bed bugs, no place should be considered an unusual area since the pests reportedly can survive a year or longer without a blood meal and are small and thin enough to hide and reside just about anywhere.
DEALING WITH BEDS
Another series of questions asked what companies were doing with infested beds. The majority of those responding to the survey (59 percent) said they typically recommend that infested mattresses and box springs be discarded, while 41 percent did not recommend this. When treating for bed bugs, however, 74 percent of respondents said that their company typically sprays the bed — and of those firms that do, 76 percent spray both the mattress and box springs (23 percent indicated they only spray box springs).
The fact that almost three fourths of companies surveyed are spraying beds is understandable — yet sobering — considering the sensitivity of this area. Before the resurgence of bed bugs, most PMPs would have recoiled at the thought of treating a bed with insecticides. Bed bugs have changed the dynamic and, in doing so, increased the likelihood of pesticide-related claims and litigation. Such incidents have occurred and are expected to increase in the future as increasing quantities of insecticides are being used to combat infestations.
About how many treatments does it take to get an infestation under control?
WHAT ABOUT INSECTICIDES?
When asked which insecticides they generally used for treating bed bugs, respondents collectively mentioned more than 70 different products or materials. The majority of these were pyrethroids. The most commonly used product was Suspend (mentioned by 35 percent of respondents), followed by Gentrol (mentioned by 26 percent), Bedlam (21 percent), and Delta Dust and Demand (15 percent). Rounding out the 10 most-mentioned insecticides were Sterifab (14 percent), Phantom (11 percent), Cy-Kick (10 percent), Drione Dust (9 percent) and Tempo (9 percent). Other products often mentioned by respondents included TriDie Dust and several products containing pyrethrum.
In a subsequent question, almost two thirds (65 percent) of those surveyed said they typically incorporate an insect growth regulator (IGR) when spraying for bed bugs, even though relatively few studies have examined the effect of IGRs on bed bug populations.
When we asked respondents if they were satisfied with the performance of today's bed bug insecticides, more than three-fourths said they were somewhat satisfied (60 percent) or very satisfied (17 percent). The rest (23 percent) were not satisfied with the current insecticides.
Most of our 509 respondents said they were either very concerned (42 percent) or somewhat concerned (42 percent) that bed bugs might become resistant to available materials; 16 percent indicated little or no concern. Studies by the University of Kentucky and other institutions suggest that pyrethroid resistance in bed bugs may already be widespread. If this is the case, respondents have reason to be concerned since few alternative insecticide classes are available to battle infestations.
Nonetheless, many respondents were confident in their ability to eliminate bed bugs. A bullish 42 percent believed they were successful eliminating infestations every time. Another 42 percent of respondents were confident the bugs had been eliminated more than half of the time. The rest of those surveyed were less optimistic, with 12 percent believing infestations were being eliminated less than a quarter of the time.
Which one of the following pests do you consider the hardest to control?
BRINGING 'EM HOME
Bed bugs are amazing hitchhikers and will crawl into or on to just about anything. Consequently, there's a risk that technicians could accidentally transport some home or back to the office. Nearly three-fourths of those surveyed said that they and their employees were very concerned (34 percent) or somewhat concerned (37 percent) about this possibility — and 6 percent noted that someone in their company had already done so.
When servicing for bed bugs, technicians should avoid brushing up against infested items that can dislodge bugs or eggs onto uniforms. Be especially vigilant when lifting/moving beds and sofas and when working in cramped surroundings. It's also prudent not to lay jackets, hats and gear on beds, sofas and floors. Spraying oneself with an insect repellent probably won't do much to deter hitchhiking bed bugs.
But placing uniforms, shoes and other clothing in clothes dryers or washing machines at the end of the day might be a prudent practice, and some companies are making these available before employees head home. Studies we conducted indicated five to 10 minutes in a clothes dryer on a moderate to high temperature will kill all bed bug life stages.
BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS
Several questions on the survey involved business-related aspects of bed bug management. When asked "Does your company price bed bug work by the hour or the job?" most (81 percent) said by the job.
Forty-nine percent of respondents said that all follow-up visits are included in initial price quotes, whereas 41 percent said each follow-up visit is charged separately.
