Category Archives: Bed Bugs Texas

Dr. Austin Frishmans first job in the industry was as a service technician for Clover Exterminators. Here he displays his work shirt from those early days.

Mark Goodman, regional operations manager, Plunketts Pest Control, shared a number of interesting case histories in a session titled, Troubleshooting Tricky Pest Problems.

Educational sessions were packed throughout the three-day event.

Educational sessions were packed throughout the three-day event.

A PMP signs a card congratulating Dr. Michael Potter on his retirement from the University of Kentucky.

KPMA Executive Director Melinda Howells invited PMPs to sign a card congratulating Dr. Michael Potter on his impending retirement from the University of Kentucky.

Consultant Stoy Hedges hosted the Cockroach House of Learning, a multi-hour educational session devoted to one of the industrys most important pests.

Ted Bruesch, technical support manager, Liphatech, shared Rodent Control Lessons of a Lifetime in his well-attended educational session.

Tom Myers, owner of All-Rite Pest Control, discussed Defensive Termite Inspection and Documentation on the first day of the 49th Annual University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course.

Zach DeVries, assistant professor of urban entomology, told attendees hes looking forward to his new role at the University of Kentucky.

KPMA honored Gary Blankenship, owner of Guarantee Pest Control, Lexington, Ky., with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

The University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course acknowledged its corporate sponsors with signage in the exhibit hall.

KPMA President Keith Smith thanked Dr. Michael Potter for his years of selfless service to the industry.

Rick Cooper, senior director of technical services, Terminix International, led an educational session devoted to Pest Identification for the Non-Entomologist.

Dr. Michael Potter and wife Ellen.

LEXINGTON, Ky. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants the theme of this years University of Kentucky Pest Control Short Course couldnt have been more fitting. Thats because the man responsible for leading one of the finest regional pest control conferences in North America, Dr. Michael Potter, is an industry giant himself.

After 29 years managing the short course, however, Potter recently announced his retirement. While a firm retirement date has yet to be determined, it will occur sometime next year, allowing Potter and his wife, Ellen, to relocate to Eugene, Ore., to be closer to their adult children.

Ill retain emeritus professor status in our department (a non-salaried position), but will not maintain a physical presence in Lexington, nor day-to-day departmental responsibilities, he wrote in an e-mail following the conference.

We didnt take this decision lightly, Potter said. In fact, he has been working on a succession plan with the university for two years, culminating in the choice of Dr. Zach DeVries, a protege of Dr. Coby Schal at North Carolina State University, to take over Potters role leading the conference. In February, DeVries accepted a tenure-track position as assistant professor of urban entomology at the university.

During the opening ceremonies of this years conference, Kentucky Pest Management Association (KPMA) President Keith Smith thanked Potter for his generous contributions to the industry, presenting the avid fly fisherman with a trip to Hubbards Yellowstone Lodge in Emigrant, Mont., as a token of appreciation for his body of work in support of the association. The five-day trip includes a guided tour of Yellowstone National Park and the Snake River.

Potter said joining the University of Kentucky was the best decision of my life and KPMA members have become his extended family. Whatever good we did, we did it together, he said. While Potter said hell miss overseeing the conference, the university is in really, really good hands thanks to the appointment of DeVries.

We feel we have (recruited) the top young urban entomologist in the U.S., bar none, Potter said. Zach works on all the important critters, so hes going to be a huge help to this state.

For his part, DeVries said hes excited about the prospect of building on Potters legacy and continuing to move the pest management industry forward. I really hope to follow in the footsteps (of Mike Potter) the best I can.

In other news, KPMA honored Gary Blankenship, owner of Guarantee Pest Control, Lexington, Ky., with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In recognizing the second-generation PMP, KPMA Director Chris Christensen said, When I think of Gary Blankenship, I think of selfless service to family and industry. Gary has always been a leader in our industry.

Since 1996, Blankenship has served as chairman of the associations pest control educational fund. In closing, Christensen said, Gary and his wife Lucy run a great business and are benevolent benefactors of a great group of employees.

In kicking off the educational portion of the program, Potter said the topics and speakers for this years short course were the strongest in his 29-year association with the conference. Its possible to see further by standing on the shoulders of giants, he observed, and this years speakers truly are giants in the pest control industry.

The leadoff speakers for the three-day event were industry consultant Stoy Hedges, who hosted a Cockroach Control House of Learning, and industry veteran Ted Bruesch of Liphatech, who shared Lessons of a Lifetime in rodent control.

