Educate your clients on bed bug biology and control strategies to combat reinfestation

Dr. Nina Jenkins

Aprehend

All service protocols are vulnerable to reinfestation if your clients do not understand the basics of bed bug biology and the strategy behind your treatment protocol. The most common client errors include the use of off-the-shelf pesticides; removing pesticide residuals by cleaning; and leaving the house with infested items with or on their person, such as shoes, prosthetics, wheelchairs, walkers, backpacks, computers, GPS probation trackers and, in very heavy infestations, their clothing. Clients also may squirrel away items they don’t want you to see, such as weapons or intimacy devices. All these actions can result in clients continuing to see bed bug activity when reintroducing these items to their usual home locations.

Explaining how these items can carry bed bug infestations can reduce client errors. Bed bug eradication is most successful if clients are informed and can work with you to identify infested items for appropriate treatment.