[BED BUG SUPPLEMENT] Bed Bug News & Notes

BASF’s SmartSolution for Bed Bugs
BASF Pest Control Solutions has developed innovative nonrepellent solutions, like Prescription Treatment brand Phantom Termiticide-Insecticide and its line of Prescription Treatment brand Alpine products, to help pest management professionals fight back against bed bugs.

According to BASF, a newer class of chemistry available to PMPs that has shown no bed bug resistance, including those resistant to pyrethroids, is Phantom Termiticide-Insecticide and the new Phantom Pressurized Insecticide. The active component of these products, chlorfenapyr, works on a different site within the bed bug than pyrethroids do and thus avoids pyrethroid resistance.

Another family of products being used by PMPs for bed bug control are the Alpine products from BASF. “These products feature a non-pyrethroid active ingredient that has been granted reduced-risk status for public health use by the EPA,” said Dr. Bob Davis, market development specialist with BASF Pest Control Solutions. “Alpine products include a dust, aerosol and ready-to-use foam.”

Each of these products are part of BASF’s SmartSolution for Bed Bugs, which is based on science, IPM techniques, and strategies utilizing products that are pyrethroid alternatives.The principle behind IPM is prescribing the best solution for customers. There are plenty of options out there — some work and some do not. “Everything has an Achilles heel, so we recommend an IPM approach using different methods to control the problem,” said Bob Hickman, BASF market development specialist.

For instance, heat treatments have become popular for the treatment of bed bugs but they have no residual control, so re-infestation may occur. But heat combined with chemical applications can be highly effective to thoroughly treat a space and provide residual protection. Such an approach might begin with a pretreatment of pesticides such as Phantom and Alpine, which are designed to be applied in tight spaces where bed bugs hide like carpet edges, cracks, crevices or other voids like those found in drawers, cabinets or around and behind wall sockets. A heat treatment would be the next step in the eradication process, and then a follow-up chemical application would be the final part of the IPM program.

“It’s also important to treat adjacent rooms with BASF nonrepellent materials to prevent populations from escaping the disruption of their habitat,” said Dr. Jason Meyers, BASF market development specialist.

For more information on Phantom, Alpine and BASF Pest Control Solutions products and solutions, including the SmartSolution for Bed Bugs, visit www.pestcontrol.basf.us. Additionally, BASF has created a  video version of the SmartSolution for Bed Bugs. Hickman provides a history and background on bed bugs and the challenges PMPs face when treating them. The video includes details on the various products in the SmartSolution program and how, where and when to use each. And, it walks PMPs through the three basic steps of a complete bed bug treatment. Visit Online Extras on the PCT Online homepage to watch this video. 
 

Pest-Heat Can eradicate bed bugs in hard-to-reach areas
Pest-Heat units are equipped with a complete safety system. A Pest-Heat treatment for pest control is safe and effective in one application, with most complete in just one day, according to the manufacturer. Since heat can penetrate into voids it can eradicate pests in hard-to-reach areas.

Pest-Heat provides large heat solutions for entire facilities, but also can be used for smaller spot heat applications. This eliminates pest infestations in an effected area without causing a complete shutdown of a facility, assuring quick and complete pest eradication.

The equipment line includes direct-fired propane or gas heaters, indirect fired fuel oil heaters, electric heaters, steam heaters, dehumidifiers and air conditioners. Pest-Heat maintains fully stocked locations nationwide to assure prompt and complete delivery of thermal pest management equipment.Pest-Heat provides all necessary equipment, classroom and hands on training for successful heat treatments.

To schedule an appointment with sales engineer Vince Lamantia, call 877/234-5630. For more information visit www.pestheat.com.
 

Residex hosted second bed bug symposium in February
Distributor Residex hosted its second bed bug symposium Feb. 15., in Sterling, Va. The event drew pest management professionals, hotel/motel owners, property managers, school and housing officials, and others.

Topics of discussion included control, elimination best practices, inspection and detection tips, preventative measures, and the latest products in the fight against bed bugs.

The sold-out crowd of more than 150 heard from leaders in the industry and colleagues, those currently in the field battling the bed bug.  The agenda included a multi-family dwellings forum as well as a hands-on training demonstration on how to properly inspect, how to properly price a bed bug job, what to look for, when to use an inspection dog and more.

Additional symposiums will take place across Residex territories in the coming months.

Daimer offers steam cleaners for the control of bed bugs
Daimer Industries has released two high-end steam cleaners — the 5000 CV and 5000 CVP. The systems are designed to assist PMPs in controlling bed bugs in both residential and commercial properties.

