deBugged

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is here, and we’ve welcomed the first teams from abroad. With the surge in tourism, our country will soon be transformed into a hub of activity and excitement.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but with all the travelling taking place within our national boundaries over the period of the World Cup, I need to draw people’s attention to the increase in bed bug activity that we have seen since March 2009 (bed bugs have also been mentioned here on deBugged for some time). The increase has been reported at more than 300%, thereby confirming that bed bugs are a genuine concern for hotel, guesthouse and other accommodation owners.

If you are planning on travelling within South Africa or abroad, make sure that you are aware of the tell-tale signs of bed bug activity, as this will help you steer clear of the little critters, and guarantee a bed bug free stay.

• On arrival place your suitcase on a metal suitcase rack or in the bathroom until you have checked for bed bugs.
• Know what you’re looking for: small brown blood spots on the bed linen.
• When conducting your inspection use a flashlight, as these critters a very good at hide and seek. Pay close attention to the seams of mattresses, headboards, sheets and box springs.
• If you do find evidence of bed bugs, do not unpack, and immediately request another room on a different floor since bed bugs can travel from room to room, up, down, and side to side via pipes and crevices.
• Also, make sure that if you do find bed bugs in your room you collect actual evidence to ensure that your complaint gets the needed attention. For instance, take a photo of the bed bug, because they are very fast and I doubt that they will be in the same place as you left them when you return with the manager.

When you return home from your travels be sure to vacuum your suitcases and wash all clothing – whether it was worn or not – in hot water. It is better to be safe than sorry. I would also advise regular travellers to invest in buying a large plastic bag that they can use to cover their suitcases during their stay in the hotel or guest house.

Don’t let bed bugs ruin your travels, arm yourself with knowledge (and a flashlight) and you should have a safe journey.

“Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” - When I was little I always thought this was a rather sweet little saying and never questioned what bed bugs actually were. Now, knowing what I do about bed bugs (feeding on your blood like some sort of vampire!), am glad I didn’t ask!

These pests are notoriously difficult to get rid of and can spread easily – which is why bed bug control is so important.

I freely admit that I have become very “bed bug aware” since working for a pest control company even carrying out spot checks on my bed to look for tell tale signs whenever I stay away from home as do other colleagues. Hotels and guest accommodation are still regarded as the greatest source for a bed bug problem. Nowadays I never ever put my luggage on the bed and I always have to pull back the bed covers and check for the tell tale blood spots on the sheets. You may think this is slightly paranoid behaviour though it isn’t as strange as some people who never even put their luggage down on the carpet, opting instead to leave it in the bathroom (or bathtub!).

Tips for checking for bed bugs & preventing bed bug bites:

• Check your bed – even if you are staying in a luxury hotel! – for tiny blood droplets on sheets and mattresses (a memento from their previous feed!)
• Move the bed away from the wall and check behind the headboard and your mattress for any signs.
• Make sure your bed sheets are not in contact with the floor and that your bed is not too close to any walls. Bed bugs are wingless so in order for them to get to you in bed they need to be able to climb up to you somehow.
• Bed bug bites – if you wake up in the morning and discover bites you didn’t have the night before (assuming that it is not from a mosquito) it will be worth doing the checks on your bed to see if there are any signs of bed bugs.  Bed bugs are nocturnal and their bites can leave you with an itchy rash.
• Don’t put your suitcase on or near the bed – bed bugs could climb up them and then you may be unfortunate enough to give them a free ride back to your home!

It still amazes me to know that bed bugs are not attracted to dirt or poor hygiene standards – a myth already dispelled in a previous post on Top 10 Pest Urban Myths. They are indiscriminate and can strike in the cleanest of bedrooms, hotels and homes (even the cleaning-obsessed Monica from the Friends series may find it difficult to prevent them).

It definitely pays to be aware of the signs and to know how to get rid of bed bugs.

Sleep tight everyone….and remember not to let the bed bugs bite!

After decades of virtual absence, bedbugs are back with a vengeance. The media coverage bedbugs receive is ever increasing and the public is quite shocked that this thought to be “extinct pest” is back, alive and kicking – and biting! Many of the conventional insecticide treatments leave bedbugs unharmed. There are strains that are resistant to Pyrethroids, a common group of insecticides used to control bedbugs

However, there is always a natural solution available, and similar to the Emerald Cockroach wasp controlling cockroaches there are some bugs with really cool names that can deal with bedbugs.

