A 2013 Bed Bug Update

There hasn’t been much in the news about bed bugs lately, so you may be wondering if those of us in pest management have halted the bed bug resurgence and eliminated them.

The short answer is “no.” Bed bugs are still a big problem. The 2013 Bugs Without Borders Survey done by the National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky revealed bed bug infestations are continuing to rise. In fact, 99.6 percent of the respondents from U.S. pest management professionals indicate that they have seen an increase of infestations in areas normally treated for these bloodsuckers. There could be a number of reasons for this rise, from more public awareness to bed bugs’ possible growing resistance to the current treatment materials.

We continue to see an increase in calls for bed bugs in our residential, commercial and institutional clients. This covers single family and multiple dwellings as well as senior housing, schools and office buildings. This is true in every area we service, regardless of the type or age of the properties. In previous discussions, I have stressed that it has little to do with the location and everything to do with people. For example, in law enforcement when trying to determine who is behind a criminal enterprise the adage has always been “Follow the money.” When dealing with bed bugs, it is “Follow the people.”

In order to stay ahead of the resistant issue, we continue to alternate the materials we use and incorporate them with the use of Cryonite. We are also looking for new materials and technology that can assist us in dealing with this pest, and this approach has served us well.

Our desire is to have a well informed cliental as part of our program of addressing bed bug issues. This engages the client and makes them an effective part of our bed bug program. For that reason, when servicing hotels, schools, senior housing or multiple dwellings we provide a bed bug seminar to educated them on the entire process.

One thing is clear from this survey’s findings, bed bugs are here to stay and will continue to keep pest management professionals busy dealing with their unwanted presence.