According to Daimer, the steam cleaners provide massive capacity for no-top cleaning, high temperatures and adjustable pressure levels. The company’s 5000 CV and CVP lines offer bug and egg killing temperatures approaching 349ºF, commercial grade extraction subsystems, variable pressure levels approaching 120 psi (with lower settings helping to prevent the scattering of insects, waste and eggs), and two-stage filtering technology with HEPA and fluid-based systems, Daimer says. The 5000 CVP bed bug removal system bundles the company’s ATIS anti-microbial technology. Daimer also offers bed bug removal steamers at other price and feature levels, such as the less expensive 1000 product line and the mid-range 3000 line.

For more information visit www.daimer.com/steam-cleaners-for-bed-bugs-removal.

Protect-A-Bed addresses issue of customer tampering
Protect-A-Bed, a provider of mattress and box spring encasements for the pest management industry, is helping to prevent customer mattress encasement tampering.

“Unfortunately, we’ve learned that the pest control customer can be their own worst enemy when it comes to bed bug elimination,” said Protect-A-Bed’s Brian Hirsch, director of sales for the company’s industrial division. “Customers are required to participate actively in the bed bug removal process, and it can be difficult to tell if a customer is following all of a PCO’s instructions. Our mattress and box spring encasements make it clear if a customer has failed to follow their PCO’s instructions on how to use the encasements.”

Protect-A-Bed offers scientifically proven bed bug entry, escape and bite proof mattress encasements with the patented BugLock with SecureSeal three-sided zipper system. The recently added SecureSeal gives pest management professionals and their customers the peace of mind that comes with knowing the product is difficult to tamper with, reducing the chances of a re-infestation from bed bugs potentially sealed within the mattress.

In other Protect-A-Bed news, Hirsch was officially named director of sales in the newly created industrial division at Protect-A-Bed. In this position, Hirsch will lead the company’s sales and training team in the industrial division, which encompasses Protect-A-Bed’s pest control channel as well as emerging business opportunities.

“Protect-A-Bed has quickly become a sales leader and educational partner in the pest control industry, in part because of Brian,” said Protect-A-Bed CEO James Bell. “We expect that, in his new role within our newly-created industrial division, he will continue his superb leadership and widely educate our staff and our valued customers.”

Hirsch and Protect-A-Bed’s industrial division team work closely with state and trade associations around the country to help them educate them and their customers on the benefits of creating a healthy sleep zone and protecting their bedding investment.
The role of Hirsch and the new industrial division will be to bring education and solutions to these and other newly affected groups and industries. To learn more visit www.protectabed.com.

Slumbershield mattress encasements provide protection from bed bugs
Precision Textiles, a division of Precision Custom Coatings, offers SlumberShield Mattress Encasements. The firm says an impenetrable encasement product is vital to ensuring the ultimate protection against bed bugs, as well as dust mites, allergens, mold and moisture for mattresses and box springs of all sizes.

SlumberShield Mattress Encasements and Protectors are finished with Precision Textiles’ state-of-the-art Breathe-a-Barrier, the company’s proprietary breathable waterproof laminate providing comfort, stretch and protection. The SlumberShield line features a four-sided zipper encasement known as Secure-ZZZip, which the firm says is the industry’s first encasement providing 360° zipper access around the entire perimeter of the mattress and box spring, enabling users to simply unzip the product while leaving the bottom surface in place. SecureZZZip also features SlumberShield’s proprietary BedBugBanisher zipper lock. Visit www.slumbershield.com to learn more.

For information visit www.SlumberShield.com.
 

Climbup Insect Interceptors monitor for bed bug presence
The Climbup Insect Interceptor is a bed bug monitoring tool that can be used in homes under the legs of bed frames, chairs, tables and other furniture. Developed by Susan McKnight, the Climbup is a tool for determining the presence/absence of bed bugs and estimating bed bug numbers.

The Climbup has two wells: a center well and an outer pitfall. This allows pest management professionals to determine, based on where bed bugs are caught, whether they are coming onto the furniture or trying to exit from it.
Climbups don’t kill bed bugs; however, because they remove bed bugs, they provide immediate relief to residents from bites and reduce the need for pesticide applications as they catch the bugs.
For more information visit http://insect-interceptor.com.
 

MGK’s Bedlam Insecticide: kills on contact and provides residual control
MGK’s Bedlam Insecticide, a pyrethroid that contains the active ingredients sumithrin and MGK 264, kills bed bugs and their eggs. Bedlam kills on contact and provides residual control, the firm says. As a water-based product, it won’t stain water-safe fabrics and it is non-irritating to humans and animals, MGK reports. The product has up to a two-week residual on wood, ceramic surfaces and carpet and reduces bed bug egg hatch in both susceptible and some resistant strains of bed bugs. Bedlam can be used in non-food areas of homes, hotels, apartments, nursing homes, schools and other commercial sites. MGK recommends the following application tips:

• Shake well before each use.
• Vacate room after treatment and ventilate before re-occupying.
• Spray only those garments, parts of bedding, including mattresses and furniture, that cannot be either laundered or dry-cleaned.
• Allow sprayed articles and surfaces to dry thoroughly before using or replacing bedding.
• Do not allow children or pets to contact treated areas until surface is dry.

The product can be used as an aerosol spray, a spot treatment, a surface spray, or a crack and crevice spray.
For more information about Bedlam or MGK, visit www.mgkpro.com.

Tornado Industries offers educational resources
Tornado Industries, manufacturer of professional cleaning equipment, is publishing a special “bed bug“ newsletter and white paper. The newsletter and white paper (www.tornadovac.com/docs/Bed_Bug_Elimination.pdf) are designed to help clarify why the bed bug problem has resurfaced in the United States after being dormant for so many years.

More important, the white paper addresses ways cleaning professionals can help eradicate bed bugs, employing ways that have less impact on the environment.  It was written by Michael Schaffer, a senior executive with Tacony’s commercial floorcare division and president of Tornado Industries.

“This is an issue that has been in the news a lot lately,” says Schaffer, “and we have been asked what the cleaning industry can do to assist in addressing the problem.“

Schaffer says the cleaning industry can help eradicate bed bugs by using professional steam cleaners, which do not require chemicals.

“Heat is the Achilles heel of bed bugs,” says Schaffer. “Some professional-grade steam cleaners provide high enough temperature (around 250 degrees Fahrenheit), adequate [steam] flow, and the precise delivery necessary to kill not only active adult bed bugs but also their eggs.”

Bed Bugs ground a pair of British Airways jumbo jets after bed bug complaints
In late February, Dailymail.co.uk reported that British Airways grounded two jumbo jets after a passenger complained of being badly bitten by bed bugs during two separate long-haul flights.

The airline fumigated one of the planes on which it confirmed there had been an infestation and— apologized to the woman for her troubles. Businesswoman Zane Selkirk claimed that her body was ‘crawling’ with bugs and ‘covered with bites’ during a 10-hour transatlantic flight from Los Angeles to London Heathrow in January. The 28-year-old believes she was also bitten on a second flight in February during a business trip from Bangalore in India to Heathrow.

British Airlines grounded the two 350-seat Boeing 747-400s after computer industry executive Selkirk — fed up by the poor response of the airline’s customer services — set up a website detailing her ordeal.

BugZip Encasements protect luggage and clothes from bed bugs, Vantzen reports
The BugZip is a bed bug-resistant luggage and clothing encasement from Vantzen Products.

“Bed bugs love to hide in walls and furniture making them very difficult to detect and treat. After dining out on you for a 5-minute blood meal, they retreat back to their hideout until they are hungry again,” said Adam Greenberg, president and inventor of BugZip. “[People] now can protect their belongings from bed bugs with BugZip Luggage and Clothing Encasements.” 

The product is ideal for people who travel and spend time in high-risk locations such as hotels, apartment buildings, cruise ships, and college dorm rooms. Using BugZip encasements is a proactive way for people to prevent infestations.

Greenberg added that BugZip is ideal for storing cleaned/treated clothes and personal items prior to and during treatment of a bed bug infestation.

BugZip is made of heavy-duty clear vinyl that resists tears and can easily hold large objects. The specially designed three-sided bed bug resistant zipper allows easy access to clothing and belongings while “zipping” out bed bugs when they are on the move. It comes in four convenient sizes and is simple to use.

BugZip is now available at Univar USA. For more information visit www.bugzip.com.
 

ThermEx Heat Remediation is a bed bug control solution
ThermEx Heat Remediation Solution, developed by Chromalox, is a chemical-free alternative for the eradication of bed bugs in hotels and other multi-unit facilities.

ThermEx Heat Remediation Solution includes a Chromalox custom heating unit and comprehensive technical training by Massey Services. The Chromalox unit heats the room to a targeted temperature range, which kills bed bugs at all stages of development — egg, larvae, pupae and adult. A patent application is pending for the Chromalox unit.

“The resurgence of bed bugs has created a serious problem for hotels and other facilities in recent years, and ThermEx provides a research-based approach to eliminating them,” said Christopher Molnar, Chromalox director of application engineering – process solutions. “Equally important, Therm-Ex provides an answer for many facilities and pest management firms that are seeking ‘green,’ chemical-free solutions that respond to concerns of environmentalists, customers and the general public.”

