[Bed Bug Supplement] News and Notes

Cleveland's General Pest Control Battling Bed Bugs in Northeast Ohio

With Cleveland, Ohio, routinely making the list of most bed bug-infested cities, John Gedeon Jr. knows he's got his work cut out for him. Gedeon is president and general manager of General Pest Control Company, a third generation family-owned business, which covers an eight-county area in northeast Ohio. "Five years ago, we were at virtually zero for bed bug treatments," says Gedeon. "For 2011, bed bug treatments will account for 25 percent of our overall business."

With bed bugs becoming a critical part of his business, Gedeon needs a product strong enough to control the pests quickly and effectively. Gedeon and his team were first introduced to Bayer's Temprid SC Insecticide in January 2010 at a Bayer conference. They liked what they heard, so they brought the product back and started using it. "We immediately found that it outperformed all of the products we had previously tried using," he said.

The real test came in February 2011, when Gedeon and his team faced a 70-unit apartment building with a big problem: 49 of the units were infested with bed bugs. Christopher Mulvaney, a technician who specializes in beg bug treatments, led the team. They went in with Temprid and treated each unit three times — one initial treatment and two follow-up treatments. "Over the course of the treatments, we used a large volume of Temprid," says Gedeon. "Following label instructions, we applied it almost everywhere: along the perimeter of the unit, at wall and ceiling interceptions, underneath window ledges, and on furniture. We covered actual and potential bed bug harborage sites."

After the initial treatment program of three visits at two-week intervals, Mulvaney and his team returned to only 19 of the units for additional follow-up treatments. Gedeon says the primary reason for going back to those units was that they had extremely high infestations with significant resident clutter issues. "In addition," says Gedeon, "many residents had tried to eradicate the bed bugs on their own, which only forced the pests deeper into cracks and crevices. In some of the one-bedroom and efficiency units, we even found bed bugs in the kitchen cabinets."

The infestation in the apartment building has been resolved, and Gedeon says he has been pleased with the product's overall performance. "The biggest benefit for us is that we can apply Temprid to the tufts, seams, folds, and edges of upholstered furniture, where previously all you could do was steam or vacuum, which is very time and labor intensive, and leaves no residual effect," he said.

Gedeon also says the number of treatments his team makes to reach a state of control has declined since getting involved with Temprid. "We service a large number of multi-family housing accounts, and with Temprid, we are down to about three treatments to get control of bed bugs, whereas with the products we were using before, we were making four, five or six repeat visits. Temprid's been a great product for us."
 

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Avtron LoadBank

www.bedbugchaser.com

New from Avtron is the Bedbug Chaser, a compact portable convective heater designed to kill heat-sensitive insects, especially bed bugs. According to Avtron, the ultra-efficient heater delivers up to 20 kW of forced-convection heat from a lightweight, easy-to-handle unit.

The company says the Bedbug Chaser uses a heat transfer process that creates 360-degree coverage to ensure interior spaces are heated evenly and quickly. Furthermore, the unit forces air circulation to every part of the space being treated, Avtron says. For ease of handling, the Bedbug Chaser incorporates lightweight aluminized steel construction and dolly-style wheels. The heater is rated for continuous operation at more than double the BTU output of other units in its size range, Avtron says, and features fully rated quick-connect load terminals. The Bedbug Chaser weighs 71 pounds and was designed to be small, light and powerful, the manufacturer says.

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Bedbug Doctor Introduces Three Bed Bug Specific Vehicles

Bedbug Doctor, Paramus, N.J., recently rolled out three new Bedbug Doctor vehicles: two Ford Transits for the firm's sales inspectors and one Ford Ranger for its technical staff. The company says its decaled vehicles are its No. 1 source of leads.

Based on the influx of requests pertaining to bed bugs, Bug Doctor Termite & Pest Control introduced a new division that specializes in bed bugs in 2010.

Bug Doctor Termite and Pest Control provides pest control services in New York and New Jersey.

Visit www.bugdoctorinc.com for more information.
 

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Allergy Technologies

www.allergytechnologies.com

Allergy Technologies, maker of Active-Guard Mattress Liners, has released a video on YouTube titled "ActiveGuard in Action" showing the speed and performance of the product in killing bed bugs after contact. In the video, bed bugs are introduced onto a box spring that is covered with the ActiveGuard mattress liner fabric. After only 20 minutes the bed bugs start demonstrating the effects of ActiveGuard and after only one hour, the bed bugs are completely immobilized and do not recover, the company says. The video can be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3unnlsg5x0c.

