I’ve been thinking about how important this is. Says who, right? Ah, but I always have sources for you.
See, for example, this great article on bed bug management in multi-unit housing (Todd Brown (BASF), PMP, January 2009, or see the digital edition):
DON’T assume the bed bugs have left the building. After the initial treatment and follow up visits, critically assess the success of the treatment. Remaining bed bugs may be difficult to detect due to dramatic reductions in population numbers after a treatment. In addition, many times eggs that were laid away from the treated area may allow for newly hatched bed bugs to re-infest the unit. Finally, PMPs cannot rely on reports of human bites to determine if bed bugs are gone. Sometimes they stop feeding immediately after an insecticide treatment. Thus, the problem is often thought to be over, when in reality it’s merely not visible.
The third edition draft of the Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia (CoP) also has this to say (in a section on “extreme infestations,” though in my view a consideration for other types of infestations as well, pg 53):
The difficult task with these infestations is establishing when eradication is finally achieved. Only through repeated treatments and follow up inspections, including one at least some months after the initial course of treatments, can the Pest Manager be certain of success.
By the way, I didn’t realize that diatomaceous earth was not available to PMPs in Australia (pg 58, potential new insecticides). Not sure why I’m surprised since it does not follow that because they have OPs and carbamates they should have DE…
Something else that is new in this third draft of the CoP is the discussion of four phases of infestation dynamics (introduction, establishment, growth and spread, pg 40). I think there are some wide differences of opinion, like in so many areas of bed bug management, on just what constitutes bed bug-unfriendly furniture choices. Ditto for the preventive value of mattress encasements. Interesting reading nonetheless.
Also interesting and encouraging is the development of a one-day bed bug management course—PMPs who complete the course will be listed on the CoP website (pg 10).
Finally, just because it’s never a bad thing to be reminded, this is the CoP’s room treatment recommendation (pg 66):
Room Treatment Pattern - Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia, draft 3rd ed.
These pages may be of related interest:
- Bed bug management policy guide for accommodation providers
- Bed bug sauna room specs
- What’s working for bed bug control in multifamily housing: a new report from NCHH
- Columbus Apartment Association rolls its own landlord/tenant bed bug rules and regulations
- Ohio’s Section 18 exemption request, draft labels and public comment period
I am amazed that this has taken so long to be included in the CoP. We deal almost exclusively with commercial bed bug control and have always revisited at 28 and 90 days after last activity. Only at 90 days will we certify a room free from bed bugs.
In the UK it would not be legal to treat surrounding rooms that did not show activity. We have not notice any re-emergence in surrounding rooms. Personally I do not think it is of importance in an elimination programme.
I think it was in the second edition too, I’m sorry if I gave the impression that it wasn’t (the diagram is also in the previous edition; the new stuff that I highlighted then is the DE business and infestation dynamics, sorry for the imprecision). 90 days seems prudent. I don’t think long-view reinspections are much adopted here in the US. By the way, the list that this diagram is excerpted from appears to be a checklist for hotel room treatments. I think the recommendation for residential occupied properties is merely to inspect adjoining units. I have to read it again; however, the reason I wanted to point out the diagram and why I find it extremely useful is that incredibly, this late in the game, the need to consider adjoining rooms and apartment units is not as widely accepted as it should be.
Which brings me to my shock. Shock at your statement that you never notice problems in surrounding rooms. How can that be, Adam?
Don’t be shocked. I don’t think I expressed myself clearly. I feel that it is paramount to extend inspection and if necessary treatment beyond the source rooms.
If a hotel finds one room infested the whole establishment is screened and mapped. We deem an infestation to be any cluster of units that are connected either physically or by tolerance profile. We inspect and treat to the extent of the infestation but do not treat a room each way just to “be sure”. We have not noted infestations appearing on the periphery of the treatment block that would suggest migration from the treatment area. So I don’t think the practice is based on sound evidence. We have noted increased P450 levels in bugs that have been exposed to perimeter treated rooms. So this may infact be counterproductive. As we can’t rely on PBO forever.
I am not saying that infestations are confined to single units but with the recent swing towards proactive monitoring this is becoming more common.
I gave a presentation two weeks ago with a professor from Virginia tech and was amazed how differently bed bugs are tackled in the states. You do not have juvenile hormone analogues or chitin synthesis inhibitors and seem to use deltamethrin for every thing! We have agreed a knowledge share so with any luck US techniques may be coming to the UK and vice versa.
The only way this problem will be solved is if everyone works together.
Interesting and I do see the problem with resistance, but my feeling is that dusts should be used more then. We do have JHAs (or maybe just the one still, I have to check) and not everyone is enamored with deltamethrin, that woeful deltamethrin indeed, but otherwise, yes, we only have pyrethroids and chlorfenapyr — and dusts. Perhaps you are treating with low-repellency materials, whatever those may be?
Adam,
Regarding emergence in surrounding rooms. I think that behavioral resistance has been fairly well established regarding bedbug activity. They will move away from pesticide treated areas into areas without pesticides, and they will move between floors and into surrounding rooms.
I just had a conversation with one the regulators for the state of Ohio this afternoon about this very issue, and the difficulty of dealing with this issue in multi-unit complexes versus treatments in hotels where the environment is far more controlled.
I find that the juvenile hormone analogues are not the magic wand, but we have both JHA’s and chitin synthesis inhibitors in the states, but I am not aware of any CSI use other than for termite control. I am not aware of one as a general treatment product.
Are you saying that this type of product is available in the UK for bedbug control, and if so, how well is it working?
Rich Kozlovich