Professional treatment options options

Bed Bugs
Manual and Heat Treatment Options
Dale Hodgson, BCE
Regional Technical Manager
ROSE PEST SOLUTIONS
Smarter, Safer, Faster, BETTER !
Central Ohio Bed BugTask Force
October 16, 2015

Manual Treatments
• What is working
• What we are finding out
Heat Treatments
• How they work
• What we’ve learned along the way
Next Steps
• Should we be looking at both as a combination
Objectives

Bed Bugs vs Bat Bugs vs…….. Chimney Swift Bugs
Before Doing Anything……
Make SureYou Know ExactlyWhatYou’re Dealing With

Construction Clutter Furniture
Once Identified……
DeterminingWhich Method is Best…one, the other or a combo ?

Determined by treatment method chosen
• Rule of thumb is prep for the most effective treatment
Heat is a little different than manual
• Heat is a little less intensive but not much….
Preparation

• Clear floor of clutter
• Strip beds (box springs will be leaned against wall; ticking will be
removed)
• Wash bedding and replace after treatment
• Empty drawers, night stands, desks, etc.
• Check items for bed bugs, place in plastic bags or containers if infested and discard
• Do the laundry…all the laundry
• Move furniture away from walls
• Window treatments are inspected…if infested should be steam cleaned
• Check pet areas; launder bedding
• Remove “personal items”…if you leave them we WILL find them
ManualTreatment Prep

HeatTreatment Checklist
Pressurized cans and containers:
Fire extinguishers, shaving cream, aerosol cans (hairspray, bug
spray, deodorant, non-stick cooking spray), etc.
Flammable materials:
Propane, Sterno®, cigarette lighters, lighter fluid, mineral spirits,
paint thinner, etc.
Items that melt:
Candles, wax, crayons, candy, chocolate, etc.
Sealed jugs of liquid that may burst or split
Antifreeze, bleach, ammonia
Live plants, aquarium fish, and pets of any kind.

Delicate instruments and equipment
Guitars, violins, and other delicate musical instruments as well as oil
paintings and other heat sensitive art objects. Pianos do not need
to be removed; they may need to be tuned after the treatment.
Medical equipment and materials:
Oxygen bottles and generators, medications (liquid, gel-caps,
prescriptions), etc.
Power chairs may have to remain in the treated space if bed bug
activity is discovered on the chair. Sealed batteries/power packs
must be removed
Miscellaneous items:
Fresh fruit, heat sensitive cosmetics, ammunition

The heat will penetrate most household materials and spaces, but we want to ensure
there are no cool spots for bed bugs to hide. Household goods and personal items
should not be stacked, piled, or stored in plastic bags during the heat treatment.
Densely packed plastic bags do not allow proper heat penetration or inspection
during the treatment and could adversely affect the results of the treatment. Instead
of plastic bags we recommend mesh type laundry bags which are readily available at
most retailers.
All fabric items (linens, blankets, clothes, etc.) should be loosely stacked or in
drawers. If drawers are tightly packed, they should be emptied, at least partially, so
heated air can circulate around them.
Loose clothing removed from drawers can be stored in open-weave clothes baskets
or mesh laundry bags. DO NOT put clothes into plastic bags.

Clothes in closets should hang loosely. If tightly packed, clothes should be
taken out and hung on portable racks to facilitate air circulation.
We use fans to distribute the heated air. Loose papers should be secured in
some way (paper clips, binders) to keep them from blowing around.
Move delicate, fragile and personal items to a safe place in order to prevent
accidental damage.
Water beds must be drained; air beds (such as Select Comfort) must be
partially deflated.

Advantages
• Treatment happens quickly once prep is done
• Can be done with/without “conventional” pesticides
• DE’s (Mother Earth D), Silica Aerogel (Cimexa)
• Vacumming, steam, Cryonite
• Lower cost
Disadvantages
• Extensive prep on client’s part
• Residents must vacate
• Odors may be present shortly afterwards
ManualTreatments

What is working
• Available products seem to be working
• Some are slow; others areVERY slow
• Combination products (Temprid,Transport) seem to work well
• Still have to match the product with the substrate (old school still holds true)
• Example would be use a microcap or suspension on porous materials
• Dusts have been overlooked but shouldn’t be
• Extremely valuable tool for voids and “oddball” gaps in furniture
What we are finding out
• Bed bug behavior is different
• Tend to not rest on surfaces treated with deltamethrin but will rest upon other
pyrethroids
• Thoroughness of preparation and treatment is a priority
• Can be thought of as an “old school” cockroach treatment
ManualTreatments

Advantages
• Most items remain
• Results achieved quickly (except for those “dead bugs walkin’”)
• Eliminates all stages from egg-adult
• A little less intensive prep on client’s part
• Residents return home the same day
Disadvantages
• Residents must vacate for 6-8 hours
• Higher cost
HeatTreatments

How it works
• 80- 85 degrees F is optimum for bed bug development
• Once temps reach 112-115 heat becomes lethal after 90 min. exposure
• 118 for 20 minutes is lethal
• Doesn’t mean that bed bugs aren’t inVegas…they are!
What we’ve learned along the way
• Construction matters!
• Deep protected double voids can provide a safe haven
• Air circulation matters
• Convective air currents make heating more efficient
• Materials treated matter
• Some materials (porcelain, ceramics are very insulating)
HeatTreatment

Advantages
• Less prep than manual; more than a heat treat
• Results achieved quickly (except for those “dead bugs walkin’”)
• Eliminates all stages from egg-adult
• A little less intensive prep on client’s part
• Residents should be able to return home the same day
Disadvantages
• Residents must vacate for 6-8 hours
• Higher cost because of heat equipment involved
ComboTreatments

The Order of Business…
• Which is done first; heat or application?
• Depends on what is going to be used
• Dusts in wall voids may help intercept movement during heating
• Cannot be applied once circulation fans are in use
• Liquid residuals for crack and crevice work
• Can be done either before or after; thermal breakdown was formally a concern
but has largely been dismissed by the manufacturers
• Can be done before or after; not a good idea during
ComboTreatments

Pre-Setup Inspection
Cigarette burns on mattress

Bedroom Carpeting Burned
Covered by throw rug

Pre-Inspection
“BB” pistols found; note CO2 canister

Pre-Inspection
Items for Removal

Closet; telescope in corner (removed)

Not always where one would think……photos courtesy of J Saltzman

Armchair bed bug activity

Pre- Setup Inspection
Basement

Pre- Setup Inspection
Sealing Window Seams

Monitoring Station Readout Screen in Use

HighVelocity Floor Fans PlacedThroughout
Not turned on until temps reach 120 F

Temperature Readings taken During Heating

Moving Materials During Heat Phase

Bed Bug Activity During Heating
Closet-bed bugs moving toward ceiling

Bed Bug moving across mattress

Bed Bugs falling to floor and dying

Bed Bugs along floor behind couch

Bed Bugs dying on top of AC unit at window

Cool-Down Period
Heaters shut down; fans placed in windows and towards door

Fumigation
Professionally Speaking

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