Choosing Your Bed Bug Treatment Strategy

If you have ever performed a bed bug inspection, you realize it can be labor-intensive and time-consuming.

A flashlight is key to the inspection process, as the first and second instars are often translucent or light-colored, not to mention tiny, and can blend into their surroundings. Adults and later instars, while bigger and a reddish-brown color, may blend into darker-color items.

Light infestations can result in hours spent inspecting beds, chairs and other resting areas, only to find one or two bed bugs. Heavy infestations, on the other hand, may be quickly identified by walking into a home and seeing clusters of bed bugs on ceilings, in corners or under bedspreads.

Regardless of the level of infestation, it is critical to identify as many bed bug harborage areas as possible to make treatment strategies more targeted and effective. There are whole books on bed bug control that include detailed information on identification and inspection; here, I am going to focus on treatment strategies.

EXCLUSION. Exclusion is not a method that we generally think about for bed bugs. Preventing bed bugs from getting into homes, work areas or businesses should be a goal of any good bed bug control/ management program. This is primarily done through educating the homeowner or business client. Fact sheets and/or short videos on how to identify bed bugs, how they get into the home or business and tips on travel are fairly common practices.

But have you thought about helping your business clients with their policies? Policies such as cleaning and storage of uniforms in the work environment will be helpful for restaurants, cleaning services, police stations and other clients who provide or require a uniform.

Providing a uniform service instead of employees washing their own uniforms can help prevent bed bugs from being introduced from the employee’s home into the workplace. Providing a clear plastic container for each person for personal belongings can further help reduce the potential for introduction into the workplace. The clear container allows for containment of bed bugs as well as quick identification of where the bed bugs potentially could be in a structure.

Some property management companies may benefit from a heat treatment policy. By placing luggage and other items that can be heat treated in a heat chamber before they are moved into an apartment or condo, you reduce the risk of bed bug introductions.

Review of policies helps ensure that clients understand their own policies and allows you to assist with policy updates when your program changes due to improved tools or methods and/or when the client’s business model needs change.

MONITORING. We know it is difficult to monitor for bed bugs. They are introduced and found in hidden areas. However, installing passive interception devices under the legs of beds, couches and chairs can help trap bed bugs and quickly get a service started for the home or business. A proactive inspection service could also be set up as part of a monitoring program.

For multi-unit apartments and hotels, it is common to inspect for pests in a certain number of units at each service. Pulling back two corners of the bedding and inspecting the mattress edges for fecal spotting, cast skins and insects can quickly give you a yes/no answer. While you may still miss bed bugs by only inspecting a limited area, this helps quickly identify units that need a bed bug service and creates a more proactive approach to bed bug infestations. This may be particularly helpful for low-income housing and hotels, where clients may not be willing to inform management that they found or have bed bugs in the unit.

CHEMICAL TREATMENTS. Unlike 20 years ago, when bed bugs started to reemerge as a pest, today, there are many conventional chemical products, such as liquid residuals, contact aerosols and dusts, that are labeled for bed bugs. These products are applied in areas where bed bugs may travel to reach a food source or harborage area.

© Matteo Lanciano | iStock

One thing to consider is pesticide resistance. Research studies have shown bed bug populations with resistance mechanisms to pyrethrins, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids and diatomaceous earth. Not every population of bed bugs will have the same resistance mechanisms, but repeated use of the same product and active ingredient will help select the individuals that are susceptible and help create a resistant population. Selecting products with different chemical classes will help reduce the potential for resistant bed bug populations.

VACUUMS. Vacuums are an excellent tool to include in a bed bug treatment program. Using a vacuum to physically remove the bed bugs and cast skins, while time consuming, has an immediate impact for the client. The removed insects are no longer there to bite them and can’t continue to reproduce and build the population. Pairing physical removal with conventional pesticides provides the immediate relief of fewer bed bugs and the targeted application of pesticides in areas where eggs or tiny instars may have been missed during the removal process.

ENCASEMENTS. Encasements for mattresses, box springs and pillows trap bed bugs so they can’t feed. Additionally, the use of encasements alters where bed bugs are living. By encasing mattresses, box springs and pillows, you are removing the harborage area where bed bugs can live. The encasement provides a smooth surface instead of a ridge, which reduces habitat areas. Research has demonstrated that by using encasements, bed bugs are forced between the mattress and box springs or in other cracks and crevices on or near the bed frame. Not only do encasements reduce the habitat areas, but they also can reduce inspection time. Some encasements are impregnated with a pesticide. This can aid in getting a residual to an area that is difficult to treat.

BIOLOGICAL STRATEGIES. Biological strategies are often not considered for bed bugs. However, there is a biopesticide labeled for use against bed bugs that contains Beauveria bassiana fungal spores. Like many conventional pesticides, the product is placed in areas where bed bugs may be moving. The spores come in contact with the bed bug and are carried back to harborage areas. Specialized equipment for application is required.

EXTREME COLD. There are several strategies that temporarily change the environment where bed bugs are found. These strategies do not leave a residual and may be considered a one-time service. The use of extreme cold applied to seams of fabric freezes and kills bed bugs in the area. This can be used instead of conventional pesticides or for clients who may be sensitive to chemical applications.

HEAT. Heat, on the other hand, raises the ambient air to a lethal temperature for bed bugs. It can get into areas where conventional pesticides cannot easily be applied. In choosing heat, make sure you talk with an expert on fire sprinklers and fire suppression systems. High temperatures can trigger and/or damage these devices, which may result in flooding or other damage.

SULFURYL FLUORIDE. Sulfuryl fluoride can be used to fumigate structures, containers and vehicles for bed bugs. Fumigation of large multi-unit housing complexes and hotels may be the best way to quickly resolve a highly infested structure. Additionally, fumigation may be the only option for clients with electronic equipment infested with bed bugs, as the electronics could be damaged by heat or liquid pesticides.

FINAL THOUGHTS. Choosing strategies to use for bed bugs can seem daunting, and hopefully, the information provided here helps. Read all labels and manufacturer instructions and know applicable federal, state and local laws, as this can help you with your selection. Keep in mind your company’s services and your target client base. Perhaps a traditional service with pesticide applications, encasements, physical removal of bed bugs and interceptors is sufficient; however, an alternative service that includes fumigation, heat, extreme cold and/or fungal spores instead of traditional pesticide applications may be desirable. Whatever you decide, make sure to train your technicians to meet service expectations and have clear communication to clients on what to expect.

The author is a field scientist for Douglas Products.