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Bed Bug Awareness Week Bed Bug Facts & Prevention

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bedbugweek      Bed Bug Awareness Week Bed Bug Facts & Prevention

As part of National Pest Management Month, PPMA is launching “Bed Bug Awareness Week,” April 22 – 26 to promote public vigilance and provide essential prevention advice about bed bugs in advance of the summer travel season.

Tips Bed Bug Facts

• Bed bugs are found worldwide and are thought to have come to the U.S. from Europe in the 17th century.
• Bed bugs primarily feed  on humans, but they can also feed on warm-­‐blooded animals including birds, mice and family pets.
• Adults are just under ¼” long, relatively flat and oval in shape compared to most other insects.
• Bed bugs can lay one to five eggs per day and more than 500 in a lifetime.
• Bed bugs can survive for several months without eating.
• Bed bugs can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from nearly freezing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bed bugs draw blood for about five minutes before retreating to digest.
• Bed bug hatchlings are so small they can pass through a stitch-­‐hole in a mattress.
• Bed bugs can ingest seven-­‐times their own weight in blood, which would be the equivalent of an average-­‐sized male drinking
120 gallons of liquid.

Bed Bug Prevention Tips

There are several steps you can take to help prevent bed bugs in your everyday life. Regular bed bug inspections are the best line of defense to help you avoid a bed bug infestation.

Here are some other prevention tips to keep in mind:
• Regularly inspect areas where pets sleep for signs of bed bugs such as pepper-­‐like stains, molted bed bug skins and white, sticky eggs.
• Never bring second-­‐hand furniture, especially mattresses and box springs, into a home or college dorm without thoroughly examining it for signs of a bed bug infestation.
• At  hotels, thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in furniture. Pull back the
bed sheets and check the mattress seams for pepper-­‐like stains that may be evidence of bed bug activity.
• If you suspect an infestation or problem, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure the new room is not adjacent
to or directly below or above the possibly infested room.
• Keep suitcases in plastic trash bags or protective covers during a hotel stay to prevent bed bugs from nesting there. Do not put
them on the beds.
• Upon returning home from a trip, inspect all suitcases and other belongings before bringing them into the house.
• Wash all clothes -­‐ even those that have not been worn -­‐  in hot water and dry them using an extra-­‐hot dryer setting.

Information provided by Professional Pest Management Alliance

Male     mattress     Bed      bed2      A common bedbug is engorged with blood after feeding on a human arm.     bed bug male, female, and eggs      bed5      feed1npma

 

Bed Bug Awareness Week begins April 22nd

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bedbugweek    Bed Bug Awareness Week  begins April 22nd. 

As part of National Pest Management Month, PPMA is launching “Bed Bug Awareness Week,” April 22 – 26 to promote public vigilance and provide essential prevention advice about bed bugs in advance of the summer travel season.

What do bed bugs look like?

Adult bed bugs are brown, about a quarter of  an inch in diameter and resemble a flat apple seed or lentil.

How pervasive is the bed bug problem in the United States? 

There has been a  significant increase bed bug infestations in recent years. According to 2013 research conducted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the University of Kentucky, almost 100 percent of pest control companies have treated for bed bugs in the past year, compared to just 25 percent in 2000. In addition, an earlier NPMA survey conducted in January of 2011 found that one  in five Americans has encountered bed bugs in their home or knows someone who has.

Why are bed bugs such a problem now?

While there is not one clear answer for the resurgence in bed bugs in recent years, the majority of pest professionals point to  increased travel, lack of public awareness, and changing pest control  products and methods.

What states have been affected?

Pest control companies have reported bed bug activity on a national scale. Today,  bed bugs can be found throughout almost every region of  the world and in all 50 United States.

