Several factors combine to make bedbugs a challenge that they are today. Travel, public places & social interaction cannot be avoided and these are the habits of humans that bedbugs seem to capitalise on. Chandrashekar Chandavarkar, Director-Terramica Pest Control Pvt. Ltd and Mahiratonics Products & Services Pvt. Ltd, shares his expert views on the challenges and solutions for tackling bedbugs.
In the early 90s, bedbug issues were almost unheard of and at the turn of the century, there was talk of ‘resurgence’. Today, bedbugs are so well entrenched that the basic tenets of pest management — elimination of food sources & entry points — are severely challenged. The food bedbugs seek is blood and their preferred entry is hitchhiking on person/luggage. Diabolical.
Bedbugs have a flattened body that helps them hide in the tiniest of cracks. This makes it difficult to detect and take timely action. The nymphs are tiny, colourless and will most likely escape your eye even though they will feed on your blood. Being nocturnal, bedbugs venture out only during late nights — another habit that helps them escape detection by host.
Bedbugs feed once in a few days and thereafter retreat and remain hidden in its lair so even if you sight one and exterminate it, chances are that there are more in hiding.
Allergens from these pests can aggravate asthmatic conditions, besides loss of sleep and impinged quality of life are major detrimental factors.
Notwithstanding any method, the PMP (pest management professional) should spend time inspecting the place before planning on a proper treatment. For any method of control, inspection is the first step.
Chandrashekar Chandavarkar
While bedbugs do not remain on the host (like body lice), their trick to spread is hitchhiking. Bedbugs may infest airport lounges, flights, bus and rail stations. No public place is safe. All it takes is a single insect to hitch a ride into your home or workplace.
Initial infestations when low is restricted to immediate vicinity of the sleeping host – mattresses, bedsteads, sheets and cots. There are several tell-tale signs that you should look for: unexplained skin rashes, allergies, disturbed sleep, bug faecal matter on the mattress/sheets, the musty smell of the bugs… as they proliferate, the infestation spreads all over. Curtains, switchboards, electrical wiring, stereo, books. Any hiding spot is good. This is when the nightmare begins!
If you suspect an infestation the earlier you address the issue the better. For reasons mentioned above, DIY is very risky. Most heavy infestations we attend to are a result of failed attempts by the customer.
New technological advancements
Customers have a choice now to opt for non-chemical solutions.
Steam application is one such treatment. Steam is applied in cracks and crevices with a steam machine. The principle is that bedbugs are killed on contact with the super-hot steam; the method is effective but the service can be time-consuming. Moreover, steam may not be an option for all situations and surfaces. Electronic gadgets, switchboards and such vulnerable surfaces will need an alternative approach.
Dry heat exposure is another method that may find use in certain circumstances. An area is completely isolated and exposed to heat for a period. When continuously exposed to heat, the adults and eggs alike are killed by high temperature and desiccation. This service too has limitations and needs to be studied for feasibility based on the type of premises.
Although not yet introduced in India, sniffer dogs are trained to point to bedbug infestations. Thermal traps that imitate human warmth can be used to trap bedbugs – for detection and not control.
Yet, simple conventional wet application treatment remains the mainstay as of now. Alternative treatment options have not gained much traction either due to impractical requirements or high costs or just plain technician inexperience. If the PMP advises alternative methods, be sure he discusses all the details and requirements beforehand. Make a cost comparative analysis with other options and then take a call.
Strategies and solutions
Conventional treatment with pesticide application is effective but all areas must be covered mandatorily. The expertise of the PMP that decides the success rate. Do not skip any spot or crevice.
Vacuum cleaning of cracks and crevices, beddings, mattresses, furniture should be undertaken to physically remove eggs, nymphs and adults.
Make sure to wash all linen, clothes in hot water (>60ºC) simultaneously. Follow your PMP’s advise on closure periods and make sure pets, children and senior citizens are kept away till the place is cleaned up post-treatment. Depending on the infestation levels, you may need to undergo a re-treatment after a few weeks.
Best practices
• Do not allow use of fumigants especially in homes and where patients, senior citizens, pets, children sleep. Fumigants can cause lethal harm to humans. Any use requires the professional to monitor, measure and certify residue levels after aeration before you step in.
• Use mattress encasements if available
• Take special precautions when you travel, stay over in hotels or spend long hours in a waiting lounge.
• If you have travelled and are returning home, check all your luggage and your clothes. Remember, a single bedbug is all it takes.
• Store your travel bags in airtight bags after sunning them a few hours.
• Bedsteads and panelling should be dismantled, if possible, at the time of treatment. A little extra effort now will save you pain later.
• Seal cracks and crevices if you notice any in the rooms. This is critical advise to hotels and hospitals where there is constant people traffic.
• Get rid of clutter – they are just so many more places for the pests to hide and breed.
• If you are a commercial place, train your staff to be aware of bedbugs. Sensitise them to detect signs of infestation.
• Do not be fooled into complacency if a single bug is seen – in all probability, there are several more hidden. Have the entire place checked thoroughly.
• Guests/employees may not always complain if they see a bedbug so do not depend on feedback to initiate a service. Have regular inspections done if you are in a business that is vulnerable to these pests.
• Get rid of any old linen, mattresses and beddings that you may have kept aside for discarding.