Posts by The Bed Bug Guys

Features – Special Report Research out of Ohio State finds foggers have “little, if any, adverse effects” on modern-day bed bugs due to the brief exposure times, their relatively low concentrations of pyrethrins and/or pyrethroids, and their lack of residual activity. “Even the Harlan strain , the long-term laboratory population that is susceptible to pyrethroids and that served as an internal control in these experiments, was unaffected if the bugs were covered by a thin cloth layer”. By Susan C. Jones and Joshua L. Bryant | October 17, 2012 For decades, “bug bombs” or “foggers” have been sold as over-the-counter (OTC) products for consumer use against many common household insects. Foggers act by broadcasting an insecticide mist using an aerosol propellant. These products are typically easy to use and require little effort to apply, making them a seemingly simple solution. Unfortunately consumers are often forced to revert to foggers as a low-cost alternative or as a supplement to professional pest control services. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently estimated that about 50 million foggers are used annually in the United States (http://1.usa.gov/S0pMMM). The name “bug bomb” seems rather fitting given that explosions have been reported when excessive numbers of foggers have been used or when a nearby ignition source, such as a pilot light, has remained on during fogging. Such explosions are newsmakers worldwide. Furthermore, foggers have been implicated in human injury and illnesses, often due to misuse of the products by consumers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 466 cases of acute, pesticide-related illness or injury associated with exposure to total-release foggers in eight states between 2001 and 2006 (Wheeler et al. 2008). In an effort to minimize misuse of foggers, EPA required manufacturers to make a number of labeling changes by Sept. 30, 2011, to enhance clarity and to draw increased attention to critical information (http://1.usa.gov/S0pMMM). So…are these products effective against household insects? Many members of the pest management industry have expressed concern that foggers appear to be largely ineffective, particularly against crawling insects that are not on exposed surfaces. Furthermore, there is the general perception in the industry that foggers can actually make matters worse by causing insects to scatter from...

By GWEN PEARSON   Female of the bed bug – Cimex lectularius. Scale: bug length ~5 mm.  Gilles San Martin Consumers desperate to eradicate tiny domestic vampires have created a huge market for “natural” bed bug control. Sales are high, as are some of the claims; bogus bed bug products have prompted multiple Federal Trade Commission (FTC) actions for deceptive advertising. New research put 11 over-the-counter bed bug sprays to the test to see if essential oils can do more than make your bedroom smell nice. The results were… underwhelming. Potential of Essential Oil-Based Pesticides and Detergents for Bed Bug Control. 2014. N. Singh, C Wang, & R. Cooper. J. Econ. Entomol. 107(6); DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC14328 The products tested contained ingredients for an aromatherapy overdose: cedar, cinnamon, geraniol, clove oil, peppermint, rosemary, lemon grass oil, citronella, and others. Additional ingredients were soap (sodium lauryl sulfate, a foaming agent commonly found in shampoo); salts (potassium sorbate); and 2-Phenethyl propionate, which occurs naturally in peanuts. Most of the products failed a very simple test: if you sprayed the stuff directly on live bed bugs in a petri dish, would they die? Researchers measured bug deaths after 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days to make sure they captured any lingering effects. Two conventional pesticides were included for comparison purposes in the tests: Temprid SC and Demand CS.  There also were control bed bugs that got spritzed with water as a mock spray treatment. Seven of the natural products tested did not manage to kill even ½ (50%) of the bed bugs sprayed, measured by dead bugs 10 days later. Percentage of bed bugs that died within 10 days after treatment. Only the first two products killed most of the bed bugs–and that was when sprayed directly onto the bugs. Temprid SC is a conventional synthetic pesticide.  Singh et. al 2014 Only Temprid SC and EcoRaider killed 100% of the bugs when applied directly.  Although Temprid SC, a synthetic pesticide, killed 100% of the bed bugs on the first day,  only 88% of bedbugs in the EcoRaider tests had died by the 5th day.  None of the compounds tested acted as repellents to bed bugs in climb-up tests, where the bugs had to walk over a treated area. The second synthetic pesticide, Demand CS, performed poorly in these trials, probably because of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in the bed bugs tested. It did, however, do better in residual tests; 14 days later Demand CS was still...