Where are bed bugs found?
Bed bugs are not limited to any one specific type of dwelling. Pest control companies have been reporting infestations everywhere
including single family homes, multi-­‐family housing, apartments, hotels and motels, hospitals, schools and college campuses,
office buildings, retail stores, movie theaters, libraries and even public transportation.
Are bed bugs just in beds?
While bed bugs are most often found in bed parts, such as mattresses, box springs and folded areas, they can also survive in  alternative habitats.  Bed bugs often conceal themselves behind  baseboards, wallpaper, upholstery, picture frames, electrical switch plates and in furniture crevices.
What are some common signs of a bed bug infestation?

Telltale signs of a bed bug infestation include: • Small red to reddish brown fecal spots on mattresses, upholstery or walls • Molted
bed bug skins, white,  sticky eggs or empty eggshells • Very heavily infested areas may  have a characteristically sweet odor • Red,
itchy bite marks, especially on the legs, arms and other body parts which may be exposed  while sleeping

Why are  bed bugs so hard to treat?

Bed bugs are elusive, hardy pests that are easily transported from one place to another. They can live for several months without
eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures from nearly freezing to almost 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
How does  someone control bed bugs?

Any effective bed bug control strategy should start with a careful, thorough inspection by a licensed pest professional of all known
and suspected spots where the  bugs may be hiding. This is not a pest that can be controlled effectively with do-­‐it-­‐yourself measures.
Once bed bugs are discovered, a  pest professional will develop a treatment and control strategy with their customer depending on
the extent of the infestation. It is  imperative for the customer to fully follow the advice, including removing infested items and laundering clothing.

Information provided by Professional Pest Management Alliance

Male     mattress      Bed     bed2      A common bedbug is engorged with blood after feeding on a human arm.      bed bug male, female, and eggs       bed5      feed1npma

Arizona Bed Bug Laws

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azsign   Arizona Bed Bug Laws

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Title 9, chapter 4, article 8, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 9-500.30, to read:

9-500.30. Prohibition on adopting landlord tenant bedbug control requirements

A.  Except as provided in subsection B of this section, a city or town shall not adopt requirements by ordinance or otherwise for landlords or tenants that relate to the control of bedbugs as defined in section 33-1319, other than the requirements prescribed by section 33-1319.

B.  A city or town may adopt requirements relating to the proper disposal of items that are infested with bedbugs.

Sec. 2.  Title 11, chapter 2, article 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 11-269.10, to read:

11-269.10. Prohibition on adopting landlord tenant bedbug control requirements

A.  Except as provided in subsection B of this section the board of supervisors and any other person under the authority of the board of supervisors shall not adopt requirements by ordinance or otherwise for landlords or tenants that relate to the control of bedbugs as defined in section 33-1319, other than the requirements prescribed by section 33-1319.

B.  The board of supervisors or a person under the authority of the board of supervisors may adopt requirements relating to the proper disposal of items that are infested with bedbugs.

Sec. 3.  Title 33, chapter 10, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 33-1319, to read:

33-1319. Bedbug control; landlord and tenant obligations; definitions

A.  A landlord has the following obligations with respect to a bedbug infestation:

1.  As a portion of its obligations under section 33-1324, the landlord shall maintain the dwelling unit free of an infestation of bedbugs.

2.  The landlord shall provide existing tenants with a copy of this section on or before September 1, 2011 by personal delivery or first class mail and shall provide new tenants with a copy of this section on commencement of a new lease.  The landlord also shall provide educational materials to existing and new tenants.  Educational materials may include:

(a)  A description of measures that may be taken to prevent and control bedbugs.

(b)  Information about bedbugs, including a description of their appearance.

(c)  A description of behaviors that are risk factors for attracting bedbugs such as purchasing renovated mattresses, using discarded mattresses and furniture, using used or leased furniture, purchasing pre-owned clothing and traveling without proper precautions.

(d)  Information provided by the United States centers for disease control and prevention and other federal, state or local health agencies.

(e)  Information provided by federal, state or local housing agencies.

(f)  Information provided by nonprofit housing organizations.

