This Dow case study—Getting Beyond Bed Bugs, PCT—proposes just that:
Both [Bed Bugs and Beyond president Michael] Batenburg and [Global Pest Control general manager Kery] Bruzzo agree that the public and many pest control professionals are simply not aware about fumigation as a bed bug option.
I’ve heard this before but I’m not sure how true it is. More like, aware but priced out?
As for the case in question, Global was the fourth company on the job:
“We were the fourth pest control company they had hired. For almost a year we tried to take care of it with traditional tools — inspection, vacuuming, steam treatments and crack-and-crevice insecticide treatments. We would drill and treat in walls but could not get control because there were areas we could not reach with insecticides, or the bed bugs would simply move away from the treated areas. The problem was that one of the owners had tried a do-it-yourself approach for too long before calling in a professional, and the bed bug population just took over the structure.”
I also want to highlight Bed Bugs and Beyond‘s thoughts on containerized fumigation for move-ins:
Batenburg says fumigation will get a building or a person’s contents to a baseline of zero for bed bugs, but because fumigation offers no residual the goal then becomes prevent re-infestation. The important role of fumigation to combat bed bugs has a proven history. Years ago, hotels and other multifamily buildings would make it a part of the tenant’s contract to have their belongings fumigated before moving in. So, following a fumigation Bed Bugs and Beyond outlines steps to take to help prevent re-infestation.
While this is true as far as history, what of the apartment structure itself? Only once have I heard this seriously proposed as a policy solution.
Is it just me or does it seem like they moved everything around at PCT for no reason? Confused.
These pages may be of related interest:
