[Bed Bugs] Bed Bug Bytes

1. Temprid SC Insecticide Now Labeled for Bed Bugs

Bayer Environmental Science’s Temprid SC Insecticide now has bed bug control on its label. In response to the industry’s growing demand for a fast, effective solution against bed bugs — especially those strains that have shown resistance to pyrethroids — Bayer worked to expedite the addition of bed bugs to the label, the firm says.

Temprid SC’s fusion of imidacloprid and beta-cyfluthrin controls bed bugs fast. Temprid also provides a long-lasting residual, controlling resistant bed bugs for more than 30 days. In addition, Temprid kills bed bug eggs when applied as a direct treatment and, more surprisingly, dried residues prevent eggs from hatching, Bayer reports.

Temprid SC can be applied to the places bed bugs like to hide, including mattresses, box springs, headboards, bed frames, furniture, upholstery, curtains, picture frames and carpet edges. Temprid is available for use in 48 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Temprid is sold in an easy-to-pour 400 ml bottle and is packaged six bottles to a case.

For more information visit your local Bayer authorized distributor, contact your local Bayer ES sales representative or call Bayer customer service at 800/331-2867.

2. AP&G: New Catchmaster
Bedbug Detection System

A new bed bug monitor called Catchmaster BDS (Bedbug Detection System) is being introduced to the pest control market by AP&G Co. The product is designed to give PMPs an extra edge on early detection, the company reports.

"This is the first monitor that can be employed on a large scale as part of an integrated pest management/early detection program for bed bugs," said Jonathan Frisch, vice president of the Brooklyn-based company. "It is designed specifically to detect bed bugs before they proliferate and infest a new location."

The product, which simulates the conditions that appeal strongly to bed bugs, was created based on AP&G research into the biology and behavior of bed bugs, the company reports. Research shows bed bugs favor small spaces and uneven textures and materials. BDS, therefore, was created as a harborage providing tight, dark tunneling and rough woodsy material, similar to the small grooves of corrugated boxes, mattress creases and wood furniture. If bed bugs are located nearby, they’re drawn to the BDS and trapped in its unique adhesive pattern coated on untreated paper, AP&G says.

According to Frisch, the relatively inexpensive pricing of the BDS will allow a pest management company to readily employ this tool to identify a bed bug problem before it gets out of control. "It should also be installed after a bed bug treatment to either illustrate that the treatment was effective or to assist in identifying continued post-treatment activity," he said.

For more information, go to www.catchmasterpro.com, or phone AP&G at 800/458-7454.

3. GBS Enterprises
INTRODUCES Allergy Sentry Mattress encasement

GBS Enterprises recently began promoting its Allergy Sentry Mattress Encasements to the pest control industry once product testing by Snell Scientifics Entomological Laboratory of Barnesville, Ga., was complete. Product testing focused on bed bugs and whether or not they could escape through the fabric itself, the seams, the product’s zipper or zipper closure. GBS Enterprises reports no bed bug was capable of escaping the Allergy Sentry Mattress Encasement. The lab used both adult bed bugs and nymphs, along with their eggs, throughout the course of the experiment.

Additional testing proved live bed bugs were not able to feed through the fabric of the product, the firm reports. Hungry bed bugs were offered a human blood meal with the Allergy Sentry Mattress Encasement serving as the only barrier between them and the human. The eager bed bugs were unable to penetrate the product’s fabric to feed, according to the manufacturer.

"This is incredible news for customers and hotel owners who find it financially straining to discard their mattress(es) following professional treatment of their bed bug infestation," said GBS Enterprises President Dave Powers. "Our Allergy Sentry Mattress Encasement offers them a reasonably priced and effective way to keep their mattress(es) without the concerns of bed bugs escaping to re-infest their home or property."

The Allergy Sentry Mattress Encasement is also an effective barrier against dust mites. The product features a waterproof yet breathable backing that dust mites are unable to penetrate. The company also offers a matching Box Spring Encasement that is bed bug resistant as well.

Learn more about GBS Enterprises by visiting www.gbsent.com.

4. Toronto Firm Utilizes Bed Bug-Detecting Canine

A new pest control company based outside of Toronto is among the first in Canada to offer the services of a certified bed bug-detecting canine. The BedbugTracker (www.thebedbugtracker.com) was established earlier this year as a subsidiary to sister company GreenLeaf Pest Control, also based in Toronto.

According to Sandy Costa, operations director and owner, The Bedbug Tracker is the first company in Canada to have a canine certified by the National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Association. The company focuses much of its service in and around Toronto and throughout Ontario, but also travels to serve customers located across North America. The company’s bed bug-detecting canine, Tracker, purchased from J&K Canine Academy, alerts only to live bed bugs and viable eggs.

