PCT Bed Bug Seminar Draws 175 Attendees; Next Stop Las Vegas

NEW YORK, N.Y. – More than five decades after being virtually eliminated as a structural pest in the United States, bed bugs are back and they’re back with a vengeance, according Dr. Michael Potter, extension entomologist, University of Kentucky, one of three high-profile speakers at the PCT Bed Bug Seminar, held last week at New York City’s Park Central Hotel in Manhattan. 

“Get ready. Bed bugs are back and they’re back big time,” Potter said. “You can’t stick your head in the sand anymore.” But even if PCOs, property managers and public health officials face up to the fact bed bugs are apparently here to stay, it’s not going to be easy controlling them, particularly given the industry’s depleted arsenal of pesticides to manage this cryptic pest.

“If there is a classic example of why you don’t eliminate entire classes of pesticides,” Potter said, “bed bugs are it. We’re in a heap of trouble in terms of the products we have available to fight this pest,” citing several classes of chemistry that are no longer available (e.g., organophosphates, carbamates, etc.) and the growing threat of pyrethroid resistance. As a result, he said, “I don’t see how this problem is going to get better. I think it’s going to get chaotic. This is the most challenging pest I’ve encountered in my career. We’re in big trouble.”

Potter kicked off his 90-minute presentation with a brief history of bed bug control, pointing out that 30 to 50 percent of structures in much of pre-World War II Europe were infested with bed bugs, so it’s not a new problem. In those days, public health officials in both the United States and Europe used a range of chemicals to control the ubiquitous pest, including cyanide, mercury, benzene and kerosene, even going as far as to soak beds with “high test gasoline” as recommended in a 1926 U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin.

Fortunately, today’s treatment techniques are much more targeted, not to mention environmentally sensitive, involving a range of options including heat treatments, vacuuming, steam treatments, fumigation, and cold, as well as the use of insect growth regulators, dusts and pesticide sprays. In addition, inspection dogs are being used to identify bed bug infestations in structures and mattress covers are growing in popularity among PCOs and the hospitality industry. In fact, a number of the aforementioned technologies were on display at the seminar, including representatives of McGlaughlin Gormley King, Residex, Steri-Fab, Hi-Tech Cleaning Systems, Zoecon Professional Products/Wellmark International, Whitmire Micro-Gen Research Laboratories, Mattres Safe, ThermaPure Heat, Protect-A-Bed, Temp-Air and Florida Canine Academy (BedBugDog).

Potter said there are number of reasons cited for the recent resurgence of bed bugs, including increased international travel, changing pest control methods, lack of public awareness about the pest, and biological changes in the insect itself, but no one really knows for certain why bed bugs have rebounded to become one of the nation’s fastest-growing public health pests. “There are a number of hypotheses,” Potter said, “but nobody knows for sure.”

One of the keys to successful control, however, is asking the right questions when a customer calls with a problem. Among the questions you should ask, according to Potter, are:

• Have you been involved in any overnight travel recently?
• Have you acquired any used furniture recently?
• Have you had any overnight visitors recently?
• Did you wake up with “insect” bites this morning?
• Have you spent any time in multi-unit housing recently?

How the customer responds to those questions will give PCOs a reasonably good idea if bed bugs are a likely the cause of the problem. When dealing with the hospitality industry, where bed bugs are a growing problem, Potter suggests PCOs work with hotel and motel management to develop preventive bed bug programs that include: (1) routine bed checks by housekeeping; (2) monthly head board checks by maintenance personnel; (3) quarterly detailed inspections by pest management firms; and (4) ongoing training of hotel staff.

Richard Cooper, technical director, Cooper Pest Solutions, Lawrenceville, N.J., added that one of the keys to successful bed bug control is identifying the infestation early, a fact validated by his ongoing field studies. When Cooper Pest Solutions was able to identify an infestation in its earlier stages, Cooper said, “We were able to eliminate 100 percent of the bugs 81 percent of the time in two to three visits.” However, the company’s success rate dropped with more mature populations. “Early detection is quite important,” he said, pointing out that technicians need to realize bed bug infestations are not limited only to beds or bedrooms. “While the majority of bed bugs are associated with sleeping areas, they also can be in other areas as well,” he warned, such as upholstered furniture, wall hangings and even personal items (e.g., stuffed animals, books, etc.). “They are masters at dispersing throughout the entire environment. They also are efficient at moving between (apartment) units.” That’s why PCOs should treat adjoining bedrooms and apartments whenever possible, as well as do whatever they can to enhance customer cooperation. “In a low-level infestation with a cooperative client, we were able to solve the problem within two to three visits 88 percent of the time,” Cooper said. However, that number dropped to 50 percent when working with an uncooperative client.

“It’s very important to find them early and have a cooperative client,” Cooper said. “Even with cooperation it’s a challenge.” Yet don’t assume the customer isn’t cooperating if you run into problems at an account. The client just may not know how to cooperate, which is where customer communication comes in. “Have a handout that you can leave with the client,” Cooper said, spelling out what you would like them to do. “Without an effective communication plan, bed bug elimination efforts often break down.”

In his closing remarks, Cooper said there are six keys to a successful bed bug management program. They include:

1. Early detection
2. Treatment of adjacent units
3. Education and client cooperation
4. A multi-disciplinary approach to control
5. Thorough follow up
6. Comprehensive documentation.

“Tying everything together in a comprehensive service report is essential,” he said. “Comprehensive records are your best defense in court. It’s a way to protect yourself and protect your client.”

The final speaker on the program was Denise McCurry, vice president of litigation, MGM Mirage, Las Vegas, Nev. She indicated that bed bug litigation continues to spread with a variety of claims being cited by alleged victims, including severe emotional distress, fraudulent concealment, gross negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, fraud, misrepresentation, strict product liability and even assault and battery.

“You need to be aware of what courts are holding people liable to as it relates to bed bug litigation,” she said. “You need to be proactive. You need to know the law.”

The best thing you can do, according to McCurry, is thoroughly train your field personnel in all aspects of bed bug identification and control. “It’s never the president or vice president of a company that creates liability for the company,” she said. “You need to make sure you have trained your people.”

The PCT Bed Bug Seminar in New York City was the first of two day-long seminars on the subject. Another seminar is scheduled for Sept. 18 at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. Cost of the seminar is $179 per person. Additional savings are available if more than one member of a company attends. For more information visit www.bedbugseminars.com or call PCT’s conference division at 800/456-0707.