Larry Pinto

Service for bed bugs usually includes insecticide treatments of bed frames, box springs, headboards, sometimes mattresses, floors around beds, bedroom baseboards, obvious cracks and crevices, walls behind pictures and mirrors, inside switch plates and electrical receptacles, clothes closets, dressers, nightstands and other bedroom furniture. In heavy infestations, insecticide treatments may also be expanded to include drapes, ceiling/wall intersections over beds, tack strips under carpet, living room furniture, televisions, stereos, and other electrical devices, as well as other potential infested sites too numerous to list.

Most companies apply more than one insecticide and formulation when treating for bed bugs. I have seen four different products applied to different sites in one bedroom. In apartments especially, one service visit is rarely enough. Retreats for bed bugs are the norm rather than the exception. And retreats mean even more insecticides are applied.

Bed bugs can seek harborage in nearly every square inch of a room.

I'm not saying that there are magical nonchemical control tools to take the place of insecticides. The few alternatives available, such as vacuuming, heat and steam treatment, caulking and sealing, have shown limited success. It's the other components of IPM — education, communication, monitoring and sanitation — that are critical to bed bug control.

The major reason for bed bug retreats in apartments is residents aren't prepared for treatments: They didn't bag and wash sheets and clothing, clean out closets and dressers, or gather toys and clothing from the floor. You can avoid this problem through improved communication and education. Tell property managers and residents about bed bugs, the role of clutter in bed bug infestations and their responsibilities in helping you control them. Handouts are useful (see my bed bug preparation tip sheet in this month's Trend Spotting).

Also educate customers about the danger of new bed bug infestations by buying or renting infested second-hand furniture, carpets, blankets, pictures, and fixtures from stores, yard sales, auctions and flea markets or by picking up discarded furniture.

A common problem with bed bug service is that infested rooms or apartments are often addressed in isolation. ("There are bed bugs in 312. Get rid of them.") But bed bugs move easily from room to room and even from floor to floor. Whenever a new infestation is identified, other rooms (in hotels/motels) and residences (in apartments) need to be checked. At a minimum, the units on either side, and above and below, need to be inspected initially and then monitored for bed bugs for at least one or two months (and treated if necessary).

Residents also should be educated about vinyl, zippered mattress covers (hotels generally aren't interested in using them). The covers trap any bed bugs hidden inside the mattress and box spring so that they can't come out and bite. They will eventually die. The covers also make it more difficult (but not impossible) for new bugs to find hiding places on beds. Covers can be purchased online or from medical supply stores and cost from $7 to $30 each depending on their size and thickness.

Bed bug service isn't just insecticide application. Incorporate IPM to improve control, and even reduce insecticide use over the long-term by lowering retreat rates and making your accounts less susceptible to bed bugs.

Pinto, Pest Control's IPM columnist, is president of Pinto & Associates in Mechanicsville, Md. He publishes Techletter, a training letter for pest management technicians, and can be reached at 301-844-3020, email Pinto_Associates@comcast.net
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