Costa, who is a NESDCA-certified bed bug dog handler, says purchasing the dog involved several months of research as well as a large upfront investment. However, Tracker’s bed bug-detecting abilities are earning the company accolades and new business opportunities. "Since bringing Tracker on board we have the ability to inspect rooms in minutes with unparalleled accuracy, allowing us to determine the approximate location of bed bugs that a human being or tracking device would never be able to," said Costa. "We now do inspections for hotels and resorts, long-term health-care facilities, schools, multiple dwelling units and residences. In addition we partner with local pest control companies to assist them with inspections."

Costa notes that a well-trained bed bug dog should be able to identify the presence of a single bed bug. When considering whether to offer canine inspections, professionals should be sure that the dog is trained to discriminate between live bugs and viable eggs, vs. evidence remaining from an old infestation (i.e., fecal spotting, cast skins, empty egg shells and dead bed bugs). "If the bed bug dog is unable to do this, it becomes much more difficult to distinguish between new or active and old infestations," Costa said. Furthermore, Costa said, because Tracker is a single-scent trained dog, and has not been cross-trained to detect other scents, there is no confusion or ambiguity as to what the dog is alerting to.

5. Protect-A-Bed Features AllerZip Mattress Encasement

The Protect-A-Bed AllerZip Mattress Encasement ensures total protection against allergens, dust mites and bed bugs, the company reports. Featuring the patent pending BugLock three-sided zipper system with Secure Seal, Protect-A-Bed’s mattress encasement creates an impenetrable barrier between bed bugs and bedding, the firm reports.

The mattress encasement’s natural terry cloth surface provides superior comfort and softness. Featuring Protect-A-Bed’s Miracle Membrane with Total Heat Transference Formula, the product offers the added benefit of being waterproof, stain proof and air vapor porous. The breathable barrier combines comfort with an overall healthy and hygienic sleep zone and is available in seven sizes, including twin, twin XL, full, full XL, queen, king and California king.

To learn more about Protect-A-Bed’s Healthy Sleep Zone products, visit www.protectabed.com or call 866/297-8836.

6. Abatem Exterminating
Introduces Mobile
Heat Treatment Unit

Abatem Exterminating is on the front line of the battle to contain the spread of bedbugs in the southern Vermont and western Massachusetts using its new mobile heat treatment truck. Owner Dan Dente says the firm’s heat treatment truck has been the key to his firm’s success in eliminating bed bug infestations. "The heat treatment truck produces 100 percent kill of bed bugs in all life stages including eggs," he said. "Our customers like the fact that just this treatment method greatly reduces the amount of pesticides used in their homes and eliminates the need for pesticide use on items that they are in daily contact with such as bedding, stuffed furniture and dressers that store their clothes."

Using the heat treatment truck is labor intensive but produces excellent results, Abatem reports. All of the furniture and household items need to be moved into the insulated truck and the temperature is raised to a lethal level. Multiple temperature sensors, indicator lights and digital temperature displays for each of the sensors provide accurate monitoring during the treatment process. Over temperature alarms will light if the temperature exceeds a preset level.

As the contents are heat treated, the empty dwelling is then treated with a residual pesticide. Treating an empty dwelling is much more effective than treating a dwelling that is cluttered with furniture and other household items. This procedure forces the tenant to remove clutter as part of the process.

The Abatem Mobile Heat Treatment Unit also pulls behind it a trailer that holds portable clothes dryers for the heat treatment of clothing, bedding and other soft items. This eliminates the possible contamination of the local laundromat by tenants who do not have laundry facilities on site.

For more information on the Mobile Heat Treatment (patent pending) contact Dan or Patrick Dente at 802/254-84134 or visit www.abatemexterminating.webs.com.

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New White Paper Answers Bed Bug Questions

With bed bugs continuing to make headlines, Orkin and the American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES) of the American Hospital Association released a white paper to answer questions about bed bugs and their implications for health-care and long-term care providers.

"Concern about bed bugs has grown steadily over the past decade alongside the bed bugs resurgence," said ASHES Executive Director Patti Costello. "We asked Orkin to provide some insight to help our members better understand the practical issues and solutions surrounding these pests."

In "Pulling Back the Sheets on the Bed Bug Controversy: Research, Prevention and Management in Hospital & Long-Term Care Facilities," Orkin entomologists Ron Harrison, Ph.D., and Bill Lawrence, Ph.D., examine the current position of the medical and pest management communities on the bed bug issue, share Orkin technical and field research, and offer tips on prevention, early detection and remediation in hospital and long-term care settings.