I started out in this business as a pest control technician (for Wil-Kil Pest Control), Bruesch told attendees, so he understands the challenges faced by service personnel on a daily basis.

Bruesch said rodents are formidable foes, but theyre not as smart as many PMPs think. I hear all the time Ive got a smart rat, but I dont consider rodents as being particularly smart, he said. Their brain is the size of a lima bean and our brain weighs three pounds, so humans have a distinct intellectual advantage. Rodents simply have evolved over time, adopting unique behavioral characteristics that have allowed them to survive. Three behaviors, in particular, have served them well, according to Bruesch, allowing them to survive. They include:

1. Neophobia: Rodents are naturally skittish animals. When PMPs introduce something new to their environment, like a bait station, they are likely to shy away from it, Bruesch observes. What can you do to get around this behavior? Pre-bait, kill and repeat, he said. I want them to think of a bait station as a food source, not a bait station.

2. Social Hierarchy: In a (rodent) colony youre going to have a dominant male and a bunch of dominant females, he said. These alpha rodents, due to their superior physical characteristics, have access to the most food and the best housing. Subordinates (betas) are second in the pecking order and omegas are third. The goal is to take out the alphas by baiting aggressively, Bruesch said, then eliminating subsequent rodents who fill that void, eventually collapsing the colony.

3. Foraging Territories: By understanding the foraging territories of rats and mice, PMPs will place bait stations in the proper location. When youre dealing with mice, you need to have bait stations placed close (together), he said. When it comes to rats you really want those stations full (of bait).

Regardless of the challenges, I truly believe every rodent problem has a solution. You have to take the fight to the critter, Bruesch urged. You have to be aggressive.

In one of the more informative sessions of the three-day event, Mark Goodman, regional operations manager, Plunketts Pest Control, shared a number of interesting case studies in a session titled, Troubleshooting Tricky Pest Problems. Goodman recalled one situation where a technician was unable to control a maggot problem in a large egg production facility.

They called because they had maggots crawling in their production area, a high-stress situation, he said. Upon visiting the account, Goodman asked the usual questions, but nothing popped out as being particularly unusual until he got down on his hands and knees and began to check the silicone seals along a sterile hallway. Finally, we found one plate on a wall where there was some loose silicone, leading to a gap that went outside (the facility). Maggots were making their way up a drainpipe from some chicken dung outside and through the seal. Lesson learned? Sometimes you need to broaden your scope a little bit, Goodman said.

Other speakers on the star-studded program included Dr. Austin Frishman, owner, AMF Pest Management Consulting; Tom Myers, owner, All-Rite Pest Control; Rick Cooper, senior director of technical services, Terminix International; Marty Morgan, business development manager, Douglas Products; Mike Holcomb, consulting entomologist, Technical Directions; Pete Markham, president, A-Mark Pest & Bird Management; Ray Johnson, founder, Johnson Pest Control; Dr. Michael Potter, extension professor, University of Kentucky; Stephen Gates, vice president of technical services, Cooks Pest Control; Dan Collins, regional technical director, McCloud Services; Dr. Zach DeVries, assistant professor of urban entomology, University of Kentucky; and Gary Sigrist, CEO and president, Safeguard Risk Solutions.

Major sponsors of this years event included BASF Corporation and Oldham Chemicals. Additional sponsors included AP&G, Nisus, Bell Laboratories, Syngenta, Bayer, and Corteva Agriscience.

Next years University of Kentucky 50thAnnual Pest Control Short Course is scheduled for Nov. 10-12. Visit http://www.kyshortcourse.org for future updates and registration information.

The author is publisher of PCT magazine.

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Food grade diatomaceous earth is a natural non-toxic method to kill bed bugs and prevent them from invading your home. Diatomaceous earth (DE) powder is a naturally forming substance that helps to get rid of bugs quickly and effectively. One of the benefits of using this white powder for killing bed bugs is that it wont harm humans or pets. Bed bugs can be difficult to eradicate from your home and you can use diatomaceous earth together with other bed bug extermination methods to get rid of the critters for good.

The abrasive action of diatomaceous earth powder destroys the bed bugs exoskeletal system. The abrasion on the outer layer of these tiny pests causes them to dehydrate and very soon your bed bug problem will be gone for good. So, if you notice tiny black specks around your headboard, bedding, and in the corners of your mattress, you should think about using DE to kill off the infestation of bugs around your bed.

