RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

If dreaded bedbugs invade, don't make a run for the store pesticide aisle. Bedbugs have developed resistance to almost half of the 300 pesticides listed for their control. And even the pesticides that do work can make infestations harder to beat if they are not applied correctly.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control, Florida's surgeon general and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently issued public warnings urging people not to tackle bedbug problems on their own.

Rampant misuse of pesticides in Ohio, New Jersey and New York, where bedbug infestations are skyrocketing, has led to home explosions and illnesses from over-exposure to toxic chemicals.

"What we're trying to do is make sure Florida is aware of those kinds of issues so that people don't do things that are harmful to themselves," says Michael Page, chief of the Bureau of Entomology for the FDACS.

Instead, they advise working with a pest control company with a strategy to eradicate the bugs.

"This pest is not like roaches or flies or fleas, where you can treat once or twice and the problem is gone," Page says.

Largely absent from public dialogue four years ago, bedbugs have become a common pest problem throughout the United States. International travel and the bug's ability to swiftly build resistance to even the toughest pesticides, including banned DDT, has allowed the irritating bugs to spread rapidly. In desperation, homeowners dangerously are setting off multiple bug bombs in their homes or buying outdoor pesticides on the Internet to spray in their bedrooms.

"Typically, in the consumer world, if one is good, two is better and five is really good," says Wayne Walker, senior pest control technician at the University of Florida Department of Housing and Residence Education. "They don't understand the ramifications of over-applying the pesticide."

The problem has become so immense that Congress has held forums to develop a national bedbug strategy and last year considered passing a bill -- the Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite Act -- to fund state inspection of hotels.

Improper use of pesticides can be much worse than a bedbug's bite. Instead of trying to manage infestations alone, which rarely works, people should hire outside help, says Fred Santana, entomologist with the Sarasota County Extension Agency.

SOURCE: www.heraldtribune.com

In desperation, homeowners dangerously are setting off multiple bug bombs in their homes or buying outdoor pesticides on the Internet to spray in their bedrooms.

"Typically, in the consumer world, if one is good, two is better and five is really good," says Wayne Walker, senior pest control technician at the University of Florida Department of Housing and Residence Education. "They don't understand the ramifications of over-applying the pesticide."

The problem has become so immense that Congress has held forums to develop a national bedbug strategy and last year considered passing a bill -- the Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite Act -- to fund state inspection of hotels.

People are downright terrified of bedbugs because of the high cost, the difficulty of treatment and the social stigma. According to a recent survey funded by a major pesticide company, 30 percent of people say they would rather have a root canal than find bedbugs at home. Bedbugs, though icky and annoying, are not known to transmit disease to humans.

Improper use of pesticides can be much worse than a bedbug's bite. Instead of trying to manage infestations alone, which rarely works, people should hire outside help, says Fred Santana, entomologist with the Sarasota County Extension Agency.

It is important, however, to make sure the professionals know what they are doing. Santana says experienced companies will use an integrated approach, combining methods such as heat treatments, fumigation and strategically placed powders.

People should interview three to four companies before settling on one. Ask to see licenses and ask questions about their experience, strategies and pesticide choices.

In other states, unscrupulous or unlicensed companies have put clients at risk by over-using pesticides or using outdoor products indoors, exposing people to chemicals that can cause nerve damage and cancer.

"If there's a least-toxic approach, try the least toxic first," Santana says.

Heat has proven to be one of the best controls. Professionals place special fans or heaters in a room to bring temperatures to at least 113 degrees, hot enough to kill all stages of bedbugs, from adults the size of apple seeds to their nearly invisible eggs.

Most companies inspect for free and provide an estimate, which usually ranges from $500 to $1,500, depending on the size of the house and the level of infestation.

People will need to work with their pest company and follow instructions that range from throwing clothes and sheets in the dryer to packing items in plastic. They also should be prepared to live with the problem for several weeks before the bugs are successfully eliminated, says Cindy Mannes, spokeswoman for Arrow and Hughes exterminators.

"Pest control may have to come back three, four, five times, depending on the infestation," Mannes says. "It can be controlled; it's just not an easy process."

Bedbugs are extraordinarily tough to control and a lot of over-the-counter applications can make problems worse. Many products claim effectiveness, but have only been tested in lab situations.

"It leads the consumer into false beliefs that it will do things that it may not do," Walker says.