ThermEx also provides a clean, quick and quiet approach. An in-depth white paper, providing background on heat remediation strategies can be downloaded at www.therm-ex.com

Atrix’s new backpack vacuum: ideal for bed bug removal
Atrix has introduced the “Bug Sucker” back pack vacuum, the latest addition to its line of vacuums for the pest control industry. The vacuum is ideal for the removal of bed bugs, spiders, bees, ants and cockroaches. It also removes eggs to prevent their return. The Atrix Backpack Vacuum comes standard with a HEPA filter and easily converts from a powerful vacuum to a powerful blower.

Features include:

• Comfortable ergonomic fit
• Lightweight
• 4-stage high efficiency filtration
• Air-powered turbo floor brush
• Telescopic metal wand
• Quiet
• Powerful
• 3-quart filter capacity

Atrix International offers a complete line of pest control vacuums. For information visit www.atrix.com.

‘Battling Bed Bugs in Apartments’ handout available from PCT
New to the PCT Store is the 2011 edition of Battling Bed Bugs in Apartments. This eight-page educational handout is designed to educate apartment owners and managers about the challenges of controlling bed bugs in apartments and how management and tenant cooperation will significantly improve the outcome of any treatment plan.

Battling Bed Bugs in Apartments is an educational handout for your clients. This eight page article, written by Michael Potter and Kenneth Haynes (both professors at the University of Kentucky), explains why bed bugs are so prevalent in apartments, how they can be controlled and what cooperation you need from the residents and apartment management to effectively control infestations. It further explains the challenges, treatment programs and outcomes that can be expected.

This handout can be provided in tandem with PCT’s other bed bug handout, Your Guide to Bed Bugs, or as a stand-alone handout. The handouts are “digest size” (5 inches by 7 inches) and have a “For more information, contact ...” box on the back where you can stamp your firm’s contact information.

Visit www.pctonline.com/store to order or call 800/456-0707.

Prevention plans gaining momentum
For most clients, the cost of treating bed bug infestations is not sustainable year to year.
Not only that, but the unit-by-unit treatment approach has “failed us utterly,” said Virginia Tech Entomologist Dr. Dini Miller. 

She suggested pest management professionals develop comprehensive awareness and prevention plans for their multi-unit housing clients.

Pest control industry consultant Dr. Stuart Mitchell said some pest management professionals are conducting quarterly bed bug inspections while performing general pest control services. If bed bugs are found, treatment follows a clearly defined cost structure that is less expensive than a one-time treatment. Of course, prevention programs only work if communication is effective, Mitchell added.

Property managers must talk to new residents about the site’s bed bug plan upfront, said Miller. The plan should spell out the steps management and residents will take if bed bugs are suspected or found, and explain practices for reducing the likelihood of hitchhikers. 

Plus, all of the complex’s employees should be trained to identify the pest and signs of infestation. A black spot on the wall may look like mold, but a closer look may prove it’s a bed bug aggregation, Miller said.

— Anne Nagro

Orkin’s Top 50 Bed Bug Cities
Orkin has treated 48 of the 50 states for bed bugs, with only Alaska and Montana not receiving treatments. The following cities are ranked in order of the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed between January 2008 and July 2010.

1. Cincinnati
2. Columbus, Ohio
3. Chicago
4. Denver
5. Detroit
6. Washington
7. New York
8. Philadelphia
9. Dayton, Ohio
10. Baltimore
11. Lexington, Ky.
12. Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Minn.
13. Hartford/ New Haven, Conn.
14. Boston/ Manchester, Mass.
15. Los Angeles
16. Richmond/ Petersburg, Va.
17. Indianapolis
18. Omaha
19. Cleveland/ Akron/ Canton, Ohio
20. Honolulu
21. Phoenix/ Prescott, Ariz.
22. Albany/ Schenectady/ Troy, N.Y.
23. Las Vegas
24. San Francisco/ Oakland/ San Jose, Calif.
25. New Orleans
26. Pittsburgh
27. Charlotte, N.C.
28. Buffalo, N.Y.
29. Houston
30. Raleigh/ Durham/ Fayetteville, N.C.
31. Dallas/ Ft. Worth, Texas
32. Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
33. Louisville, Ky.
34. Atlanta
35. Lincoln/ Hastings/ Kearney, Neb.
36. Cedar Rapids/ Waterloo/ Iowa City/ Dubuque, Iowa
37. Milwaukee
38. Charleston/ Huntington, W.Va.
39. Des Moines/ Ames, Iowa
40. Norfolk/ Portsmouth/ Newport News, Va.
41. San Diego
42. Grand Rapids/ Kalamazoo/ Battle Creek, Mich.
43. Nashville, Tenn.
44. West Palm Beach/ Ft. Pierce, Fla.
45. Sioux City, Iowa
46. Austin, Texas
47. Salt Lake City
48. Toledo, Ohio
49. Tulsa, Okla.
50. Syracuse, N.Y.