By Tim Barlass 12/28/14                           Not picky: Head lice along with bedbugs are becoming tough to exterminate. Did you hear about the two bed bugs that met in the mattress? They were married in the spring. It’s an Ellen DeGeneres joke but if you have ever been a victim of cimex lectularius and rows of terrible itching bites you’ll know it’s no laughing matter. A new study to be published early in the new year conducted by the Department of Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney reveals that the common bed bug in NSW has developed resistance to insecticides. Report co-author Cameron Webb, medical entomologist with University of Sydney and NSW Health Pathology, says bed bugs don’t discriminate about where they set up residence and that includes some top Sydney hotels. “It doesn’t matter to the bed bug whether it is a five star hotel or a backpacker’s hostel, they still arrive in people’s belongings and set up camp,” he said. “The financial implicat ions are far greater for the five star hotel. “We know there has been evidence of a resurgence in bed bugs over the last decade and this paper shows that the local Sydney strains are resistant to insecticides which explains that resurgence.” The research compared the Sydney strain to a strain susceptible to insecticides. The study found that to exterminate the Sydney bed bug compared to the susceptible strain it required 250 times as much of the insecticide bendiocarb, 370,000 times as much deltamethrin and 1,235 million times as much permethrin. It concluded: “The inability to control bed bugs with existing products and insecticides will necessitate a reconsideration of control methodologies and product registration processes employed against this resurgent pest. This research has significant operational implications for bed bug control and the registration process of new products in Australia.” Mr. Webb said a similar problem existed with head lice with reports that they are also gaining resistance to some of the commonly used insecticides but more research was needed. “When you are using products that contain an insecticide it provides an opportunity for insecticide resistance to develop inside the head lice populations,” he said. NSW Health advice is to put a conditioner on the hair...

How to Deal With Bed Bugs 14. I have bed bugs. What do I do? Step back a minute. Because several different kinds of insects resemble bed bugs, specimens should be carefully compared with good reference images and sent to a professional entomologist. Next: make a plan. We’ll tell you how. You want to get rid of bed bugs, limit your exposure to insecticides, and minimize costs. Don’t get rid of stuff and don’t treat unless you have a plan. A big part of your plan: hire an experienced professional like the Bed Bug Guys with a warranty. Trust us, it’ll save you time and money in the long run. You’ll still have a lot to do—just leave the extermination to the pros. Working as a team with a professional is the quickest way to get bed bugs out of your life. Here are the basics of bed bug IPM: Inspection: ALWAYS inspect. Proper identification helps you know what to do and where to target your efforts. Along with looking, you should write down what you do and see. Having a history will help if more people become involved. The Bed Bug Guys provide inspections, so make sure to call us about that! Educate yourself: find out about bed bug biology and behavior to become even more effective. Cultural and Mechanical Control: This makes your home unwelcoming to bed bugs, blocks them from feeding, or at least makes finding them easier. Don’t skip these steps and go straight to insecticides. Examples: Choose furniture of plain design. A metal chair offers fewer places for a bed bug to hide than a wicker one. Don’t buy or pick up used furniture. Choose light-colored bedding—easier to see insects and blood spots. Don’t store things under beds. In fact, get rid of clutter anywhere near the bed. Use tightly fitting, zippered, bed-bug proof mattress and box spring encasements. Putting them in place ahead of time (proactively) makes bed bugs easier to see since encasements have no piping or tags and they’re light-colored. Putting them on during an infestation means no need to throw away the mattress and box spring. But … check periodically to be sure they haven’t torn. Vacuum regularly. Use an attachment to get...

How to Find Bed Bugs 5. Where do bed bugs live? Are bed bugs a sign of poor sanitation or hygiene? Where do bed bugs hide? Any place with a high turnover of people spending the night—hostels, hotels near airports, and resorts—are most at risk. But the list continues… apartments, barracks, buses, cabins, churches, community centers, cruise ships, dormitories, dressing rooms, health clubs, homes, hospitals, jets, laundromats, motels, motor homes, moving vans, nursing homes, office buildings, resorts, restaurants, schools, subways, theaters, trains, used furniture outlets…. Bed bugs don’t prefer locations based on sanitation or people’s hygiene. If there’s blood, they’re happy. Bed bugs and their relatives occur nearly worldwide. They became relatively scarce during the latter part of the 20th century, but their populations have resurged in recent years, particularly throughout parts of North America, Europe, and Australia. What about in your home? Most stay near where people sleep, hiding near the bed, a couch or armchair (if that’s where you snooze)—even cribs and playpens. Their flat bodies allow them to hide in cracks and crevices around the room and in furniture joints. Hiding sites include mattress seams, bed frames, nearby furniture, or baseboards. Clutter offers more places to hide and makes it harder to get rid of them. Bed bugs can be found alone but more often congregate in groups. They’re not social insects, though, and don’t build nests. How infestations spread through a home or within an apartment building differs from case to case. Inspect all adjacent rooms. Bed bugs travel easily along pipes and wires and the insides of walls can harbor them. Before treating, you need to confirm that you have bed bugs. The only way to do that is to find a bug and get it identified. Look in the most likely places first. We tell you how. If you find one, freeze it for identification or put it in a sealed jar with a 1 tsp. of rubbing alcohol. Then stop looking—you don’t want to disrupt the bugs—and call a professional, like the Bed Bug Guys return to top 6. How do I find out if I have bed bugs? Do bed bug-sniffing dogs work? How to I check a room for bed...