ActiveGuard Mattress Liners are EPA-registered mattress and box spring coverings that kill bed bugs within 72 hours of contact and continuously beyond the bed bug's life cycle, the company says. Fashioned as a fitted sheet, the liners are available through online retail distributors and via the company website.

According to Allergy Technologies, the breathable, comfortable thin liners can be installed onto a mattress or box spring by one person in less than a minute and require no airborne sprays or powders. The company says the liners also have been lab and field tested on a variety of bed bug strains.
 

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Bed Bug Plug

www.bedbugplug.com

The objective of the Bed Bug Plug is the early and active detection of bed bugs. The goal is to quickly detect a bed bug problem before a new or recurring infestation occurs. The product's design is unique because it uses heat as an attractant and is desirable for bed bugs as it simulates an ideal feeding and resting environment, the manufacturer says. Bed bugs instinctively use "Thermal Graphic Radar" to zone in on their meal. In addition to looking for heat, bed bugs seek rest in a comfortable, warm, textured hiding place, typically a crack or crevice. The Bed Bug Plug embodies all of these attributes.

The Bed Bug Plug utilizes a heating element that mimics the heat radiated from a person. The bottom portion is slightly cooler, at a temperature ideal for bed bugs to rest and hide until the next feeding. As they crawl curiously deeper into the specially designed cave, they push themselves against the glue adhesive on the roof of the device. This will permanently catch them, providing a sample specimen for a pest control professional.

Orkin Donates Mattress Covers The Butler Street YMCA in downtown Atlanta is recovering from a severe bed bug infestation, and Orkin's southeast division pitched in to help. Staff discovered bed bugs in early June. It's estimated that nearly 5,000 bed bugs were found inside the 112-year-old, five-story building. Thirty-four out of the 54 rooms had to be cleared out and treated. Orkin Southeast Division President Greg Clendenin stepped in to provide mattress and boxspring encasements for 51 beds. These will help protect against any future infestations by preventing new bed bugs from getting into the mattresses. The YMCA helps get homeless men off the streets by giving them a place to stay and helping to get them back on their feet.

The Bed Bug Plug design allows the device to be attached to a wall socket and has a dual socket where you can plug other electronics directly into the device, making it discreet and easily hidden. The Bed Bug Plug is designed to accept cartridges that contain special glueboards. This makes it both clean and easy to check if the device has caught any bed bugs and also to replace the glueboards.
 

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Assured Environments

www.bedbugannihilator.com

The new Bed Bug Annihilator is a portable, effective and fast-acting bed bug heat treatment technology, Assured Environments says. The product is being produced and distributed by the pest control firm.

The Bed Bug Annihilator heats up to 122°F in less than 30 minutes and destroys bed bugs after 60 seconds of exposure, the firm says. Measuring 15 inches wide, 20 inches deep and 54 inches high, the bed bug heat treatment chamber is lined with super insulated and flame-retardant walls and can accommodate more than 25 items at once. It is safe to use on clothing, books, kitchen equipment, even certain electronics or small appliances and almost anything else that can fit inside the chamber. After the heat treatment is completed, the chamber can be folded up and stored in a box, closet or under a bed. "As any pest control expert and the National Pest Management Association will tell you, heat is the most effective way of treating and eradicating bed bugs. And the Bed Bug Annihilator is the most effective, portable and convenient heat chamber on the market today," says Barry Beck, Assured Environments' COO and the product's creator.

The single unit device is listed for retail at $499. The company also produces a commercial unit, which doubles the width of the unit, and retails for $899.
 

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New Bed Bug Training Available From NPMA's Online Training Center

NPMA recently launched an online training center, with its first module focused on offering extensive bed bug training for PMPs.

The Bed Bug Basics module focuses on providing basic information that is needed to provide bed bug control services. The course will cover five main topics:

• Bed Bug Identification, Biology & Behavior
• Medical Considerations, Customer Service
• Inspection Techniques
• Treatment Methods
• Best Management Practices

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Recognize bed bugs and their evidence
• Recognize and describe the elements of a complete bed bug inspection
• Describe the most common bed bug treatment methods, including the pros and cons of each
• Understand and describe the basic biology of bed bugs and key behaviors that are important for control methods to be successful

Log on to www.pestworld.learningzen.com to learn more. Contact NPMA at npma@pestworld.org with questions.

