Nov 6, 2011 – Bed Bugs – The Gift That Keeps On Giving
QUESTION:
I am dealing with an apartment complex where every week they are finding new apartments with bedbugs. As far as insecticides, is there any one that so far has proven to work more than others? I am aware of mattress protections and vacuuming etc, but if it were you what would be your top preference of insecticide, with or without an added IGR, to appply for treatment. Thank you in advance for your answer.
ANSWER:
Your situation is not all that uncommon, judging by the talks I attended at the recent NPMA Conference, where a great many educational sessions were devoted to the topic of Bed Bugs. The problems are compounded in multiple family housing for several reasons. One of these is the cost to completely eradicate the bed bugs once they have gotten a foothold, and apartment managers often balk at that cost and opt for chasing the bugs around instead. Another problem is the tenants themselves - poor preparation, refusal to cooperate, refusal to admit they have bed bugs, etc. There also are battles between managers and tenants over who should pay for the cost of removal, and while the argument goes on the bed bugs expand their presence.
The fight against bed bugs in this situation has to involve educating the tenants themselves. They MUST learn about the bed bugs, how to prevent bringing bugs in themselves, and how to deal with the bugs once they have them as well as how to inspect their own apartments for the bugs. Some apartments are now offering FREE clothes dryers, but charging more for the use of the washers, in the hope that tenants who have traveled will immediately place everything in the dryer that can be there. A hot dryer by itself is capable of killing all bugs and eggs on clothing, in backpacks, blankets, stuffed toys, etc.
If we speak only in terms of insecticides I am going to offer you the list given by one NPMA speaker, who surveyed the pest control industry in 2011 and asked that question - what chemical products are most used by our industry. This is not my endorsement of any of these, as I don't want to anger manufacturers whose products I did not mention, but the list may be helpful to you. This survey found that Phantom was used by 51% of PMP's, Temprid by 42%, Bedlam 28%, Gentrol, Alpine, and Transport all about 15%, DeltaDust about 12%, and Suspend, Tempo, and Drione all about 10%. What this may tell us is that MANY different active ingredients and chemical families and formulations work well on bed bugs IF the product is placed where the bugs will contact it for a very long time. It remains a fact that treating baseboards and other exposed surfaces in the hope that the bugs will walk ACROSS the treated surface will be ineffective. The materials must be placed directly into the bed bug harborages where they will be in contact with it for hours.
In this manner you also directly treat the bugs with the wet spray or the dust particles, ensuring maximum contact with the active ingredient. One speaker made the comment that the Common Bed Bug has an extremely high potential for developing resistance to just about any insecticide active ingredient. It may not matter what product you use - it is how it is used that is important, and this means crack and crevice treatment, void treatment with dusts, treating along and under carpet edges and behind baseboards, etc. There does not appear to be any single insecticide active ingredient that currently is the magic material for the common bed bug, and it may never come along. Control now relies on all of those non-chemical steps combined with proper use of insecticides, continued monitoring to determine the success, and likely some repeat treatments where bed bugs continue to be present.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
I am dealing with an apartment complex where every week they are finding new apartments with bedbugs. As far as insecticides, is there any one that so far has proven to work more than others? I am aware of mattress protections and vacuuming etc, but if it were you what would be your top preference of insecticide, with or without an added IGR, to appply for treatment. Thank you in advance for your answer.
ANSWER:
Your situation is not all that uncommon, judging by the talks I attended at the recent NPMA Conference, where a great many educational sessions were devoted to the topic of Bed Bugs. The problems are compounded in multiple family housing for several reasons. One of these is the cost to completely eradicate the bed bugs once they have gotten a foothold, and apartment managers often balk at that cost and opt for chasing the bugs around instead. Another problem is the tenants themselves - poor preparation, refusal to cooperate, refusal to admit they have bed bugs, etc. There also are battles between managers and tenants over who should pay for the cost of removal, and while the argument goes on the bed bugs expand their presence.
The fight against bed bugs in this situation has to involve educating the tenants themselves. They MUST learn about the bed bugs, how to prevent bringing bugs in themselves, and how to deal with the bugs once they have them as well as how to inspect their own apartments for the bugs. Some apartments are now offering FREE clothes dryers, but charging more for the use of the washers, in the hope that tenants who have traveled will immediately place everything in the dryer that can be there. A hot dryer by itself is capable of killing all bugs and eggs on clothing, in backpacks, blankets, stuffed toys, etc.
If we speak only in terms of insecticides I am going to offer you the list given by one NPMA speaker, who surveyed the pest control industry in 2011 and asked that question - what chemical products are most used by our industry. This is not my endorsement of any of these, as I don't want to anger manufacturers whose products I did not mention, but the list may be helpful to you. This survey found that Phantom was used by 51% of PMP's, Temprid by 42%, Bedlam 28%, Gentrol, Alpine, and Transport all about 15%, DeltaDust about 12%, and Suspend, Tempo, and Drione all about 10%. What this may tell us is that MANY different active ingredients and chemical families and formulations work well on bed bugs IF the product is placed where the bugs will contact it for a very long time. It remains a fact that treating baseboards and other exposed surfaces in the hope that the bugs will walk ACROSS the treated surface will be ineffective. The materials must be placed directly into the bed bug harborages where they will be in contact with it for hours.
In this manner you also directly treat the bugs with the wet spray or the dust particles, ensuring maximum contact with the active ingredient. One speaker made the comment that the Common Bed Bug has an extremely high potential for developing resistance to just about any insecticide active ingredient. It may not matter what product you use - it is how it is used that is important, and this means crack and crevice treatment, void treatment with dusts, treating along and under carpet edges and behind baseboards, etc. There does not appear to be any single insecticide active ingredient that currently is the magic material for the common bed bug, and it may never come along. Control now relies on all of those non-chemical steps combined with proper use of insecticides, continued monitoring to determine the success, and likely some repeat treatments where bed bugs continue to be present.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
