Education is key to controlling bed bug infestations

Doug VanGundy, Central Life Sciences

As the number of people traveling increases significantly during the summer, so does the possibility of bed bug infestations — not only in hotels but restaurants, schools and residential accounts as well. Education is key for PMPs and their customers to control bed bug infestations and avoid reinfestations effectively.

Bed bugs are reddish-brown, flat oval insects that grow to be only a quarter inch long. They feed on human blood and are most active during the nighttime hours. PMPs must implement a broad-spectrum approach when working with customers to minimize the potential damage and emotional stress that result from a bed bug infestation.

Various methods and products can be used to treat bed bug infestations, including low-odor sprays, fogging agents and aerosols. Insect growth regulators (IGRs) are effective by disrupting a bugs’ normal growth pattern, not allowing them to mature and reproduce.

A successful treatment requires a PMP and customer to take a proactive approach to the infestation. PMPs should always provide customers with a pretreatment checklist to ensure the solutions work correctly and effectively. Proactive considerations for preventing infestations are:

• Vacuuming, steam cleaning and hot-water laundering of infected bedding is essential.
• Reducing clutter is a necessity because items strewn about rooms afford many places for bed bugs to hide and impedes inspection and treatment.
• Customers should caulk cracks and crevices where the bugs can thrive, such as around floorboards and moldings.
• Newer strategies, such as using mattress liners designed for bed bug control, are additional tools to combat the pests.