 

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Bed Bug Insecticide Resistance Mechanisms Identified at Virginia Tech

A research team at Virginia Tech has discovered some of the genetic mechanisms for bed bugs' resistance to two pyrethroids — deltamethrin and beta-cyfluthrin. The discoveries will accelerate efforts to understand the biochemical basis for insecticide resistance in bed bugs, and in the meantime provides molecular markers for surveillance.

"Different bed bug populations within the U.S. and throughout the world may differ in their levels of resistance and resistance strategies, so there is the need for continuous surveillance," said Zach Adelman, associate professor of entomology with the Vector-Borne Disease Research Group at Virginia Tech and lead author.

The research was published in the Oct. 19 issue of PLoS One, the Public Library of Science open-access journal, in the article, "Deep sequencing of pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs reveals multiple mechanisms of resistance within a single population," by Adelman, Kathleen A. Kilcullen of Ashburn, Va., a 2010 graduate with bachelor's degrees in biology and psychology in the College of Science; Reina Koganemaru of New Britain, Conn., a Ph.D. student in entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Michelle E. Anderson, research technician with the Fralin Life Science Institute; Troy D. Anderson, assistant professor of entomology with the Vector-Borne Disease Research Group; and Dini M. Miller, associate professor of entomology with the Dodson Urban Pest Research Laboratory at Virginia Tech.

Adelman and colleagues studied two populations of bed bugs — a robust, resistant population that had come from Richmond, Va., in 2008, and a non-resistant population that had been collected from Ft. Dix, N.J., and raised in a lab since 1973.

A bioassay conducted to determine the susceptibility of each strain to the pyrethroids determined that it requires 5,200 times more deltamethrin or 111 times more beta-cyfulthrin to kill the Richmond bed bugs than the lab bugs during a 24-hour test.

Because the bed bug's genome has not been sequenced, the researchers sequenced the bed bug transcriptome — that is, the genes that are actively expressed. They looked at the expression profile of the Richmond bed bugs compared to the non-resistant bugs. They were able to identify genes that are commonly used to produce enzymes that can bind to, deactivate and break down insecticides; and the researchers found that production of few of these was turned way up in the insecticide-resistant bed bugs. The researchers also found a mutation in the sodium channel gene, the target for pyrethroid insecticides, which makes the bed bug nervous system partially resistant to the toxic effects of insecticide treatment.

The researchers conclude that highly resistant bed bug populations can have multiple genetic mechanisms conferring resistance to pyrethroid and possibly other insecticides. It is reasonable to suggest that the genes responsible for both acquired insensitivity to these neurotoxicants and their enhanced detoxification have been selected for in populations that have been subjected to long-term insecticide pressure.

The Vector-Borne Disease Research Group is an initiative of the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech.
 

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Orkin Ranks Cities Based on Bed Bug Treatments

Don't Let Bed Bugs Cost You Business, Advises Virginia Tech's Dini Miller On average, bed bug jobs have a break-even cost of $1 per minute. "If you want to make any profit, you need to think about that," said Virginia Tech's Dr. Dini Miller. She advised pest management professionals to estimate jobs based on the time involved, and determine whether they have the manpower to be successful. One pest control company she knows took on a 156-unit apartment complex with 60 infested units. Four months later, 20 units were still untreated. Needless to say, the manager and tenants were not happy. The company didn't have the manpower to take on that many units and still service its other pest accounts. That same company, which had been profitable for 16 years, is on the verge of collapse after three years of bed bug work, Miller said. In 2007, it got its first bed bug job. In 2008, the company made no profit. In 2009, it lost its $100,000 reserve, and in late 2010, was considering foreclosure. Giving away bed bug treatments with rock-bottom pricing likewise will "run your company right into the ground." The pests also have forced some owners of commercial apartment complexes to sell. "They're bailing on their bed bug infestations because they can't afford the treatments." — Anne Nagro

Orkin recently reported it is now treating bed bugs in all 50 states. The following cities are ranked in order of the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed from January through April 2011:

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