Warning clients on where to check for bed bugs

Mel Whitson, Senior Field Technical Service Manager, Zoëcon Professional Products

Bed bug issues can impact both residential and commercial clients when they least expect it. Let clients know that planning ahead and taking precautions against bed bugs can go a long way. For example, small inspections of secondhand items and furniture brought into the home or office are helpful.

Clients also should be diligent when traveling — checking luggage racks, beds and furniture in their hotel rooms. The first indication of a bed bug infestation is often a series of bites on human hosts, which can resemble bites from other insects. Bed bugs leave other signs as well, including a musty-sweet smell and rust-colored spots on bedsheets.

PMPs who suspect a client has bed bugs should inspect cracks and crevices, including the seams and tags of mattresses or cushions. Bed bug eggs are tiny, approximately the size of a pinhead. Adult bed bugs are a reddish-brown color and shaped like a balloon after feeding. When not full of a bloodmeal, Cimex lectularius are long, brown and flat.

Bed bug infestations are notoriously difficult to identify. However, catching an infestation early, before bed bugs have had an opportunity to spread, is critical. Allowing the infestation to spread can increase the risk of reinfestation and callbacks.