"Orkin services thousands of health-care and long-term care facilities, and from what we have observed, early detection is critical," said Harrison, who also is Orkin’s director of technical services.

The white paper is available for complimentary download at www.healthcarepestcontrol.com/files/ashes-bedbug-white-paper.pdf.

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7. Temp-Air Launches
Redesigned Thermal
Remediation Web Site

Temp-Air announced the release of a newly redesigned Web site for its thermal pest management division, Thermal Remediation, at www.thermalremediation.com.

The company said Thermal Remediation was developed as a safe, effective and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pest control applications for the treatment of bed bugs, stored product pests and wood-destroying organisms.

In addition to offering a more professional look and streamlined navigation, the new Web site features in-depth portable heat treatment equipment information and a database of insect heat treatment news, articles, research, and product and process developments, Temp-Air said. To meet the demands of consumers suffering from bed bug infestations, the new Thermal Remediation site also includes a list of pest control professionals who provide bed bug heat treatment services.

8. New Bed Bug Book
for Consumers Available

"Bed Bug Beware: An easy to understand guide to bed bugs, their prevention and control" is a book that pest management professionals can use as an add-on tool for their customers during the preparation stages for bed bug control, or other training or customer communications.

The book was written by David Cain and Richard Strand, two English bed bug experts. Cain is the primary author of www.bedbugbeware.com, a not-for-profit Web site to assist the increased awareness of bed bugs, their prevention and control.

"Bed Bug Beware" includes frequently asked questions and a glossary of technical terms, as well as sections on what are bed bugs, biology and life cycle, disposing of infested materials, a dozen things not to do, selecting a pest management professional and much more.

To order the book, visit www.usbedbugs.com/Bed-Bug-Beware-Book_p_2.html.

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ThermaPure Signs Sprague Pest Solutions
As New Licensee in the pacific northwest

ThermaPure announced that Sprague Pest Solutions of Tacoma, Wash., has signed a license agreement that allows Sprague to use ThermaPure throughout the Pacific Northwest.

"Sprague Pest Solutions is one of the premier pest control operators in the entire U.S.," says David Hedman, CEO of ThermaPure. "With the bed bug problem growing dramatically in the Northwest, it’s clear that residents, property owners, hotels and other businesses will greatly benefit from being able to access ThermaPure heat treatments."

ThermaPure is a patented, non-chemical heat and filtration technology that utilizes structural pasteurization to sanitize structures. The ThermaPure process kills insects, including bed bugs and their eggs. It also can kill or denature mold, bacteria, viruses, odors and allergens.

"In the past, we would get an occasional call from a client in the Northwest about bed bugs. That has changed dramatically. Today, we receive calls every day for help with bed bugs," says Alfie Treleven, CEO of Sprague.

The ThermaPure (www.thermapure.com) heat process is carefully measured and monitored, and includes filtration to help remove contaminants that are sent airborne because of the circulation of super-heated air. ThermaPure-trained  technicians are also careful to protect or remove heat-sensitive items, including electronics, paintings, windows and sprinkler heads, among others.

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Steri-Fab Kills Adult Bed Bugs

Steri-Fab Bactericide is a non-toxic spray that can be used to effectively eliminate bed bugs, the company reports. Available from Nixalite, Steri-Fab is a bactericide, sanitizer, viricide, fungicide, insecticide, deodorant, disinfectant and mildewcide all in one. It can be sprayed on almost any surface without fear of staining or odors, according to the manufacturer. Steri-Fab is no longer active once it dries (15 to 20 minutes after application at room temperature) and becomes completely inert.

Steri-Fab is easy to apply since no mixing is required and will not stain most surfaces.

For more information visit www.nixalite.com or call 309/755-8771.

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ActiveGuard Mattress
Liner Field Trial Results

By James B. Ballard

The ActiveGuard mattress liner is a patented, polyester fitted liner impregnated with permethrin that kills bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L.) on the mattress and/or box spring and prevents these from reinfestation. It is a registered product by EPA and in all 50 states.

Originally developed by United Kingdom doctors to kill dust mites in mattresses for up to two years, ActiveGuard is now being used as part of the mattress treatment within a comprehensive program for the control of bed bug infestations. The best, most practical way of using Active-
Guard mattress liners is to install them onto mattresses and/or box springs as part of an overall bed bug control program.

The pest management professional should first clear the mattress of bed bugs and eggs and then install the appropriate size ActiveGuard mattress liner onto the mattress or box spring. Any missed bed bugs or nymphs hatching from missed eggs will be killed by the mattress liner later. In most cases, a single pest management professional can install a mattress liner on a mattress.