Bedbugs are so hard to control because they hide easily in small crevices, develop chemical resistance quickly, their population can explode exponentially in months and they can go long periods without food.

Foggers often make bedbugs disappear from sight, but the insects escape the poison by moving to other rooms or taking refuge behind light switches, picture frames or baseboards. They can travel 15 to 20 feet to feed, so a new hiding spot will not keep them from their sleeping prey. Repellant sprays, such as those containing pyrethrins, have the same scattering effect that in the end makes the problem harder to combat.

Contact sprays can work, but only on those that actually get sprayed. Also, it is not guaranteed that all bugs that come in contact with the spray will actually die. When insects survive a dousing, they produce resistant offspring.

A female bedbug lives six months to a year and lays an average of 500 eggs, at a rate of three to five per day. Eggs hatch in 10 days, with the young reaching sexual maturity 30 to 45 days later.

"They develop resistance really fast because their life-cycle is really fast," Walker says.

Further, a female only mates once and afterward moves several feet away from her original colony.

It only takes one fertilized female to start a full-blown infestation. And that single bug can live for more than six months on just one meal.

"It's a challenge for the pest management industry and if you know it's a challenge for us, what does the homeowner do when he gets ahold of the pesticides?" Walker says.

People resort to extreme measures to eradicate bedbugs because it is a frustrating and demoralizing experience, Walker says.

For many people, the bed is a safety zone, the place where they hid from lightning storms as children.

"Here is an insect that invades that safety zone and feeds on you at night while you sleep," Walker says. "People do some really drastic things to deal with this issue."

Part of the problem is the high cost of treatment. Many people, including minimum-wage hotel and motel workers who are most at risk, cannot afford to pay $500 to $1,500 to get rid of their pests. They either live with the problem and spread it, or try, usually unsuccessfully, to control it themselves. When homeowners do not have the financial means to hire pest control, they should at least consult an bug expert with the county extension service for advice before attacking the problem on their own.

"The solution is they've got to find some cost-effective method of dealing with this insect," Walker says. "Right now there's not a cost-effective method that's available to the general public that is also effective on the bedbugs."

Pest Control, MA ,  Pest Control, RI

"If people are hoping that the bed bug infestation will be killed off by cold winter conditions, they are in for a bad surprise," says Leonard Douglen, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association.

"Bed bugs live indoors with their human hosts," says Douglen, "and the same warmth that keeps our homes and apartments comfortable in winter provides the same condition for them. Moreover, a bed bug, after taking a single blood meal, can live for up to a year without another one."

"Termites, too," says Douglen, "enjoy the same conditions when they set up a colony in a home or other structure. This explains why in the springtime they emerge in the thousands to fly off and create new colonies. Most homes in New Jersey have been hosts to termite colonies for three years or more before they discover an infestation.

Outdoor colonies simply head below the frost line where their large numbers and stored food keep them comfortable until spring arrives."

Honey bees use the same strategy says Douglen. "They cluster together as the temperatures get colder and use their collective body heat to stay warm and protect their brood."

"Ants also burrow deep below the frost line in the same way. If a home or other structure has a colony of Carpenter ants, the same conditions exist as for the termites and, of course, they have a constant source of food. Cockroaches, like ants, are provided with plenty of warmth and food by their human hosts."

"Insects," says Douglen, "have had millions of years to develop ways to over-winter. Some like the Monarch butterflies flies thousands of miles to Mexico to wait for warmer weather to arrive in the northern climes."

Douglen explained that insects that are susceptible to freezing avoid it by generating their own antifreeze components. "The same ingredient in automobile antifreeze, ethylene glycol, is the most common chemical found in insects that use this mechanism to survive."

"This survival mechanism is called diapause," says Douglen. Since insects are essentially little bags of water; the smaller the amount of water they contain, the greater their ability to cool without freezing. Those that generate their own antifreeze will be around in the spring."

The smaller the bug, like ants, insect eggs, or tiny spider mites, can survive easier than larger ones. Larger bugs like grasshoppers can fall victim to colder weather. Yellow jacket queens and other wasp species will over-winter in the eaves under roofs of homes so they can emerge in the spring to create an entire new colony.

"Different insect species have different survival strategies," says Douglen. "The praying mantis survives as eggs while Wooley bear caterpillars will curl up in leaf litter for the winter. When spring arrives, the caterpillars spin their cocoons. Whether as eggs or via hibernation, insect species have been surviving harsh winter conditions for millions of years."

