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Summary of Bed Bug Treatment Methods
 
The following table has been published by the National Center for Healthy Housing and summarizes the different treatment methods discussed in the Treatment section. Information in the table is supported by case study and scientific literature. Retail costs in the table are relative to the time of publishing and region of the country.
 
Management
Method
 
Primary
Responsibility
 
Retail Cost
Per System
 
Commentary
 
Compatibility with other methods
 
Laundering*
 
Resident
 
Dissolvable Bag: $22 for 10 bags
 
Laundered fabrics will be free of bed bugs as long as they are kept isolated from infested areas.
 
Include in every control effort.
 
Unit Preparation*
 
Resident
 
Varies
 
Poor housekeeping, sanitation, etc., are not necessarily conducive to bed bug infestations, but bed bugs are more likely to remain undetected and pest management efforts are more likely to fail in a cluttered home.
 
Include in every area so that the Pest Management Professional (PMP) can properly inspect the property.
 
Encasements*
 
Resident
 
$50 or more each for box spring and mattress
 
Bed bugs that are trapped in an encasement designed for use in bed bug control will not be able to feed or escape and will eventually die. Encasements keep bed bugs from infesting mattresses and box springs.
 
Use encasements either after treatment or before an infestation is found.
 
Monitors
 
PMP, resident, or staff
 
4 interceptors for $8. Carbon dioxide attractant devices $15-$950 initial cost.
 
Monitors will catch bed bugs, but are not meant to control infestations.
 
Monitors can be used alone or in combination with other detection and control methods to confirm active bed bug infestations.
 
Vacuuming*
 
PMP, trained staff, or trained resident
 
HEPA Vacuum for $250-$500
 
Vacuuming is not reliable as an
exclusive control method.
PMPs, staff, and residents should use a vacuum to remove bed bugs during inspections and unit preparation.
 
Steam
 
PMP or trained staff
 
$500-$1,500
 
Steam wand must be moved at a rate that heats the area to a lethal temperature.
 
Use with other methods such as insecticidal dust for voids that steam cannot penetrate. Mattresses and box springs must be dry prior to encasement.
 


Management
Method
 
Primary
Responsibility
 
Retail Cost
Per System
 
Commentary
 
Compatibility with other methods
 
Thermal Remediation Using Ambient Heat
 
PMP or trained staff
 
$330 for luggage-sized container. $90,000 for whole unit heater. $800-$2,000 to treat an apartment.
 
Lethal temperatures must penetrate all items for the treatment to kill all stages of bed bugs.
 
Heat treatment is a good option for cluttered homes where preparation is a struggle.
 
Bed Bug Detecting Canine
 
PMP
 
$10,000 to purchase. $1,300 per team per day.
 
Dogs are effective and efficient for large-scale (multi-unit) inspections.
 
Use with visual inspection. Treat in areas where the dog alerts.
 
Pesticides
 
PMP
 
Varies by product.
 
Consider the location of application, effectiveness of chemical, residual, and ovicidal properties of each product before selecting it.
 
Pesticides are used as needed in combination with other treatment methods.
 
Freezing Using Dry Ice/Liquid CO2
 
PMP
 
$6,900 for a machine.
 
Not widely used in the US, but widely used in Europe. Insufficient information for adequate assessment at this time.
 
More research is needed comparing the penetration of both heat and cold.
 
* Should be incorporated into every treatment plan for optimal success
 
 
The following table summarizes the most common bed bug treatment methods. Deciding which method(s) to use depends on many factors. The pros and cons of each method are discussed below, with added recommendations for effective use.
 

Management Method
Pros
 
Cons
 
Recommendations
 
Steam
 
  1. Short exposure time for effective kill
  2. No chemical residue
  3. Useful in sensitive locations and on items that cannot be laundered or treated with pesticides
  4. Efficacious and relatively inexpensive
  5. Available to the public and facility managers for use

     
    1. Time consuming
    2. Does not penetrate materials deeply
    3. May blow bed bugs away
    4. Moisture can damage electronics and other treated surfaces
    5. Residual moisture raises mold concerns
    6. Every location must be treated, no residual effect

       
      1. Use dry steam method if available
      2. Move steam wand slowly to assure sufficient contact time (20 seconds/linear foot)
      3. Diffuse pressurized air by using a nozzle attachment wrapped in fabric. This keeps bed bugs from blowing away.
      4. Use as part of a comprehensive management program.

