New York vs Bed Bugs wants to shine a light on the unique pest management challenges posed by bed bugs. This year we hope to explore the professional response to the resurgence of this pest in our city.
New York City pest management professional John Furman answered our questions via email.
New York vs Bed Bugs: Why are bed bugs such a challenging pest and why do you think they are spreading in our city?
John Furman: First I’ll say that I welcome the challenge. This elusive pest is one of the reasons I ventured into the business. There are many factors that make up the challenge.
First I’ll discuss the products available for bed bug control. Because bed bugs have not been of major concern in our industry for some time, a lot of chemicals on the market were not geared for bed bug treatments. Product labels have been changed over the past few years to include bed bugs. I’ve been told that it takes about 9 years and twenty million dollars to bring new chemicals to market. Although I feel there are plenty of products to choose from, I think there will be an increased number of chemicals coming out over the next few years targeted for bed bugs.
Choosing the proper products and using them correctly is the key when trying to solve a bed bug infestation. I have been called into locations as the 2nd or 3rd PMP (Pest Management Professional) even the 5th at one residence and can’t believe my eyes at some of the treatment measures being used. Over-application seems the norm and puddles of liquid residuals can be seen everywhere. If desiccant dusts or diatomaceous earth is used, it’s usually over applied to the point of repellency. This takes the challenge to the next level because most often the bug is now more widespread throughout the structure.
The challenge is also about location. If you are dealing with a multi-unit building it can be very difficult to get each person on board with what is expected from tenants. Some people often don’t want to be bothered if they don’t have a problem in their unit. It’s been said that 60% of people don’t show a reaction to bites and this could very well be the tenant that will not let you in to inspect their property. Months can pass before a person even realizes there is a problem brewing. It’s at this point where most likely the adjoining units will suffer the consequences. The cryptic life this creature lives is going to be trouble for all of us for a very long time. I think this bug is going to be the new roach of NYC. I think we are only just getting started with the trouble this pest is about to cause.
Why they are spreading in our city?
Again many factors contribute to the increase of infestations.
I often drive by sidewalk sales in Astoria and can’t help but think this person is not getting a bargain. I once left a bed bug treatment after finding about 30 bugs harboring behind a picture frame over a bed. As I turned the corner I see a sidewalk sale and can’t help but notice a young couple admiring some pictures they were planning on purchasing. As I sit at the light I can’t help but honk my horn and get the attention of the guy. He’s looking at me as if I have two heads … but I don’t let up and he walks over to my truck. A quick 30 second education on how much bed bugs love picture frames he quickly changes his mind. I showed him the service order I just completed around the corner. I also pointed out the next stop for bed bugs again, just around the block. We need to educate as many people as possible about how these bugs spread.
People who become infested often leave their residence in hopes of leaving their troubles behind. In most cases this doesn’t solve anyone’s problem. I see a lot of subletters moving from place to place, home health aides visiting patient to patient. Before you know it, you have a new building with an all too familiar problem. When you have a high turnover rate with apartments more people will suffer.
I often hear people talking about international travel as one of the problems. While they can come from other countries, we have always traveled the world for years. The fact that bed bugs are a pest of exposure anyone can get them from just about anywhere. Public transportation, coffee houses, movie theaters, hotels, nursing homes, schools, even changing rooms in department stores make me think that trouble is around every corner. It’s scary, very scary.
New York vs Bed Bugs: How did you get into the business? And, if we may be permitted, what is the appeal? Is it a question of a unique pest management challenge, or the high incidence of infestations, or…?
John Furman: Many years ago I was working in a neighborhood deli as a kid. I always hustled to make money to help my mother provide for us. Being a single parent was a challenge for my mom and I started working at 12 years old to help out the family. One day the guy doing the pest control for the deli asked me for help because he broke his leg and needed help keeping his business going. I worked with him for a while learning all about termites, rats, and roaches. I later moved onto other things and pest control was a distant memory until a few years ago.
I was a single guy just looking to supplement my income with a part time job. I looked in the paper and found a pest control company on Long Island looking to hire for the early spring season. I started working and was tossed on the truck with the head technician. It didn’t take long to realize (about 3 days) I was not going to learn anything from this guy. I know I was not in the business for some 20 plus years but this guy was not a teacher nor as thorough as I would think a “head technician” should be. It was then that I hit Amazon.com for books about insects. I called the chemical companies who manufactured the products we used and asked them to send me anything they could to educate me. I was sent books, flyers, DVD’s and training CD’s. I was in my glory as I love learning and teaching myself just about anything. I then started looking for all the seminars I could attend and went to all that I could. I would read for hours and hours on insects. I would then put these insects into a structure and think about how they would want to move about a building based on their biology.
After 3 or 4 months of reading 6 to 8 hours a day, the owner of the company tells me I’m already better than his head technician who has 7 years of experience. A year later he tells me he would put me up against anyone in the industry with twenty years of experience and bet I would come out on top with knowledge on how to approach any pest control situation and have superior results. This was what I was working so hard for, to be the best I could be. It was a well respected compliment from somebody in the industry for 25 years.
While on the job I was given 12 to 17 stops a day and let me tell you, while this makes a lot of money for the company, this does not solve many pest problems. I told my boss I can’t work like this. I can’t give the customers the attention they need, the inspection required, and the treatment that is needed in 15 minutes. People have problems and although I’m confident I can solve them, it takes more time than you allow. I can’t even drive by the residence and wave hello with 15 stops a day. I was making him a lot of money and he agreed to let me call the shots in providing better customer service. It was this extra time I used to observe ants foraging on trails or bees building nests. People must have thought I was crazy lying there on my stomach for 20 minutes watching tiny little ants move across their walkway. You can learn a lot reading about bugs, but when you actually watch insects in their natural habitat it helps you better understand the challenge you face.
As for the appeal, to be the best is the simple answer. Anything I do, I do with passion. As for bed bugs I take it personal. These creatures invade people’s most private spaces, the place that is supposed to be for rest and relaxation. After a long hard day at work I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be stressed about sleeping or relaxing in your home. I feel my client’s pain and suffering and I’m called on to help. I can’t relax in my own home thinking I didn’t do all I could to help solve this person’s problem. That is why I feel my treatments have better results in the industry. When I opened BOOT A PEST I kept in mind that this business was 20% bugs and 80% customer service. I felt I had the 20% challenge covered. I have to work hard providing my customers with the service they deserve. And I hope they realize they are very important to me and the growth of my business.
My entire client base is word of mouth. This is the best form of advertising as everyone knows. And I take great pride knowing that people are referring my company to others.
New York vs Bed Bugs: What are some of the mistakes you see people make in handling a bed bug infestation? You must see the same types of reactions in your customers and perhaps the same types of mistakes.
John Furman: I feel too many people panic and do foolish things when they look to the internet for answers. Although there are not many avenues for people to learn about bed bugs, they need to slow down when they realize they have a problem. They need to be informed and make educated decisions based on reliable info they find. Bedbugger.com is a community that many sufferers find and learn from people who are facing the same challenges. There are some very good FAQ’s on the site and a lot of professionals also help answer questions that people post in the forum. I’m a member there, “KillerQueen” is my screen name.
I have sent out DVD’s, articles, and have taken phone calls from people all across the county looking for help. I have people offering to fly me all across the county to treat their home. The problem is finding qualified professionals to do the treatments. I must also say that bed bugs are a new challenge to the industry and most companies are only just getting involved with this pest. Another big problem is the cost associated with bed bugs. There is not too much a tenant can do in terms of mistakes. The problem is suffering through a company hired by the landlord for the cheapest price or just the lack of knowledge in the treatment of bed bugs.
If the question is in regards to technicians, I would think underestimating the time that is needed to do a proper treatment is another problem. Choosing the right products is also a consideration. I don’t use most of the chemicals I see others using because I feel some of them are hurting the problem more than helping in some cases. I use my products based on research and results. But the biggest problem at the moment I feel is the landlord gets to dictate how much he is willing to pay for services. There is also just too much cut-throat pricing in the industry. It all boils down to you get what you pay for in most cases. It’s not uncommon for me to spend 2 hours in 1 room. I just did a treatment about 8 days ago where I was there for 12 hours. After finding many bugs and about 100 plus eggs, I made my usual week later phone call to check on the progress. Nothing is better than hearing … no bites … no sightings since you left. I’ll bank on hearing and seeing the same thing when I return next week for their first follow up.
New York vs Bed Bugs: What is the importance of inspecting for bed bugs and how do you approach inspections in your work? We would appreciate any tricks of the trade you may be inclined to reveal.
John Furman: There are no tricks of the trade when it comes to inspections. The inspection is the first step in finding out if there is a problem, what level the problem is, and how you should approach the problem with the “safest” methods and the most minimal impact on both people and the environment.