For use in a bed bug control program, the ActiveGuard mattress liner is installed on the top of a bed mattress and pulled down tight and secured under the bottom edge of the mattress to produce a tight, smooth fit on the mattress. The liner is then covered by a mattress pad and bottom sheet. It was previously established that the ActiveGuard mattress liner could kill 100 percent of either susceptible or field bed bugs in laboratory testing. What follows is some field data collected to demonstrate the value of the mattress liner as part of a comprehensive bed bug control program.

Methods. Bed bug control programs were implemented by PMPs for bed bug-infested structures. Pest management professional protocols included such control measures already reported in the literature, such as heat, insecticides labeled for the mattress, insecticide cocktails for non-sleeping surfaces and dusts for voids.

In this study, mattresses were treated to eliminate as thoroughly as possible the bed bugs and their eggs. The firms treated other infested areas following their own treatment protocol. ActiveGuard mattress liners then were installed on the mattresses. Follow-up calls were made to the customers to determine the success of the overall treatment. The number of complaints logged after treatment was the measure of success.

The treated structures were monitored for control complaints for up to 12 months after treatment. The level of success of this control program was measured in liner months. Liner months represent the number of bed bug-free months the liners have demonstrated since installation in the field. Although the results of the liner months represent a measure of the overall control program implemented by the PMPs, the PMPs involved used different treatment protocols with the exception that ActiveGuard was consistently used for the protection of the mattresses. In New York only, ActiveGuard mattress liners were installed with no other control measures used within this high transient facility where residents typically only stayed for one month.

Ongoing Results. There are a total of 155 mattress liners that have been in the field from five to 12 months. A total of two complaints were recorded during the 1,321 liner months that the field trials have achieved thus far.

One complaint was for a bed bug found in a bedroom in Maryland (not on the bed) and the other was for a bed bug found in a bedroom in New York where the mattress liner was the only means used to control the bed bugs. Because of the bed beg control protocol used by the PMP firm, some mattresses also had an encasement installed over the ActiveGuard mattress liner. Given that bed bugs can go months between feeding and be spread all over a structure, control programs tend to be very labor and product intensive. The actual level of success of a control program can take months to determine.

In some situations, the bed bugs can actually outlast the control components used by the pest management professional. The installation of control components, such as the ActiveGuard mattress liner, that have the potential to last up to two years and thus outlast the bed bugs is important in the long-term control of bed bugs on mattresses. Longer lasting residual insecticides that may be applied to other areas of the room also would be an important improvement to bed bug control programs.

Conclusions. Initial field trials indicate that the installation of ActiveGuard mattress liners on mattresses and/or box springs that have been largely cleared of bed bugs is a viable use of the product as a component step within a bed bug control program. Mattresses can be protected from bed bug infestation by the installation of ActiveGuard mattress liners.

Although limited field data suggests that the installation of only the ActiveGuard mattress liner may provide some protection against bed bug infestation, the effectiveness of the ActiveGuard mattress liners is significantly improved when used as part of a full bed bug control protocol.

References

Ballard, J.B. 2008. ActiveGuard mattress liner "A New Option" for the control of bed bugs in the laboratory. PCT 36(10):144, 146-7.

Pereira, R.M., P.G. Koehler, M. Pfiester and W. Walker. 2009. Lethal effects of heat and use of localized heat treatment for control of bed bug infestations. J. Econ. Entomol. 102(3): 1182-8.

Pinto, L.J, R. Cooper and S.K. Kraft. 2007. Bed Bug Handbook: The complete guide to bed bugs and their control. Pinto & Associates. 266 pages.

Romero, A., M.F. Potter and K.F. Haynes. 2009. Are dusts the bed bug bullet? PM Prof. 77(5):22, 26,28,30.

Potter, M.F., A. Romero, K.F. Haynes and T. Jarzynka. 2008. Bed bugs, heat and hotel rooms. PCT 36(10):106,108,109,112,114,116,118,120,121.

Potter, M.F., A. Romero, K.F. Haynes and W. Wickemeyer. 2006. Battling bed bugs in apartments. PCT 34(8):45-52.

Walker, W., K. Glover, P. Koehler, E. Thoms and E. Hobelmann. 2008. Fumigation, steam, dusting and labor. PCT 36(1):40,42,44,45,46,48,50.

This article was written by James B. Ballard, Ph.D., BCE, and the owner of Ballard Pest Management Consulting. He arranged the research reported here on behalf of Allergy Technologies, the manufacturer of ActiveGuard mattress liners.