Bed bug protocol | Mass.gov

Pre-treatment Procedures

Once a bed bug has been positively located and identified, treatment (e.g., pesticide application) will be necessary to rid the building of the pests. Control actions should be instituted in the immediate area, within 24 hours if possible.The office manager/area director, facility manager, and licensed pest control applicator should determine the scope (e.g., size of area, materials affected) requiring treatment.The treatment area may be the original isolation space or an expanded area as identified through the inspection.Once the size of location is determined, the space must be prepared for pesticide treatment.When possible, the following preparation procedures should be taken:

Only pesticides approved for use against bed bugs by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may be legally applied.Further, the pesticide applicator conducting the treatmentmust hold a current licensefor pesticide application in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.The most common room treatments include liquid and aerosol insecticides.Based on the experience of DPH/BEH staff, the most common and effective chemical products used in treating office space includes:

These pesticides are designed for targeted application and will not be applied to any desk surface or personal belongings.By implementing the treatment preparation procedures, staff can facilitate a successful treatment and prevent any potential for unintended treatment of personal items that may be left on the floor.

As mentioned, treatment of an office requires not only preparation of the space but also coordination of staff to be away from the office. During application of these products, the treatment areasmustbe vacant.These pesticides, Temprid SC in particular, must be allowed todry for 4 hoursfollowing application.During the drying time, no access to the treated areas is permitted. It is important that staff are made aware of these restrictions, and building and agency management should ensure the necessary arrangements are made.To limit building occupant exposure and allow appropriate time for post-treatment procedures, it is recommended that the pesticides be applied on Fridays after hours or over the weekend.

Following treatment of an office space, arrangements should be made with the building manager to ensure that the treated spaces are cleaned properly.Cleaning should include the following:

As mentioned, during the pre-treatment processes, items that may require chemical treatment should be gathered and placed into file boxes or heavy-duty (2-mil thick) contractor bags.Boxes should then be carefully placed into contractor bags.All bags should be placed in a second bag, in case the primary bag is punctured.These bags should be moved to a storage area that does not share ventilation with occupants.If a storage area cannot be secured, consideration should be given to renting a storage container that can be placed outside, away from passersby.Once items have been located to an appropriate storage space, the licensed pest control provider can begin to treat the materials using chemical fumigants strips.

The fumigant strips MDPH/BEH staff are most familiar with are the Nuvan ProStrips.The active ingredient in the Nuvan ProStrip is dichlorvos. Dichlorvos is used to protect stored products from insects.This product is designed to treat adult and nymph bed bugs, as well as bed bug eggs within the confines of the sealed bag.Once the strip is opened, the gases released from the pesticide product diffuse through the materials to inactivate bed bugs.While some studies have documented neurologic effects from dichlorvos, such effects involved very high exposure levels.It is important to follow the procedures outlined above (e.g., placing materials in two heavy-duty contractor bags, placing bags in a secure storage area) to prevent staff from potential exposure.

The licensed pest control provider will place fumigant strips into each bag and take appropriate steps to tie and seal the bag openings once the strips are in place.A building manager shall provide the means to secure the storage area or be available to secure the storage area after the licensed pest control provider has completed bag fumigation.

Fumigated materials must remain in place for a minimum of 7 days.It is recommended that bags containing fumigated materials be allowed to sit for two weeks.Following treatment, the licensed pest control provider must open each bag, and the bags must be allowed to ventilate for 2 hours. During the ventilation process, the licensed pest control provider will examine these bags for evidence and condition of bed bugs.

Immediately following the treatment, staff should remain vigilant and report any further sightings of bed bugs. The steps outlined above inMonitoring and Preventionshould serve as guidance for all occupants of an office space. Two weeks following the initial chemical treatment, a licensed pest control provider should thoroughly inspect the treated area to identify any further bed bug activity. If live bed bugs are observed, the licensed pest control provider may recommend second chemical treatment of the office space. Whether at the two- or four-week mark following the initial treatment, it is recommended that a second pesticide application be made to ensure thorough treatment and elimination of bed bugs.

The services of bed bug detecting dogs may be employed one month following application. The dog can serve as an additional means for identifying further bed bug activity. Work with the pest control company providing pest management services regarding these follow-up inspections and activities. Building managers and area directors should continue to report bed bug-related activities (e.g., inspections, treatments) to their Agency Director and Agency Human Resources Representative, as well as DCAMM and MDPH/BEH.

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Bed bug protocol | Mass.gov