The inspection for bed bugs takes time. Not 10 or 15 minutes either. My inspections for low level infestations take an hour and a half or more. I don’t do free inspections and if you have a problem, I will usually find it. I turn furniture upside down, I remove the batting on your box spring, and I spend a half hour just looking at your bed. I check behind pictures, pull the edges of carpeting up, etc. This type of inspection and service I can’t do for free.
But the importance of a thorough inspection is paramount. I have done inspections for people suffering from fleas, carpet beetles, etc. they insisted they had bed bugs but no evidence proved their suspicions. They were confident in my findings and moved on to resolve the true problem at hand. It’s said in the industry that the average technician only finds evidence of a low level infestation 30% of the time or they are only 30% accurate. Again, I will not allow myself to be in this average percentage.
New York vs Bed Bugs: What is your approach to resident preparation in general (if you can speak to laundry, isolation of clean laundry and any cleaning or pre-treatment tasks that aid your work and are necessary for treatment success, if any) and, specifically, how do you approach cluttered apartments? Obviously, we’ve heard that you’re not keen on bagging!
John Furman: My approach is very different than most companies treating bed bugs. I don’t have an extensive prep list, in fact, I find the less a tenant does helps my treatment techniques. I will ask to reduce clutter as much as possible. That being said, I’m talking about things that have been lying around for years, the stuff you always wanted to throw out but haven’t, now would be the time for spring cleaning. I will ask my clients to launder their clothing, linens, etc. and keep them stored in sealed bags until my first treatment is complete. If I feel the need to keep the clothing secure until my follow-up visit, usually 2 weeks after the first, I will then reassess and possibly advise them to put their clothing back where they belong.
My goal is to get people back to “normal” as soon as possible. I can take this stand because I’m extremely thorough with both my first & second treatments. I never walk into an infestation and have a clear cut treatment planned out. I cut each room down into micro environments and inspect each area for bed bugs while treating for them. I get into bug mode thinking about the biology of the pest involved. I think if I was a bed bug this is where I would be. I look at all these harborage areas and treat them accordingly. If I find eggs or a female I know I just reduced my numbers and that is always a good thing. There is no spray and pray in bed bug work, at least not with my company. You need to be an urban hunter and take the fight to the bug, seek and destroy and you will win the war.
BOOT A PEST Inc. is a pest control company. I’m hired to kill things, not hide them. Why would I want you to hide bugs inside bags that can rip for 18 months? I know there are companies out there that make you bag just about everything you own, entomologists will not agree with me on this either but come on, a bagged life for 18 months?
I’ll work all that much harder to locate and find as many harborages as possible. I have even found some companies making you buy products for self treating between their treatments. I think it’s just wrong in my opinion. When you hire me for the treatment, I do the work. I’ll ask that you keep your bags of clothes sealed for a short time, vacuum the home before I come, and leave the rest to me. Who came up with the prep list protocol?
A large company who will remain nameless wants you pulling away furniture from the walls, standing your bed up on its side, bagging everything you own, etc. etc. I don’t know about you but if I was a detective called into a homicide scene I don’t want the body moved till I have a look. If the body is at the morgue already I may be looking in the wrong place. Don’t move anything I’m going to see things the untrained eye will miss. Let me see how you are living, and how the bug is living among you.
As for cluttered apartments it’s a fact of life the pest control industry will have to get used to. Yes reduce as much as possible but people have lives, apartments are small, and possessions mean a lot to most. If I can work within the room I will. If it means working that much harder then so be it. I went to a 2 bedroom apartment 4 months ago I was the 3rd guy in for the treatments that were failing. I ripped open about 40 bags of both clothes and personal possessions and put them back where they belonged after my inspection and treatment. This client was never bit by a bug or has not seen a bug since I left. I removed eggs and live bugs from 2 different rooms at this location. Bet the bank she is bed bug free.
A website for BOOT A PEST Inc. is in the works. John Furman can be reached at 516-481-PEST.
UPDATE July 6, 2009: Since this interview was published, John Furman has adopted the use of a bed bug treatment preparation sheet (PDF) with various instructions on tasks that must be completed before treatment, such as decluttering, vacuuming, and emptying closets, drawers and shelves.
These pages may be of related interest:
Pingback: KillerQueen speaks! Over at New York vs. Bed Bugs… : Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com
People like John Furman give me hope. I went through 5 treatments with my PCO to kick the problem. But if it happens again, I’ll be calling John Furman–after reading this, I would be silly not to.
