Pest Management Professional, December 2009

Bed Bugs continued from previous page to maintain There are a few key tips however that PMPs can share with their customers to arm them with the basics of bed bug control Check the mattress for dark speckled or stained areas whenever sleeping in a new or unknown bed Dont forget to check the headboard and night stands as well as closets dresser drawers and carpets within approximately five feet of each bed for an infestation When returning from a trip place luggage in a large garbage bag and leave it in the garage or outside the homes living area keeping it shielded from the elements Remove all clothing and items from the bag and wash them with soap and hot water If they cannot be washed place them in a clothes dryer on high heat Once this treatment is complete bring the clothes inside but leave the luggage outside and check for signs of bed bugs before bringing it back into the home If having Using Ozone to Treat Bed Bugs Recently theres been some interest in using ozone to treat bed bugs as a green treatment alternative Ozone has been used for several years to treat spaces with mold contamination and second hand smoke odors but its still in testing for bed bug removal and not highly available because of its inconsistent results Essentially ozone is a powerful and environmentally friendly oxidizer Thirty minutes after ozone is injected into a space it converts to oxygen and can then act as an air purifier making it potentially one of the safest methods for bed bug control When used at high levels ozone has been shown to treat and remove bed bugs In many experiments however not all of the bed bugs have been effectively removed Ozone as a bed bug treatment method still needs some additional experimentation to be viable for use in the general consumer market PMPs need to clearly understand that results may not always be perfect if ozone is used to treat bed bug infestations visitors especially from out of the country make sure to thoroughly check and clean the area in which they slept after they leave just to be sure they didnt unknowingly bring in bed bugs Be cautious when acquiring used furniture or any furniture that arrived from a moving company or storage Its a good idea to have it inspected before bringing it inside the house Opportunity Green Products Todays customers are constantly looking for green products and solutions for their home Pest management products are no different especially in homes where there are children and pets PMPs no longer have to resort to the historical method of dousing everything with boiling hot water to find a green option there are now natural methods on the market which have been proven effective For example an eco insecticide known as EcoExempt KO can be used This aerosol spray with natural plant oils is safe to use in the home EcoPCO DX a dust which is registered with the EPA is another treatment possibility that combines plant oils and pyrethrin EcoExempt ic2 an incecticide concentrate useable in all environments is a third option Opportunity Training The sensitive and difficult topic of bed bugs will most likely cause customer panic An integrated pest management IPM training method including instructions on both procedures and customer counseling is therefore needed Often the biggest challenge is finding the time to train your technicians properly Removing bed bugs is a detailed process and it needs to be done diligently On average treatments should take approximately three to four hours and technicians should execute treatments in seven day cycles until they continued on page 56 54 PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL DECEMBER 2009 www mypmp net