3.  The landlord shall not enter into any lease agreement with a tenant for a dwelling unit that the landlord knows to have a current bedbug infestation.

4.  Within seven business days after receiving written or electronic notice of a possible bedbug infestation from a tenant, the landlord or the landlord’s licensed pest control applicator shall visually inspect the dwelling unit for bedbugs.  Within seven business days after finding evidence that a bedbug infestation exists in the dwelling unit, the landlord shall start the process of mitigation of the bedbugs in the dwelling unit.

5.  Unless the landlord is a licensed applicator, the landlord shall not use any pest control techniques that constitute mitigation and shall use for mitigation a pest control applicator who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 22.

6.  The landlord shall provide the tenant with written notice of the bedbug mitigation treatment protocol at least three business days before the initial treatment.  Notice shall be deemed received by the tenant on the date the notice is personally delivered or mailed first class.

7.  Unless otherwise provided in this section, the landlord is responsible for the bedbug mitigation expenses for the dwelling unit and any surrounding units that are infested.

B.  A tenant has the following obligations with respect to a bedbug infestation:

1.  As a portion of the tenant’s obligations under section 33-1341, the tenant shall maintain the dwelling unit free of an infestation of bedbugs.

2.  The tenant shall not move materials into a dwelling unit that are infested with bedbugs.

3.  A tenant who knows of the presence of bedbugs shall provide the landlord written or electronic notification of the presence of bedbugs in the dwelling unit within three business days.  Notice that is provided by the tenant pursuant to this paragraph constitutes permission to the landlord to enter the dwelling unit for the sole purpose of inspecting for or mitigation of bedbugs.

4.  After receiving notice from the landlord of a bedbug inspection or mitigation as provided in subsection a of this section, the tenant shall allow the landlord and the landlord’s licensed pest control applicator access to the dwelling unit.

5.  The tenant shall comply with the bedbug mitigation protocol established by the licensed applicator, which may include pretreatment activities, temporary evacuation of the dwelling unit, posttreatment activities and an obligation to report the ineffective treatment or reinfestation to the landlord within three business days.

6.  The tenant shall not apply or permit any unlicensed person to apply any bedbug control techniques that constitute mitigation.

7.  If a landlord fails to inspect and, if necessary, mitigate a bedbug infestation within the time prescribed in subsection A of this section, the tenant shall provide written notice to the landlord of the tenant’s intention to correct the condition at the landlord’s expense.  If the landlord fails to correct the condition within ten days after being notified by the tenant in writing, the tenant may cause the work to be done by a licensed pest control applicator, submit to the landlord an itemized statement for the pest control services and deduct from any rent due the actual and reasonable cost of the pest control treatment not to exceed five hundred dollars or one‑half of the monthly rent, whichever is greater.

8.  If the tenant fails to comply with any of the obligations prescribed in this section, the tenant may be held financially responsible for bedbug mitigation expenses for the dwelling unit and surrounding units that are infested.

C.  The landlord and tenant of a single family residence may agree that the tenant is responsible for bedbug mitigation as provided in section 33‑1324, subsection c.

D.  A landlord is deemed to have successfully mitigated a bedbug infestation on completion of bedbug treatment by a licensed pest control applicator.

E.  This section does not limit the landlord’s or tenant’s rights and obligations under this chapter.

F.  Except as specifically provided in this section, this section does not create a cause of action against:

1.  A landlord or a landlord’s employees, officers, agents and directors by a tenant or a tenant’s guests for any damages caused by bedbugs.

2.  A tenant by a landlord for any damages caused by bedbugs.

G.  For the purposes of this section:

1.  ”Bedbug mitigation expenses” means the reasonable and necessary cost of the pest control treatment or treatments and may include the cleaning, removal and replacement of flooring if reasonably required by the degree of infestation.

2.  ”Bedbugs” means any insect in the genus cimex and its eggs.

3.  ”Infestation” or “infested” means that the presence of bedbugs is sufficient to materially affect the health and safety of tenants and their guests.

