Bed Bugs

BED BUGS TREATMENT PREPARATION
Preparing for a bed bug treatment may include, but is not limited to: exposing all floor surfaces similar to what would be done for carpet cleaning, stripping beds of all linen, standing mattresses and box springs upright, detaching head and foot boards from bed frames, emptying dressers and nightstands of all contents, removing all drawers from dressers, nightstands and other furniture, vacuuming and reducing clutter, bagging and cleaning clothes and linens, emptying closets, and more.

All preparations should be completed before the pest management professional arrives to perform the bed bug treatment.

BED BUGS INSPECTION
A bed bug inspection includes areas where people sit, rest, sleep, and generally frequent or spend time on a regular basis. The inspection should also include areas that people have reported seeing bed bugs or believe to have been bitten. A bed bug inspection normally involves areas such as mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, bed linens, pillowcases, and other adjacent areas. Careful attention should be given to all seams, piping, tags, straps, tucks, and folds of bedding when performing an inspection.

Once evidence of bed bugs has been determined, no further inspection is normally required as there is no level of acceptable infestation with bed bugs. A professional treatment should be scheduled immediately upon finding evidence of bed bugs.

BED BUGS HIDE
Bed bugs can hide in just about anything, and those areas along with the areas to be inspected, and treated may include, but are not limited to: mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, footboards, bed linens, pillowcases, bed skirting, alarm clock, television, radio, game console, video player, sofas, couches, chairs, cushions, tables, dressers, nightstands, desks, floors, rugs, inside and underneath furniture, the backside of picture frames, the underside of horizontal surfaces, wall hangings, curtains, drapes, carpet areas adjacent to baseboards, closets, storage containers, pet beds, cracks, crevices, holes, crown moldings, window and door frames, nail holes or other damaged areas on walls, cracks and seams in hardwood floors, electrical switch and outlet plates, areas where two surfaces join together, voids, drawer slides, and other areas.
In commercial settings this may also include offices, laundry rooms, janitorial closets, laundry carts, storage areas, social centers, lounges, waiting rooms, luggage racks, recreation rooms, break rooms, adjacent rooms above, below, and beside infested areas, and any area where people congregate. In some cases, access to these sites may require removing carpets, molding, baseboards, wallpaper, and other materials.

BED BUGS CANNOT BE CONFIRMED FROM BITES
Determining the presence of bed bugs is not possible from an apparent bite mark. Bite reactions vary from one person to another, and bites from other insects may have a similar appearance to those of bed bugs. Infections and other skin conditions may also resemble insect bites.

LIVE BED BUGS CAN BE SEEN
Live bed bugs can be difficult to observe in low-level infestations, but evidence of bed bugs can positively be determined by the presence of cast skin molts, eggs, dead bed bugs and fecal staining on bed linens or other surfaces in areas where no previous treatments have been performed. Some people may elect to have an area treated based on reports of bites or the proximity of other infested areas, even if visual evidence of an active bed bug infestation cannot be confirmed.

BED BUG TRAPS
The common moat style bed bug traps are only effective against infestations traveling in the immediate areas adjacent to the bed, and provide no warning from activity that may be present on, or inside the mattress, box springs, headboard and bed frame. Lack of evidence in these devices does not mean the area is free of bed bugs, but simply the activity did not approach from the floor areas and attempt to cross the moat. In many cases, the infestation can be limited to the bed only, which will most likely not provide any evidence in a trap located under the legs of the bed frame. Moat style traps should never be used without encasements for the mattresses and box springs.

BED BUGS IN MATTRESSES
Mattress and box spring covers or encasements are designed to create a barrier to bed bug movement in and out of the mattress, box springs, and pillows, by trapping and starving bed bugs inside. Encasements make bed bug inspections much easier by eliminating harborage areas inside the mattress and box springs while making the insects themselves much more visible on the surface. Not all encasements fully protect against bed bugs, and none are capable of eliminating a bed bug infestation. It is recommended to only use encasements demonstrated as being "bed bug-proof," "bite-proof," and "escape-proof." Not all encasements are created equal in terms of quality, and their thickness and durability can vary. Great care should be taken when putting mattresses and box springs back in place after installing an encasement or changing linens as to insure the encasement does not get snagged on the bed frame or other surface and torn open.

BED BUGS IPM TREATMENT
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as it relates to bed bugs may include, but is not limited to: providing education about the biology of bed bugs, prevention and control methods, reducing clutter, laundering of clothing and bed linens, sealing cracks, crevices and other openings, correcting structural deficiencies, making mechanical alterations, making inspections part of a regular maintenance program, modifying architecture to prevent or reduce the likelihood of infestation, vacuuming, housekeeping and others.

BED BUGS CANNOT BE TREATED WITH VACUUMING
Vacuuming or the physical removal of bed bugs, cast skin molts and eggs can quickly reduce the population in heavily infested areas making it much easier to identify and monitor new activity.

Vacuuming can make an area appear less infested, but will not completely eliminate a bed bug infestation. Keep in mind that bed bug eggs are naturally sticky and mature bed bugs can hold tight to rough surfaces which may require scraping simultaneously while vacuuming in order to free them from some surfaces.

BED BUGS CANNOT BE EFFICIENTLY ERADICATED WITH HEAT
Heat treatments are a common method used to control bed bugs and provides an environmentally friendly alternative to chemicals that is safe for people and pets. Unfortunately, heat treatments do not leave a residual behind, and if anything survives the treatment, the whole infestation process starts over again. Heating and freezing surfaces also repels the bed bugs forcing them into areas that were not previously infested as they try and get away from the heat (or cold). It can be extremely difficult to heat some objects enough to kill bed bugs because the construction materials are very well insulated. In many cases, raising the internal temperature of an object enough to kill the bed bugs will damage the outer surfaces.