Douglen recommends that homeowners in particular have regular inspections of their property to ensure "that the various areas in and around a home do not become places where a variety of insects, some of whom can inflict thousands of dollars of damage, can be identified and protected against infestations." Homes, Douglen adds, are also invaded by rodent species such as mice who seek warm places to overwinter.

Source: New Jersey Pest Management Association

Pest Control, MA ,  Pest Control, RI

(click image to enlarge)

You think treating your own bedbug infestation is a smart thing to do? Surprisingly a number of people do! I sort of understand why they are doing it, to get some sort of relief from the bites. What people do not realize is that it will make the problem worse by chasing/spreading the bedbugs into other areas. The over the counter pesticides are repellents and they push or repel bedbugs.

The attached photo shows an epically infested mattress and just beside the bed in the trash can were two empty aerosol cans of insecticide. Do you think it worked? There were thousands upon thousands of bedbugs & eggs on the mattress + box spring. Note all the blood stains (black marks).

Needless to say, do not try this at home! Leave bedbug control up to the experts like EHS.

Bruce Lopes Jr.
Service Manager

(click image to enlarge)

With bedbugs, clutter = failure! Not adequately preparing for a treatment will almost always cause failure. It does not matter if it is an EHS specialist doing an inspection, a K-9 inspection, treatment, etc. you NEED to prepare. I know it is a royal pain and extremely tedious but it is a critical part in the elimination process! EHS provides a full preparation sheet in 5 languages and a video on how to prepare so you can get it done right.

Here I am in a unit that “was prepared” for a treatment. There was so much stuff that I could barely walk around let alone treat it! Bedbugs are insidious pests that can & will get into the smallest crack, crevice, and item. Trust me, the better you prepare, the better the outcome. The alternative is to be married to the bedbug infestation for way too long.

Mark Tremblay
Service Specialist

Just another day in the world of bedbugs! This is a massively infested box spring loaded with thousands upon thousands of bedbugs in all stages. If I had to guess I would say there were over 50,000 eggs on the mattress plus  box spring and another 5,000 live bedbugs! Now you are probably asking yourself “WHY IN THE HELL WOULD SOMEONE TOLERATE THIS?” The honest answer is that I have zero clue!

The infestation was over a year old and they did not report it at all, they tried treating it themselves. Obviously quite unsuccessfully! Two adjacent apartments were getting bitten and that is how we uncovered this. In our company training we are taught that “pests do not know property lines” and we should always inspect adjacent units and areas. This does give you a glimpse into why bedbugs are such a major problem in society, a population grows out of control for one plus years then this person inadvertently shares the infestation wherever they go, then the bedbugs spread to adjacent units/areas, and before you know it you have a major outbreak.

With bedbugs it is like when you are sick, early detection & treatment are vital to beating the issue!

Juicy Couture is the latest victim of the global bedbug pandemic!

Liz Claiborne Inc.'s Juicy Couture clothing division said Tuesday that its store on Fifth Avenue in New York is closed due to a bedbug problem.

"Like other major retailers recently impacted by this issue, we are moving swiftly and aggressively to address the problem," the company said in a statement.

The store is expected to reopen this week.

Three other Juicy Couture stores in Manhattan are open and unaffected.

In July, an Abercrombie & Fitch store and its sibling Hollister store were closed briefly to clean for bedbugs, which have also been found in other New York stores and in apartments, movie theaters and even on the subway.

By the Associated Press,
Posted on MSNBC, December 1, 2010

1. New York
2. Philadelphia
3. Detroit
4. Cincinnati
5. Chicago
6. Denver
7. Columbus, Ohio
8. Dayton, Ohio
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Los Angeles
11. Boston
12. Indianapolis
13. Louisville, Ky.
14. Cleveland
15. Minneapolis, Minn

By Laura Petrecca, USA TODAY
Your abusive boss isn't the only vermin in the office.

Defying their reputation as a scourge of households, blood-sucking bedbugs are creeping into a growing number of cubicles, break rooms and filing cabinets.

Nearly one in five exterminators have found bedbugs in office buildings in the U.S., according to a recent survey of extermination firms by the National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky. That compares with less than 1% in 2007.

"It's a national issue," says Ron Harrison of pest control firm Orkin. "Not all of us have to go to work and worry about it, but we all have to be sensitive to it."

