In the past decade, bed bugs have begun making a comeback across the United States. The widespread use of baits rather than insecticide sprays for ant and cockroach control is a factor that has been implicated in their return. Bed bugs are blood feeders that do not feed on ant and cockroach baits. International travel and commerce are thought to facilitate the spread of these insect hitchhikers, because eggs, young, and adult bed bugs are readily transported in luggage, clothing, bedding, and furniture. Bed bugs can infest airplanes, ships, trains, and buses. Bed bugs are most frequently found in dwellings with a high rate of occupant turnover, such as hotels, motels, hostels, dormitories, shelters, apartment complexes, tenements, and prisons. Such infestations usually are not a reflection of poor hygiene or bad housekeeping.

INSPECTION

Prior to any treatments, verification of bed bugs is required. Specimen samples and Visual Inspections are ways to confirm bed bugs. However, we highly recommend an inspection by a NESDCA (National Entomology Scent Detection Canine Associated) Certified Canines. They are 98% accurate whereas humans are only 30% accurate. Our Licensed Handlers conduct searches in the utmost discretion and care for the facility or residence. Identifying the specific location of any infestation allows for a more precisely effective treatment where needed. This also eliminates the unnecessary use of products in other areas promoting for a safer living and working environment.

One of the greatest advantages of having a NESDCA Certified Canine team due to the fact our teams will only alert to the presence of live bed bugs and viable eggs, other uncertified canine teams that are out on the market will alert to dead bugs, live bugs, fecal matter, etc. The other problem with non-NESDCA teams is their accuracy has never been tested by an independent party whereas the University of Florida has tested NESDCA teams and determined that NESDCA dogs are over 90% accurate in finding live bed bugs and viable eggs. So whether you need to confirm a new infestation or verify a treatment was successful you need a NESDCA certified canine team. Our teams must recertify on an annual basis with NESDCA whose certification process is mirrored from law enforcement canine protocols.

Identification

Adult bed bugs are brown to reddish-brown, oval-shaped, flattened, and about 3/16 to 1/5 inch long. Their flat shape enables them to readily hide in cracks and crevices. The body becomes more elongate, swollen, and dark red after a blood meal. Bed bugs have a beaklike piercing-sucking mouthpart system. The adults have small, stubby, nonfunctional wing pads. Newly hatched nymphs are nearly colorless, becoming brownish as they mature. Nymphs have the general appearance of adults. Eggs are white and about 1/32 inch long.

Life Cycle

Female bed bugs lay from one to twelve eggs per day, and the eggs are deposited on rough surfaces or in cracks and crevices. The eggs are coated with a sticky substance so they adhere to the substrate. Eggs hatch in 6 to 17 days, and nymphs can immediately begin to feed. They require a blood meal in order to molt. Bed bugs reach maturity after five months. Developmental time (egg to adult) is affected by temperature and takes about 21 days at 86°F to 120 days at 65°F. The nymphal period is greatly prolonged when food is scarce. Nymphs and adults can live for several months without food. The adult’s lifespan may encompass 12-18 months. Three or more generations can occur each year.

Habits

Bed bugs are fast moving insects that are nocturnal blood-feeders. They feed mostly at night when their host is asleep. After using their sharp beak to pierce the skin of a host, they inject a salivary fluid containing an anticoagulant that helps them obtain blood. Nymphs may become engorged with blood within three minutes,whereas a full-grown bed bug usually feeds for ten to fifieen minutes. They then crawl away to a hiding place to digest their meal. When hungry, bed bugs again search for a host.Bed bugs hide during the day in dark, protected sites. They seem to prefer fabric, wood, and paper surfaces. They usually occur in fairly close proximity to the host, although they can travel far distances.

Bed bugs initially can be found about tufts, seams, and folds of mattresses, later spreading to crevices in the bedstead. In heavier infestations, they also may occupy hiding places farther from the bed. They may hide in window and door frames, electrical boxes, floor cracks, baseboards, furniture, and under the tack board of wall-to-wall carpeting. Bed bugs often crawl upward to hide in pictures, wall hangings, drapery pleats, loosened wallpaper, cracks in plaster, and ceiling moldings.

Injury

The bite is painless. The salivary fluid injected by bed bugs typically causes the skin to become irritated and inflamed, although individuals can differ in their sensitivity. A small, hard, swollen, white welt may develop at the site of each bite. This is accompanied by severe itching that lasts for several hours to days. Scratching may cause the welts to become infected. The amount of blood loss due to bed bug feeding typically does not adversely affect the host. Rows of three or so welts on exposed skin are characteristic signs of bed bugs. Welts do not have a red spot in the center such as is characteristic of flea bites.

Bed Bug Extermination Process

CONTROL & TREATMENT PROCEDURES

Control of bed bugs is best achieved by following an integrated pest management (IPM) approach that involves multiple tactics, such as preventive measures, sanitation, and pesticides applied to targeted sites.

• Dry Heat Steam Machine used where evidence of insect were indicated.
• Approved insecticide dust applied in wall voids, moldings, baseboards, etc.
• Liquid insecticide treatment applied to entire office perimeter and all areas adjacent to effected area.

Follow-up visit performed approximately three (3) weeks following initial treatment and re-treat if necessary

For our Consumer Protocol please click here.

For our Commercial Protocol please click here.

For NYS Dept of Health’s Bed Bug Healthy Home Guide please click here.

THERMAL REMEDIATION

Thermal Remediation is a process where we use industrial strength heaters to raise the temperature of a unit to 130 degrees and maintain it for hours to ensure eradication. The heaters get their electricity from a diesel powered generator so there is propane being used for heating thus reducing the risk of fire to zero. This is the best treatment option available to date for numerous reasons which include bed bugs have shown amazing resilience to pesticides, bed bugs cannot develop a resistance to temperatures above 113 degrees. At these temperatures the molecular basis of bed bugs breaks down.

The traditional insecticide applications required numerous visits and relied on the bed bugs to cross a barrier of residual pesticides sprayed throughout the residence and hopefully over time would eliminate the bed bugs after weeks or months. Thermal treatments are an instant kill; one treatment is all that is necessary for complete eradication of all life stages including eggs. One of the biggest complications when treating bed bugs is tenant cooperation, when using convention al chemical applications the preparation for the treatment to the tenants are staggering leading to delays in treatment as well as increase of likelihood of contamination to other units as tenants belongings are being removed from their apartments or rooms and carried through the building.

Since we will be utilizing heat and not an insecticide we have the opportunity to treat items not normally treatable such as beds, clothing, linens etc therefore reducing the cost and liability to the tenant and University. Other weapons that are in Stop Pest Control of NY, Inc.’s arsenal for bed bugs include steam machines. Again just like thermal remediation, bed bugs cannot become resistant to heat.

PREVENTION

It is important to carefully inspect clothing and baggage of travelers, being on the lookout for bed bugs and their tell-tale fecal spots. Any suspect clothing or material should be discarded or thoroughly cleaned prior to being brought onto the building. Also, inspect secondhand beds, bedding, and furniture. Caulking cracks and crevices in baseboards, molding and furniture will also prevent possible harborage sites.