The Masked Hunter vs Bedbugs

Meet the Masked Hunter, avenger of innocent bedbug victims, with a name that sounds like it’s straight out of a superhero movie. It is even cooler that the Masked Hunter (Reduvius personatus) is a member of the family of Assassin bugs (Reduviidae). The Masked Hunter is quite a large bug, around 15-20mm and looks somewhat similar to kissing bugs.

The fun part about these guys is that they really like to hunt and eat bedbugs. However, I doubt that many people would be overly happy about having 2cm bugs in their home; in addition to this these bugs can give very painful bites, when threatened. So, the Masked Hunter has his name, family and food preferences going for him, but it might not be the perfect solution to bedbug problems.

Centipedes vs Bedbugs

Than there are house centipedes (more than one species, but for instance: Scutigera coleoptrata) that will happily eat: bedbugs, cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, ants, and termites in our homes.

However, even though I like invertebrates I am scared to death by centipedes (they are too fast, too many legs and these guys can also give a painful bite) and I guess so are a large number of other people too.

Ants vs Bedbugs

Opposed to the story of pest partners in crime where there are  co-operating pest species, ants also eat bedbugs. However, I think it is questionable if casting out devils with the Beelzebub is a good solution. Plus who will take care of the ants afterwards once the bedbugs are taken care off. Having an ant and bedbug infestation at the same time is what I would call a prime example of a deteriorating situation.

Humans vs Bedbugs

While there are ways to keep most pest infestations at a tolerable level (of course this depends on your own tolerance level) by adhering to strict sanitation and good housekeeping practices, bedbugs have to be exterminated because even a single female will start a new population again. As we are a bedbug’s food source, even keeping the place sparkling clean will not affect them much. Even though there are natural enemies that will surely reduce the number of bedbugs, these are not helping in eradicating bedbugs from our homes. The best piece-of mind solution is to call a professional pest controller to take care of the bedbugs.

Some debate around a story doing the rounds over last couple of weeks, when Rentokil Pest Control’s PR Agency released numbers calculated on a hypothetical worst case scenario, which were presented as “average” or “typical”.

I thought it might be helpful to explain how we arrived at the numbers and where things went so wrong.

We had tested our new Entotherm technology on a bus and various buildings during the last three years of its development. So, when asked for a worst case scenario situation, we based our hypothesis on:

• A bus, or anything else, being left by itself in an isolated place
• With no external factors to affect the mortality rate (so the population would be left unchecked)
• Then we assumed that there is a perfect male to female ratio that allows optimal breeding numbers
• That the environment would be controlled to a constant temperature, with no extremes
• Finally, there would be a plentiful food supply to support the numbers of insects

On the above totally theoretical basis it’s possible that very high numbers of cockroaches and bed bugs/fleas could survive, although it’s clearly a worst case scenario.

Now, obviously real life is not a hypothetical model. There are loads of contributing factors that would affect any insect infestation. For example regular cleaning, people unwittingly stepping on insects and, as in real life, there is not a perfect male to female ratio! All of which means that, in our experience, it is very rare to find heavily infested buses, trains or other forms of transport in the UK. Standards will vary around the world but UK standards are very high.

The point of the story was about a new process we launched – and are very excited about – to combat bed bugs and cockroaches.

We’re really sorry that the numbers that appeared in the media were wrong and misleading and we’ve put in place a number of measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

If you are interested, the original press release can be viewed here.

Insect pests such as bedbugs and cockroaches are not only unpleasant but are difficult to eliminate as they can hide in the deepest recesses. Chemical treatments have historically been the main method for controlling infestations. However recent bedbug research in the US, lead by Dr Mike Potter, has shown genetic mutations in bedbugs which is making them increasingly resistant to insecticides.

Rentokil now offers a new chemical free pest control process called Entotherm which can be used across various industries as described by Savvas Othon. This chemical free treatment is quick, efficient and reaches all areas of an infestation. It can eliminate insects, mould and pathogens (and others including wood-boring insects) through the application of dry heat.

The Entotherm heat treatment eliminates all lifecycle stages of an insect including eggs, larvae and adults. The heat kills insects by denaturing the proteins within their bodies and disrupting the waxy outside layers of the insects, causing them to dehydrate. As Entotherm requires only a single application, it causes minimal disruption to a business. The chemical free process also allows treated areas to be re-used immediately with no residual side effects.

The process works by heating an infested area to a predetermined temperature using strategically placed heat exchangers. Heat probes and thermal imaging technology are then used to confirm all targeted insect pests have been effectively eradicated.