Most cubicle dwellers and corner office executives are blissfully unaware of bug problems. And many wrongly think infestations take place only in the homes of unclean folks or in college dorms. But bedbugs can survive in a multitude of eek-evoking settings, such as offices, movie theaters and libraries.

Concerned about the swelling number of infestations in New York City, publishing giant Time recently brought in bedbug-sniffing dogs. The canines found a few cases, which Time had treated two weeks ago.

The District Attorney's office in Brooklyn recently discovered that they had the critters, as well, and exterminated over a weekend.

The IRS had bedbugs in its offices in Philadelphia and Covington, Ky. It had exterminators into those offices and is still monitoring the situation.

Adding to physical problems — the bites of bedbugs can itch like crazy — is the mental anguish that comes with an infestation.

When word gets out that an office building has bedbugs, a kind of mass hysteria often occurs, followed by fierce finger pointing about who's to blame for bringing them in.

Bedbug issues are "a complicated mess," says entomology professor Michael Potter of the University of Kentucky. "In my career — and I've dealt with just about every critter that bothers people — this is the most complex."

Commuting in

Once bedbugs settle into corporate digs, it's tough to get them out.

The apple-seed-size insects dine on human blood. They hide in crevices and are resilient to many insecticides. They can live for a year without feeding, and they replicate quickly. The offspring of two bedbugs that move into an office in September can produce more than 300 bugs and lay about 1,000 additional eggs by January, says Harrison.

They infiltrate the workplace through various routes, such as on the suitcases of frequent travelers or on the purses, laptop cases and gym bags of employees who have infestations at home. They can also be brought in by office visitors, vendors or maintenance staff.

"Bedbugs are hitchhikers; they travel with people and with items that travel with people," says National Pest Management Association spokeswoman Missy Henriksen.

As the parasites spread at hotels, hospitals, schools and homes, it's natural that some workers will inadvertently transport them into the office, says Larry Pinto, co-author of the Bed Bug Handbook. And in a big office, there can be more than one carrier. "(Different) people can be bringing them in," he says.

Pest management firms have had a 57% increase in bedbug-related calls in the last five years, and an 81% increase since 2000, according to the survey. Nearly all the firms polled — 95% — said they've had to tackle a bedbug case in the last year.

Four out of every 10 treatments were in commercial buildings.

"It shouldn't be any surprise that it's on the rise in office buildings," says Potter, who is considered one of the top bedbug experts in the country. "If you look at where they show up, apartments, hotels and (houses) are on the top of the food chain. But with time, they move into other places."

In one bizarre case this summer, custodians at the Argonne Armory municipal office building in Des Moines found a bag of bedbugs left on a hallway floor. Police have no idea who left the bag of bugs or why.

"It's a very odd case," says Sgt. Lori Lavorato. The investigation is still open. There are no suspects.

Infestations spreading

Putting aside the rare, rogue acts of a saboteur, pest control professionals have a few main theories about why the bugs are resurging in the U.S. They include increased travel, more immigration and the bug's resiliency to pesticides.

In addition, the "denial/lack of incident reporting by tenants, workers, landlords, hotel or business management (and) universities," has exacerbated the problem, according to the survey.

The insects are especially troublesome in densely populated cities, where they can spread quickly. But smaller areas aren't immune.

"Cincinnati is awash in bedbugs, and Detroit is coming on strong," says Mark Sheperdigian, vice president of technical services at Troy, Mich.-based Rose Pest Solutions. "We even have some small towns here in Michigan that have way more troubles with bedbugs than they deserve."

Some ways they have an impact on the workplace:

Lawsuits and human resource woes. "Bedbug lawsuits are starting to grow like crazy," says Sheperdigian. Once the bugs start to spread, "You have other employees saying, 'I got bedbugs because you had them in the office, and I took them home.' "

Jane Clark, a Fox News Channel employee who claims she got bugs from the network's New York City newsroom, didn't sue her employer. But she did sue the building owner, management company and other entities in May 2008 for unspecified damages.

The lawsuit says that Clark first began to get bites at work around the fall of 2007, and that the defendants were negligent in rectifying the situation.

Clark's lawyer, Alan Schnurman, says Clark was wrongly reassured by managers that the bug problem "had been taken care of," but she kept getting bitten. Fox parent company News Corp. is paying her worker's compensation, and the legal case is still pending. Clark couldn't be reached for comment.