The recommended temperature and exposure periods for heat treatments used to control bed bugs are:

113 F (45 C) for 7 hours,
118 F (48 C) for 90 minutes,
122 F (50 C) for 1 minute

These recommendations refer to the temperature at the site of infestation where the bed bugs are located, and not the ambient air temperature in the room. For steam treatments, temperatures should be much higher at approximately 160 - 180º F (71 - 82º C) to ensure that the surface temperature exceeds 122º F (50º C).

BED BUGS SPREAD INTO SURROUNDING AREAS
In apartments, condominiums, hotels, motels, and other multi-family or multi-unit buildings, when evidence of bed bugs has been discovered, the surrounding units beside, above, and below should always be included in the inspection and treatment. It is possible that one or more of the surrounding units may be the originating source of the bed bugs. Failure to treat surrounding units greatly increases the risk of re-infestation.

BED BUGS TREATMENT RESIDUALS AND RE-INFESTATIONS
Evidence of bed bugs in an area that has recently been treated does not necessarily indicate a failed treatment attempt. It is more likely that new bed bugs have been re-introduced to the area from other infested locations. The majority of products labeled for control of bed bug populations do not leave a residual behind that is strong enough to kill all stages of the bed bug for more than thirty days. In addition, many of the surfaces that bed bugs commonly infest will be free of chemical residuals such as fresh sheets and other linens, mattress and box spring encasements, and any new replacement furniture (such as a new bed) that is brought in after the original treatment. Because of this, it is very important to document all treatment methods and procedures to demonstrate that the pest management professional has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the bed bug infestation has been eliminated. Pay special attention to any problem areas such as conducive conditions that need correcting, structural deficiencies, and lack of cooperation or preparation with the original treatment.

Any bed bug service agreement provided by a pest management professional should include a description of the service that will be provided, a proposed schedule for completion of the services, the specific areas to be serviced, a complete description of the customer's responsibilities including treatment preparations and obligations to keep the site in a condition that does not promote future bed bug infestations, exclusions and limitations of liability (except for gross negligence) for damages resulting from a bed bug infestation such as disease or other health related issues, property damage, loss of income, contamination of others, replacement of furniture, mattresses, bedding, clothing, and other infested items, and a section stating that the pest management professional will never be responsible for any past, present, or future damages resulting from a bed bug infestation.

WATCH FOR BED BUGS WHILE TRAVELING
Bed bug prevention techniques are extremely important for everyone now regardless if you travel frequently or not. What follows is a list of suggestions on how to prevent bed bug infestations when traveling, or just going to work or school.

Pack a flashlight in your luggage to aid the inspection process.

Pull back the bed sheets and inspect the mattress and box springs before you settle into a room. Pay particular attention to seams, piping, tags, straps, tucks, and folds of bedding and linens.

Bed bug fecal remains resemble an ink stain from a black pen as if someone had held the pen in place on the fabric a little too long. Remember, bed bugs prefer to aggregate in areas, so finding multiple fecal stains in one spot is common.

If possible, check behind the headboard where it touches the wall, and where it connects to the bed frame. Inspect the night stands and dresser, looking inside each drawer.

Lift up cushions on sofas and chairs or fold them back to inspect seams if attached. If live bed bugs are found, take pictures and then scoop them up in a zip lock bag if possible. Most modern mobile phones are capable of capturing the shot if a camera is unavailable.

If evidence of a bed bug infestation is found, notify the management immediately. If given a new room, make sure it is not beside, above, or below the original room. Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and can make their way to adjacent rooms on housekeeping carts, luggage racks, and even through electrical switches and outlets in some cases.

Never place your luggage on an upholstered surface or on the provided luggage rack. The fold out luggage rack is highly conducive with multiple locations in which bed bugs can hide including large hollow legs.

Never hang your clothes on the fancy wooden hangers that are permanently attached to the closet bar in some hotels. There are no fewer than seven different areas in which a bed bug can hide in those fancy wooden hangers.

Never unpack all of your clothes and place them into the dresser or other storage areas. The cracks and seams of the wooden drawers are a likely hiding spot for tiny bed bugs.

If possible, place your luggage on a tiled surface, in the bathtub, or on top of the toilet. You can also cut the edge of a trash bag in order to fold it out like a small tarp to place your luggage on.

You can also place your luggage in a heavy duty 55 gallon plastic trash bag for the duration of your trip to prevent access and only remove what you need, sealing the bag immediately after each opening.

Always place dirty clothes in a heavy duty 55 gallon plastic trash bag while traveling. Never mix your dirty clothes with the clean clothes inside your suitcase.

Never drape your clothing across cushioned seats while traveling, instead bring your own hangers and use the shower rod.

When purchasing clothing, inspect clothing items carefully before trying them on or making a purchase, paying particular attention to seams where tiny opaque cream colored eggs and exoskeletons, dark ink pen like stains, or adult bed bugs may be hiding.

Keep clothing purchases tightly sealed in the store bag or place in another bag for the trip home.

Upon returning home, inspect your luggage outdoors or in the garage before bringing anything into the house.

Launder all clothing on the highest heat wash cycle and the hottest drying cycle when returning from a trip.

If possible, take all clothing to a commercial facility in which the washing machines and dryers are both capable of higher than average heat settings.

When unpacking new items, inventory or receiving shipments, carefully inspect all items and packaging for signs of bed bug infestation. Always hire a pest management professional to inspect (and treat if necessary) any used furniture before you bring it into your home or dormitory.

Plan regular inspections of all areas at school or work that may become infested with bed bugs.

BE INFORMED AND INFORM OTHERS
Address the threat of bed bugs with your peers, coworkers, staff, and others you visit frequently, and share the knowledge you have gained in preventing bed bugs.