Responses were quite variable as they related to the number of follow-up services planned. Of those responding, 21 percent stated that no follow-ups are scheduled after the initial service unless the problem continues. Another 30 percent indicated that one follow up visit is automatically scheduled; 15 percent of respondents indicated two follow-ups are expected, while 6 percent said they schedule three follow ups. The remaining 28 percent of respondents said they routinely schedule as many follow-up visits as necessary to solve the problem.
No specific survey questions asked what companies are charging for bed bug work. From what we've been hearing, some are charging as much per unit as they do for termite work. Others providing less-intensive inspections and treatments are billing similarly to treatments for general household pests. This variance in pricing and approach is causing growing confusion among consumers (see Final Thoughts for more on this).
Bed bug-related litigation has been a hot topic lately, with amounts at stake often in the millions. Nearly two-thirds of respondents indicated their companies are very concerned (34 percent) or somewhat concerned (37 percent) about being involved in such litigation. Yet less than half of those surveyed (41 percent) said their company uses a separate contract/agreement for bed bugs, which some attorneys strongly advise.
The remainder (59 percent) indicated they do not use a separate contract/agreement for bed bugs. Although more lawsuits to date have targeted proprietors, some in the legal and insurance professions predict that pest management companies increasingly will be named as third-party defendants. Considering the emotional reaction to this pest, companies may want to have their attorneys and/or insurance providers review their current service agreements.
Despite the potential for lawsuits, nearly all of our 509 respondents (98 percent) indicated their companies will treat for bed bugs if requested. This number eclipses the 29 percent of companies offering bed bug management services in 2005, based on an earlier published study (see end references).
Most of our respondents (84 percent), however, stated they would walk away from a bed bug job if it became too expensive or if they could not achieve client cooperation. As infestations proliferate, companies refusing to treat for bed bugs (which could potentially be a higher number than indicated by our survey) will lose business to others. Years ago bed bugs were as common as cockroaches and, though the prospect is chilling , that could eventually happen again.
For the time being, bed bugs represent a small percentage of most company's overall business. When asked "About what percentage of your annual revenue is from bed bugs?" 68 percent said less than 1 percent while another 20 percent of those surveyed said 2 percent to 5 percent of their revenues were from bed bugs. Another 6 percent of respondents said 6 percent to 10 percent of their business involved bed bugs, and only 4 percent said more than 10 percent of their firm's revenue was bed bug-related.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The final survey question asked if respondents had additional thoughts they wanted to share — and we got an earful. Several mentioned the challenge in gaining customer cooperation in reducing clutter and laundering infested or suspected items. More than one respondent noted they regularly walk away from bed bug jobs that technicians know will fail because the areas are not prepared for service.
The need for thoroughness was echoed often, along with using teams of at least two well-trained technicians. One respondent noted that "the greatest component to success is not in the product, but in the man."
Another oft-mentioned concern was the variance in price and procedure among companies. One respondent felt this was creating such confusion in the marketplace that a separate bed-bug licensing category may be warranted. Price discrepancies are nothing new to the pest management industry. The difference with bed bugs is the clients' sense of urgency to obtain relief. Termites feed on your house, but bed bugs feed on your body.
Several respondents were frustrated with the performance of today's insecticides, lamenting they seemed to have little residual effect between services. Others wanted to bring back Dursban, Ficam, and (predictably) DDT. One respondent "hoped the manufacturers were working on a product that we can have confidence in" — sounding eerily like industry complaints after chlordane was removed from the market for termites. Perhaps the most universal comment was that bed bugs are getting worse, causing expressions of unease about the industry's ability to eliminate them. More than one person predicted bed bugs will be the No. 1 pest well into the future.
All photos are copyrighted by Michael F. Potter and may not be reproduced without his written consent.
Potter is a professor and urban extension entomologist at the University of Kentucky.
Note: Special thanks to Richard Cooper, technical director for Cooper Pest Solutions in Lawrenceville, N.J., for helping Pest Management Professional and the University of Kentucky fine-tune this bed bug management survey prior to its posting online.
References
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