Like a private investigator, a PMP must use all the tools and techniques at his disposal to ensure bed bugs are present before attempting control. But detecting bed bugs when their numbers are small is particularly challenging. Consider these tips for accurate bed bug detection:
- Start with a detailed inspection. Focus on sleeping areas and places where occupants spend time sitting and resting, such as couches and easy chairs. Don’t overlook the back of headboards, luggage and other personal bags. Rooms and/or apartments adjacent to the infested area also should be inspected.
- Record what was found. Include live bugs, fecal staining, blood smears and cast skins. Documentation will help you design a treatment protocol, provide an ideal tool to use when describing services to your client, and provide written confirmation of the pest condition that existed before your treatment.
- Obtain a population estimate. Calculate the size of the problem and the extent to which it has spread by placing detection devices under and adjacent to beds and suspected infested furniture. These detectors also might help determine the origin of an infestation.
Detectors can be used to confirm a treatment protocol has been successful. They can be checked periodically to ensure bed bugs haven’t returned and that no new infestation has taken place. Using detectors might reduce the need for pesticides. In situations where bed bugs are detected early on, before newly introduced bugs have an opportunity to become established, PMPs often can minimize the use of control products.
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