[Bed Bugs] Bed Bug Round-Up

Editor’s note: Manufacturers, if you have a product or service that would be of interest to pest management professionals offering bed bug services, please send a press release and photo to: PCT Editor Jodi Dorsch, 4020 Kinross Lakes Blvd., Richfield, OH 44286, jdorsch@giemedia.com. We’ll share this information with our readers in a future issue of PCT magazine.

Bed Bug Central Offers
Wealth of Bed Bug Resources

For pest management professionals thinking about getting into the bed bug business or for those who are interested in enhancing their company’s current bed bug service offerings www.bedbugcentral.com is a valuable resource. Offering a broad range of bed bug-related products and services, Bed Bug Central was developed by Phil Cooper, president of Cooper Pest Solutions, one of the first companies to offer bed bug services following the dramatic resurgence of the pest in the United States a number of years ago. “Bed Bug Central is the nation’s most comprehensive Web site devoted to bed bug information,” Cooper said, “and it’s been developed by a team of professionals with extensive experience performing bed bug work.” Key features of the site include:

>> Bed Bug Central TV: Hosted by entomologist Jeff White, BBCTV boasts 34 recorded segments focusing on a range of bed bug-related topics that run between four and 10 minutes long each. BBCTV recently launched its first Webcast with White discussing groundbreaking research on structural heat treatments for bed bugs, the first in a series of Webcasts planned for the site. “Most of the information presented during our live presentations will be previously unreleased information about advances in bed bug control,” Cooper says. “At the end of each presentation Jeff will host a live Q&A session where he will field questions about anything bed bug related.”

>> Bed Bugs 101: Written by Richard Cooper, technical director of Cooper Pest Solutions, Bed Bugs 101 features practical information about bed bugs and is designed to help educate the public about this rapidly growing pest problem.

>> BedbugFREE!: A company locator for consumers interested in identifying pest management firms that have graduated from Bed Bug Central’s on-site training program to become a part of the bedbugFREE network. “The folks at Bed Bug Central are true professionals whose hospitality is second only to their expertise in the business of controlling bed bugs,” says Eric Paysen, technical director, Lloyd Pest Control, San Diego, Calif. “The work that they’re doing to educate fellow pest control professionals is truly a service to our industry.”

>> Bed Bug Resources: Bed Bug Central specializes in offering a complete line of education and training resources, including the Bed Bug Handbook, as well as customer literature, service agreements and treatment protocols, bed bug news, and professional bed bug products.

Pest management professionals interested in learning more about the site can visit www.bedbugcentral.com. To learn about how to become a bedbugFREE! company call 877/411-1142.

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Nuvan Prostrips Now Labeled for Bed Bugs

Nuvan Prostrips from Amvac Chemical Corporation are now labeled for the control of bed bugs and bed bug eggs. The product utilizes controlled release technology to slowly diffuse a deep penetrating vapor in enclosed spaces. Containing dichlorvos (DDVP), Nuvan Pro-strips go to work immediately with a clean, odorless vapor that leaves no messy residue, according to the manufacturer. They are available in 16-gram and 65-gram sizes.

Nuvan Prostrips can be used to control crawling bed bug nymphs and adults exposed to product vapors for 48 hours. In difficult-to-treat areas, a minimum treatment time of 72 hours is recommended by the manufacturer. Strips may be used to control bed bugs that have entered various items in infested structures including, but not limited to: appliances, footwear, artwork, plush toys, clocks, radios, telephones, computers, printers, mattresses, box springs, books, lamps, furniture and other items.

The label states: “Place infested items in a suitable plastic bag, poly sheeting, container or room that is closed to contain the strip treatment. Plastic bags or poly sheeting should be at least 2 millimeters thick. The closed volume for treatment should not exceed the volume to be treated for the size of the strip used. Take care to avoid direct contact of the strip with the surface of items being treated. Seal items in the containment for a minimum of 48 hours to kill bed bug nymphs and adults. To kill any bed bug eggs, if suspected to be present, seal items in the treated space for seven days. Seal plastic bags and poly sheeting with as much air space around the treated article as is practical as this will enhance the exposure to the product vapors. Proper seal can be attained by any appropriate manner such as the use of tape, twist ties or other means. Professionals should test for adequate seal by testing for the escape of air from the sealed bag. Identify sealed treatment by a label indicating a pesticide treatment is in process that should not be disturbed by unauthorized persons. The label should include the date, pest professional or company responsible and contact telephone number. When treatment is completed, remove treated items from the treatment in a well ventilated area and air out for a period off not less than two hours.”

For additional information about Nuvan Pro-strips and their use in bed bug control programs, visit www.amvac-chemical.com.

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Bed Bugs By The Numbers
Since they’re all over the news media (and in hotels, apartment complexes and homes), earlier this year PCT surveyed its readers about trends in bed bug treatments. PCT’s research shows that most pest management professionals are maintaining their prices for treatments and also experiencing more bed bug calls.