4.  ”Mitigation” means the process undertaken by a pest control applicator who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 22 to attempt to eliminate or manage the infestation of bedbugs by poisoning, spraying, fumigating, trapping or any other recognized and lawful pest control method, including repeated applications of any treatment, particularly to areas where bedbugs are likely to congregate.

5.  ”Surrounding unit” means a dwelling unit that shares a common wall with, or that is directly above or below, another dwelling unit.

 

Bed Bug job – Day 3, The Follow-up.

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Bed Bug job – Day 3, Invader Pest Management & ProBest Pest Management

 

One of the rules in any any Bed Bug treatment is the follow-up, how do you known if the job was successful? One of the simplest ways is by asking if anyone is being bitten? This doesn’t always work because some people respond differently to Bed Bug bites, so ProBest Pest management installed some Verifi™ (Monitoring and Detection) devices within the home. These units have a 3 fold way of attracting Bed Bugs:

  • Verifi Co2 Booster Pack – Carbon Dioxide – something we breath out and the Bed Bugs are attracted to.
  • Pheromone lure – encourages Bed Bugs to gather and aggregate into a harborage area.
  • Kairomone  lure – this device is used to mimic a blood source meal, that’s us.

SUCCESS – SUCCESS – SUCCESS – SUCCESS

This was a FREE job (Paying It Forward) and I want to thank Channel 3, Meredith Yeomans for coming up with the story and the deserving folks for the story. I also want to say thanks to the deserving folks for letting us take over their home and giving us the opportunity to help them. I also want to thank Invader Pest Management – who gave us a hand because I knew I couldn’t do this job without their experience and equipment. Thanks Fred, Danny and Peter.

Pest Control Companies: Have you done a Bed Bug job or other interesting job Pro Bono – FREE. Tell us about it and Thanks for Paying It Forward!

              

http://www.azfamily.com/news/consumer/Bedbugs-a-nightmare-for-Glendale-woman-166332456.html

http://www.azfamily.com/video/?id=166332456&ref=articlevidmod&sec=514332

Bed Bug job – Day 2, part 1 – The Treatment.

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Bed Bug job – Day 2, Invader Pest Management & ProBest Pest Management

 

We stayed in contact working with the customer to help de-clutter the home, not always possible after you have collected this stuff for years. We helped the customer by giving them some Nu-van strips to put into the bags that eventually went outside to sit in the sun. The nice thing about Arizona – it’s HOT and just for the record it’s also monsoon season so it’s really muggy and humid. So the day to treat has arrived and are first goal is to do a walk through, make sure all the aerosol containers have been removed and anything else that could warp or melt with the extreme heat. OK on to the heat, room by room to somewhere between 140° and 160° degrees for a sufficient amount of time to exterminate the Bed Bugs.

                                  

Bed Bug job – Day 1 – The Inspection.

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Bed Bug job – Day 1, Invader Pest Management & ProBest Pest Management

 

Most of this pest control work requires an inspection and I’m a big believer in this inspection. It’s an integral part of a process that must be worked to achieve the desired outcome – no bed bugs.

What would happen if you were quoted a price and the day of service the service company changed their mind and wanted more money? It’s not your fault, so I truly believe an inspection is the absolute only way to begin to understand a Bed Bug job. Bed Bugs come with their own baggage of problems, how did you get them, where are they so far, what have you done so far to solve the problem  and what does the home look like? All this being said – is the home cluttered?

ProBest Pest Management has been working with Chanel 3 on a Bed Bug story and located a family that was in need of some Professional work, after seeing the house we decided the only way to solve this bed bug issue was to bring in my friends from Invader Pest Management and their heat equipment.

So first the inspection:

                                      

Clutter always adds an extra element of success or failure, it is important to get to where the Bed Bugs are hiding and with clutter it could be anywhere. The next portion of this series will be the treatment, so stay tuned!

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