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Bed Bugs have arrived with a vengeance in the Portland Metro area.
Pest management firms specializing in bed bug
treatments have seen a dramatic increase in calls and if the experience of other
professionals across the nation holds true the problem
is only going to get worse. In fact, several states are currently seeking
legislation in an attempt to slow down the spreading of these bothersome
pests. To get a sense of the growing problem, visit Bedbugger.com.
Although the information may be limited it will give you a feel for
what we may be up against.
Not Your Average “Bug”
99.9% of the time pest management companies can deliver solutions to
problems with pests in the multi-family environment. Treatments for
ants, rats, mice, roaches, and other pests are well established and
include strategies that utilize modern materials that deliver effective
relief. Not so for Bed Bugs.
Even with cutting edge materials and advanced training pest management
firms specializing in Bed Bugs find it difficult to get a satisfactory
result. Materials and strategies that work for other pests simply will
not work on Bed Bugs, leading to the search for “silver bullet” remedies.
Heat treatments, steam and freezing are all only partially effective,
in varying degrees. The reason is, they cannot penetrate deeply hidden
sources and provide no residual protection. These treatments are used
mostly to supplement the use of pesticides and cannot be relied on as
sole means eradication. To date there is no legitimate treatment for
these insects without the use of pesticides, regardless of claims to
the contrary.
Bed bugs can be present in an apartment and survive without a meal
for more than six months. Bed bug adults
and nymphs feed exclusively
on blood, but they do not feed every day. When inactive they return
to deep harborages, protected from most control tactics. Eggs do not
hatch for 7-10 days after being deposited. The end result is that new
bugs may hatch and enter the environment over the two weeks following
treatment and bed bugs may emerge from untreated, deep, safe havens.
Also it is impossible to starve out an infestation by not renting a
unit for a period of time. The bottom line is that professional treatment
is always needed.
Steps You Need to Take to Manage Bed Bug Issues
Bed Bugs are easily transported and hard to find initially. They are
routinely reintroduced into treated areas by hitchhiking on backpacks,
bedding, or salvaged items. We see the highest incidents of bed
bugs in low income, subsidized housing because transient behaviors encourage
the spreading of these pests. To help prevent their introduction it
is critical that residents be screened before introducing items to their
apartment, particularly mattresses, futons, box springs and bedding.
If possible buildings experiencing problems with bed bugs should require
or provide residents with bed bug-proof mattress and box spring covers.
Residents should be discouraged from picking up discarded furniture
from dumpster areas or on the street. This is a sure way to introduce
bed bugs to the building.
Bed Bugs thrive in “clutter.” Most insects have a certain range of
conditions and areas that allow them to survive. Pest management professionals
know how to capitalize on this weakness to get rid of most pests. Bed
bugs can reside and hide in any area of an apartment and on any surface
or item, particularly bedding, and the surrounding area. Residents that
have excessive clutter provide many hiding areas and “amplify” the intensity
of the infestation. Residents should be encouraged to keep open spaces,
free from excessive furniture, décor and general clutter. Storage areas
should be limited to closets and only a few pieces of furniture such
as dressers, cabinets and night stands. Managers should be aggressive
in enforcing sanitation standards and develop written agreements with
residents before they move in. Our most successful treatments are done
in buildings that have ultimate control of the resident’s environment,
such hotels, motels, residential assistance agencies, etc. We rarely
have continuing problems under these controlled conditions.
The truth is that when bed bug infestations reach a certain size or
allowed to get out of control, even the best, most aggressive
actions often fail to meet expectations. It is critical
that early detection and action is taken to deal with
bed bugs. Management should set up a routine bed
bug inspection program with trained pest managers. Bed bugs spread rapidly
and can move between walls and floors easily in search
of their next meal. All surrounding units of an infested
unit - above, below and beside - should be treated. This
will isolate an infestation and keep it from spreading.
The more quickly you respond to a bed bug issue, the better the results
because early detection is critical.
