Preventing large bed bug infestations

Dr. Cisse Spragins, founder and CEO, Rockwell Labs

In the roughly two decades since bed bugs reappeared in the U.S., awareness has become mainstream. Due to this awareness and the potential liability, susceptible accounts like hotels and student housing have generally become more proactive with prevention and early detection. As a result, large infestations tend to occur in accounts with vulnerable populations such as low-income housing, shelters and elderly care facilities. There are many challenges in these environments related to occupant participation, clutter, transient visitors and individuals with compromised health. In addition, chemistries often have been over-applied or misapplied, leading to resistant bed bug populations.

The good news is that recent field work shows excellent results can be obtained by engaging with occupants in a manner that gives them a sense of community and participation. And in addition to laundering bedding and clothing, applying a treatment protocol that starts with vacuuming, followed by steam treatment, can eliminate most of the active problem. This strategy can then be followed with amorphous silica and fungal products to kill the remaining bugs and provide residual protection.