Ask the Expert - Bed bug
Bed bug infestations vary incredibly, generally depending on how much time has elapsed since their initial infestation.
Being such a cryptic pest with a desire to place eggs deep into protected voids, they often go unnoticed until a huge infestation has established.
Eggs are cemented in place in the harbourage and there is no further interaction between the eggs and parents. Nymphs are independent blood feeders and also have minimal parental contact.
If only bed bugs were social creatures…
Non-repellent chemistry has a maximum effect when there is considerable interaction between colony members. It guarantees quicker and more comprehensive results. When the insect’s lifecycle is inextricably linked to a food web involving a central queen or nursery, the results on the colony are devastating.
Unfortunately, Bed bugs do not behave like this at all so you cannot rely on efficient active. movement between colony members to resolve your problem within an acceptable time frame.
Bed bug treatment must be a search and destroy process with meticulous focus on cracks and crevices. Each bug is a potential source for hundreds or even thousands of offspring and each crack and crevice is a potential hiding place for a new infestation.
Look in every nook and cranny
The greatest effects are achieved by thorough crack and crevice treatment using a highly residual, highly potent insecticide. Ideally, it should be from a chemical group which the bugs have not been exposed to previously, overcoming any resistance issues.
The most critical factor is penetrating cracks and crevices with the product instead of relying on residual surface films to pick up bugs emerging from voids. Turn furniture upside down and move everything restricting your access to the major voids in walls, ceilings, fixtures, etc.
Take your time and be thorough. Don’t worry if you treat a crack or crevice twice. Perfect this treatment and infestations can be eradicated in hours or days at worst - not waiting 6 weeks.
Include non-repellents in your toolkit
Non-repellents play a part in the control program, once the resident infestation is eliminated. Bed bugs are an incredibly mobile pest, so new infestations are constantly being reintroduced by new travellers.
At the early stage of introduction, Bed bugs are most vulnerable to the ‘blunder’ effect of non-repellents, i.e. moving across treated surfaces without realising the active is present. Once your initial eradication treatment has cleared the area, consider using non-repellents as an ongoing control mechanism to be applied at regular service intervals.
Sign clients up to maintenance treatments at the start because it is much harder to convince them to treat when a problem is not evident.
If only bed bugs were social creatures…
Non-repellent chemistry has a maximum effect when there is considerable interaction between colony members. It guarantees quicker and more comprehensive results. When the insect’s lifecycle is inextricably linked to a food web involving a central queen or nursery, the results on the colony are devastating.
Unfortunately, Bed bugs do not behave like this at all so you cannot rely on efficient active. movement between colony members to resolve your problem within an acceptable time frame.
Bed bug treatment must be a search and destroy process with meticulous focus on cracks and crevices. Each bug is a potential source for hundreds or even thousands of offspring and each crack and crevice is a potential hiding place for a new infestation.
Look in every nook and cranny
The greatest effects are achieved by thorough crack and crevice treatment using a highly residual, highly potent insecticide. Ideally, it should be from a chemical group which the bugs have not been exposed to previously, overcoming any resistance issues.
The most critical factor is penetrating cracks and crevices with the product instead of relying on residual surface films to pick up bugs emerging from voids. Turn furniture upside down and move everything restricting your access to the major voids in walls, ceilings, fixtures, etc.
Take your time and be thorough. Don’t worry if you treat a crack or crevice twice. Perfect this treatment and infestations can be eradicated in hours or days at worst - not waiting 6 weeks.
Include non-repellents in your toolkit
Non-repellents play a part in the control program, once the resident infestation is eliminated. Bed bugs are an incredibly mobile pest, so new infestations are constantly being reintroduced by new travellers.
At the early stage of introduction, Bed bugs are most vulnerable to the ‘blunder’ effect of non-repellents, i.e. moving across treated surfaces without realising the active is present. Once your initial eradication treatment has cleared the area, consider using non-repellents as an ongoing control mechanism to be applied at regular service intervals.
Sign clients up to maintenance treatments at the start because it is much harder to convince them to treat when a problem is not evident.