         



        Management Method
         
        Pros
         
        Cons
         
        Recommendations
         
        Thermal Remediation using Ambient Heat
         
        1. Good for locations where unit preparation is difficult, less tenant preparation required in general
        2. Kills all bed bug stages including eggs
        3. No chemical residue
        4. When properly used, effectively treats the whole unit at once
        5. This is one of the only bed bug management methods that has potential to be used alone.
        1. Can fail if all locations in unit do not attain upper lethal temperature (~120F)
        2. Typically costs more than other methods of treatment
        3. NOT a "do it yourself" method. Untrained staff should not attempt thermal treatments.
        1. Trained PMP must monitor for appropriate temperature and time requirements and make adjustments as necessary to assure effective treatment of all locations.
        2. Infested items can be treated with ambient heat in a containerized setting.
        Freezing
        Items placed in freezer
         
        1. Widely available
        2. Good for treating small personal items
        3. Inexpensive
        1. Difficult to determine amount of time necessary to effectively kill bed bugs
        2. Limited space
        3. Placing items outside in the winter WILL NOT work
        4. Temperatures must be <0 F to be effective (colder than most household freezer compartments)
        1. Cooling must be rapid to effectively kill bed bugs.
        2. When used with other management techniques as part of a comprehensive program, freezing may be useful for small items that people dont ft want treated with pesticides.
        Freezing
        Liquid CO
        2 treatments
        1. Rapid freezing has been shown to kill bed bugs
        2. No chemical residue
        3. Useful in sensitive locations and on items that cannot be laundered or treated with pesticides
        1. Liquid CO
        2. 2 treatment methods are time consuming
        3. Treatment does not penetrate materials deeply
        4. May blow bed bugs away
        5. Every location must be treated, no residual effect
        6. Limited data on efficacy
           
           
           
           
           
           
        1. Freezing bed bugs using solid or liquid CO
        2. 2 is a "spot treatment" methodology and may be effective when used as part of a comprehensive management program.
        Pesticides
         
        1. Relatively inexpensive
        2. May provide quick relief
        3. Widely available
        4. Wide range of available options and locations that are "treatable" using liquid or dust applications.
        1. Bed bugs are becoming resistant to many commonly used pesticides.
        2. Bug bombs ARE NOT effective against bed bugs and should not be used.
        3. Some consumers have concerns over pesticide toxicity.
        4. Pesticides used alone will not be effective in eliminating a bed bug infestation.
        1. A licensed and experienced PMP should be used.
        2. PMP should identify ALL infested locations prior to treatment.
        3. Choose pesticides carefully and apply judiciously based on individual factors of each infestation.
        4. Always follow label instructions and use appropriate personal protective equipment.
        NOTE: No treatment methodology can be guaranteed. It is important for the consumer to understand that while bed bugs may be eliminated at one point in time, this does not prevent bed bugs from being re-introduced. It is critically important for consumers to be educated on how to PREVENT an infestation from occurring.
         

         

        Bed bug

        From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
         
         
         
        Jump to: navigation, search
         
        Bed bug
        bedbug on human sucking blood
        Cimex lectularius
        Scientific classification
        Kingdom: Animalia
        Phylum: Arthropoda
        Class: Insecta
        Order: Hemiptera
        Suborder: Heteroptera
        Infraorder: Cimicomorpha
        Superfamily: Cimicoidea
        Family: Cimicidae
        Latreille, 1802
        Subfamilies, Genera& Species

        Subfamily Afrociminae

        Subfamily Cimicinae

        Subfamily Cacodminae

        Subfamily Haematosiphoninae

        Subfamily Latrocimicinae

        Subfamily Primicimicinae

         
         
         
        Cimicidae or bed bugs (sometimes bedbugs), are small parasiticinsects. The most common type is Cimex lectularius.[2] The term usually refers to species that prefer to feed on human blood. All insects in this family live by feeding exclusively on the blood of warm-bloodedanimals.[3][4]
         
         
        A number of health effects may occur due to bed bugs including skin rashes, psychological effects and allergic symptoms. Diagnosis involves both finding bed bugs and the occurrence of compatible symptoms. Treatment is otherwise symptomatic.
         
        In the developed world, bed bugs were largely eradicated as pests in the early 1940s, however have increased in prevalence since about 1995.[5] Because infestation of human habitats has been on the increase, bed bug bites and related conditions have been on the rise as well.[6][7] The exact causes of this resurgence remain unclear; it is variously ascribed to greater foreign travel, more frequent exchange of second-hand furnishings among homes, a greater focus on control of other pests resulting in neglect of bed bug countermeasures, and increasing resistance to pesticides.[7][8] Bed bugs have been known as human parasites for thousands of years.[6]
         
         
        The name "bed bug" is derived from the insect's preferred habitat of houses and especially beds or other areas where people sleep. Bed bugs, though not strictly nocturnal, are mainly active at night and are capable of feeding unnoticed on their hosts. They have however been known by a variety of names including wall louse, mahogany flat, crimson rambler, heavy dragoon, chinche and redcoat.[9]
         
         
        To learn more about bed bugs from National Pest Management Association Click here.
         
        Links to Bed Bug sites:
        Proud members of:

        Board Certified Entomologist Missouri Pest Management National Pest Management bed bug certified National Bed Bugs Pi Chi Omega