Hi Janie, thanks for your comment. Five treatments sounds like an experience, I know exactly how you feel. Here’s to the end of bed bugs.
This is excellent material Renee…
John’s comments about preparation and not having tenants move mattresses or box springs before treatment is right on!!!! We have had a few firms here that advise tenants to vaccum and lift up the matt and box in advance of treatment, and of course, just as John has said, if you disturb the most common site where the bugs are and scatter them to other hiding places, no wonder control is so difficult. And many pest control firms do not want to see a vacuum as part of their own work, when removal is a most elegant and non-chemical means of reducing visible population.. spraying beds when it doesn’t kill eggs instead of vacuuming is really nonsense in my view. Treating the interior of box springs is another situation, but once the matt and boxes are in enclosures, it is a moot point.
John’s other nuances are also excellent, and his description of his early career and the pest control tech doing 15 calls at day – at 15 minutes each has been a norm for producti0n in pest ocntrol firms but really a useless service to truly address any pest problem. Years ago when I worked for a large firm, one of the service managers had sold a chain of corner grocery stores like 7-11′s for a service charge of about $4.50 per store.. Enough time to say hello and how are ya? and goodbye.. And the rational was his commission and the fact that the company was passing through the area anyhow.. The contract didn’t last 6 months because of the poor service. It takes time to do a proper job. It was not unusual for some pest control firms to build their profits on the backs of their employees.. no overtime and impossible expecations, and spend money to market for new clients when you lose the others. A horrible unending cycle of cheap service.. The same firms gave better service to premium clients. NOt much has changed in this regard.. still the same as John notes.
I have had discussions with some experts in the field with suggestions of 3 hours of service to treat a one bedroom apartment for bed bugs. This is tough as the cost can be upwards of $250 – $300 for one service. and if one multiplies that in terms of two services each and a spreading infestation with a whole buidling treatment of say 100 units or more – the cost then is from $50,00 – 60,000 and up . This is a huge expenditure and without a sustainable program the problem will return in no time at all. I know of cases in which a few hundred thousand dollars were spent with major recurrence after 18 months.. The thoroughness of treatment is about the difficulty of getting every last survivor, every last hatchling from eggs.. My own thought is that if the infestations are found early, and if the awareness of potential spread between units enables better prevention, education, and appropraite measures, then perhaps treatment will be more successful. Focus on the hot spots, and treat conservatively… but this is a judgement call … when we see how bed bugs can lay a few eggs in almost any crevice … one can understand that for a well established infestation, the extent of treatment will be exhaustive.. Being able to implement the judgement of appropriate intensity of treatment is very hard so the experts basically recommend the full scale and this is what takes so long.
The clutter factor makes it very very difficult, and as John says.. living out of bags for a year is a ridiculous situation for sure..
His insights are certainly on the money… It just shows how much training and education are needed to enable good treatment and prevention.
Sam
Sam, thanks for that great comment. This is why this problem is so confounding. But here’s the thing, if this problem is so impossibly expensive to solve, as clearly it is, even if this realization is actively avoided by public health departments and municipalities, then isn’t it incumbent on us to invest appropriately in applied research? This is what I don’t understand.
Pingback: Consumer Reports, world-class tease — New York vs Bed Bugs
Pingback: Preparation, money, and the shortening of the window to act — New York vs Bed Bugs
I opened this link searching for something else about bed bugs and man have I got well INFORMED!!!!!! newyorKvrsBedbugs you guys have really done one hell of a job finding these top dogs in their fields and interviewing them so that the common joe like myself can get INFORMED.I as like many others live in a 17 unit dwelling moved in 12-01-08 the worst mistake of my life.I am on my 3rd living room suit,2nd mattress and boxspring,just tossed out for the 2nd time the kids bed.Found it safer for them to sleep on air matress fold it up in morning and put it in the trunk of the car until the next night.I am on SSI do to car crash year out of high school and said to my wife lets move into a apartment for a year save up some money and get us a house.WRONG! Every dime we have had and didnt have has went to replacing infested furniture and worthless sprays,alcohol etc…etc…We have had 3 so called TREATMENTS by this company since 09-01-09 and it seems like there is more than before.The company has never been in here for more than 15 minutes TOPS more like 10 minutes each time.I am so glad I got to read this and will pass it on to everyone I know.You people at newyork vs bedbugs should get some kind of award for putting this together.I now have more knowledge than every pest control company in the Cincinnati area when it comes to these man eaters (BED BUGS) Thank you so much Sincerley, John D. Cincinnati,Oh