Property Owners, Managers and Residents Are All Part of the
Solution
Owners and management play a critical part in bed bug control. A common
reason for bed bug treatment failures is lack of cooperation, which
can range from tenants not preparing correctly for treatments to property
management not following the recommendations made by pest management
firms. Cooperation by property owners
or managers is critical, allowing
inspection of adjoining units, instituting common house keeping practices,
and inspecting new residents belongings and beds. These are just three
examples of management measures, that, if not taken, will complicate
control efforts and may make complete elimination of bed bugs difficult
if not impossible.
Resident cooperation with
the pest control service is also critical.
Residents may need to completely empty all closets, dressers, and nightstands,
wash all clothing and linens in hot water and dryer settings and place
them in plastics bags in the living room. Resident’s beds may have to
be stripped of blankets and sheets and washed and dried with highest
heat setting.
Most pest control companies are new to the bed bug wars, and some may
not respect the challenges presented by bed bug biology and behavior.
As a result, companies who don’t seek advanced training or education
or who don’t specialize in bed bugs are learning on the job, which can
make matters worse. Look for pest management
companies who specialize
in treating bed bugs, for advanced certifications, and ask how many
treatments they have performed. A pet management company that specialized
in bed bug control should have training in place for technicians specifically
for the treatment of bed bugs. If your pest management company does
not have this training in place, as well as specific bed bug documents
and protocols in place, you should consider bringing in another company.
People have unrealistic expectations. People inexperienced with bed
bugs rarely understand the difficulty in controlling them. Managers
of hotels or rental properties, owners of rental furniture companies,
and homeowners typically do not appreciate the investment needed in
terms of dollars, time, cooperation and patience in order to achieve
success. They often are unwilling to pay the price necessary, in terms
of dollars and effort, to achieve results. It is not uncommon for those
suffering from a bed bug infestation to go price shopping for pest control,
and go with the lowest bidder, which unfortunately often costs them
money in the long run. Bed bugs infestations require a company that
is well versed in all aspects of bed bug control, and this rarely comes
at a low price.
Another issue is that properties that first experience problems with
bed bugs view it as an isolated incident, rather than a potential crisis
which requires intensive inspections and treatments of surrounding rooms
or the entire building. Management often refuses to commit to the operational
changes needed to get control. They tell their “exterminator” to “get
rid of those bugs - that’s your job!” It’s not that simple.
Compounding the problem, city and government agencies don’t really
understand the dynamics of bed bugs, how they are introduced and how
to treat them. They often hold building owners and property managers
responsible for the social dynamics that cause bed bug infestations.
Agencies that help low income residents also inadvertently (sometimes
knowingly) spread the problem. Community health organizations are just
now coming up to speed and their knowledge is mostly limited to basics
of Biology and identification. They know little about practical applications
and effective treatments, especially in the multi-family environment.
Placing blame at a single point in the equation of how bed bugs spread
can’t be done. It is difficult at best to determine exactly how bed
bugs were introduced, legally speaking. While owners and managers try
to hold particular residents financially responsible for treatments,
residents are seeking legal advice. The other problem is that while
management is waiting to treat while trying to determine who is responsible,
the bed bugs are rapidly spreading. It is much less costly in the long
run to take care of the problem immediately, without getting into the
blame game.
Finally
Hopefully this information about bed bugs and the steps you can take
to identify and address the problems they cause will help create a better
understanding of this growing epidemic. This information is the current
standard in the pest management industry and is reflected in industry
trade publications, references and source books on the subject. There
is much information on the internet, but beware – while some of it is
good, most of it is misleading. It is advised that you seek help from
a pest management firm who specializes in bed bugs.
About Halt Pest Control
Based in Beaverton, Oregon, Halt Pest Control delivers
honest, reliable and eco-friendly pest control services
to residential, multi-family and commercial customers throughout Northwest
Oregon and Southwest Washington. Halt invests in building relationships
which allows us to deliver pest control solutions, not just treatments.
You see, at Halt we believe that we do more than simply help you eliminate
pest issues. We deliver customer care with quality solutions that help
you protect the things that are most important to you: your family,
your home and your property... guaranteed.
Rob McMaster is the
President of Halt Pest Control, Inc. You can reach
him at info#haltpestcontrol.com.
Halt Pest Control, Inc. © Copyright 2009. All rights
reserved.
Learn more about identifying and treating bed bug infestations by clicking on the links below.
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