This article looks at how to use food grade diatomaceous earth as a natural pest control for bed bugs. You will also learn about bed bug infestation signs and when you should use DE or other bug control methods to eradicate the problem.

First of all, lets look at what diatomaceous earth is and why diatomaceous earth is effective for killing off groups of bed bugs and preventing them from infesting your home.

Diatomaceous earth is a natural substance from the fossilized remains of diatoms a type of algae. This is ground into a powder or dust to be used as a non-poisonous way to kill mites and insects.

The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) says that food grade diatomaceous earth isnt toxic when ingested. DE eliminates bugs and fleas by drying out their exoskeleton which causes them to dry out and die. However, for diatomaceous earth to remain an effective bug control method, it needs to be kept dry.1

Diatomaceous earth dust that you use to kill bed bugs should be classed as food grade (here is one example). The NPIC says that food grade DE has been purified and will not cause problems to humans and pets if ingested.

However, diatomaceous earth can cause some irritation to your lungs and respiratory system, so you should still wear a dust mask and clothing to protect your skin especially if you have a large bed bug infestation and regularly use DE. The NPIC says that breathing in DE may cause irritation in the nose and eyes and may give you a cough and shortness of breath.1

Diatomaceous earth has been used as a non-toxic pesticide since the 1960s. The destructive action of DE on bed bugs causes them to die after a few days of exposure.

According to Prof. Stuart Hill from the Department of Entomology and Ecological Agricultural Projects, food grade diatomaceous earth is an ideal pesticide for removing bed bugs from the home. Comparing toxic chemicals with DE, Prof. Hill said that the repellent nature of chemicals is short-lived, whereas DE is effective on bugs for as long as the dust is on the critters.2

The journal Insects in 2016 published a study into the effectiveness of diatomaceous earth dust for bed bug control. It was reported that diatomaceous earth could kill off 100% of bed bugs in a 9 to 15-day period. DE was also effective in eradicating bed bugs that had become resistant to chemical pesticides.3

Therefore, because diatomaceous earth uses mechanical action to destroy bed bugs and other insect pests, it can safely be used around the home to control a bug infestation. Diatomaceous earth can also be used as a natural ant repellent and help rid your home of cockroaches. In fact, food grade diatomaceous earth is safe enough to ingest and get rid of intestinal parasites.

To use diatomaceous earth to kill off all bed bugs in your home, its important to know about the life cycle of the tiny bugs and spot signs of a bedbug infestation.

Dr. Carol DerSarkissian on WebMD says that bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and scurry over floors, walls, and ceilings. Bed bugs love to hide in dark places and are commonly found in mattresses, headboards, box springs, and in the nooks and crannies of bed frames. They come out at night to feed on blood and that is why, if you have a bed bug problem, you may notice tiny blood stains that look like black specks on your bed linen or pillow.4

The symptoms of being bitten by bed bugs are red itchy spots on your body. Dr. DerSarkissian says that the tiny bugs generally bite around the ankles, but will pierce any part of the skin to gorge on blood. The bites can turn into red bumps on your skin that cause mild to severe itching on the affected part of the body.

Researchers from Purdue University say that other signs of a bed bug infestation are dark spots that are fecal matter around bed frames, on mattresses, and sheets. You may also notice shed skins or tiny eggs around areas where they like to hide. There may be a distinctive odor also.5

Lets look at the steps to use diatomaceous earth powder as a bed bug killer. This next section examines how to apply diatomaceous earth for bed bugs and what precautions you should take when using bed bug powders.

The first step to completely eradicate bed bugs from your home is to find out where the annoying pests are hiding.

Researchers from Texas A&M University say that usually bed bugs are found infesting bedrooms or other rooms where people sleep. So, you should look for signs of bug infestations around beds, mattresses, sofas, and sofa beds.6

You should vacuum all areas of your home that show any signs of bed bugs inhabiting the furniture or bedding.

To help know where exactly to dust diatomaceous earth for bed bug control, the Department of Entomology at NC State University recommends examining the following places:7

Before using DE for getting rid of bed bugs, you should encase any mattresses where you suspect bed bugs are hiding.

For this, you can purchase specially designed bed bug encasements that will prevent the bug escaping from the mattress, pillows and other bed linen placed in it (here is one example). Because the bed bugs dont have any source of blood, they will eventually die off and no longer become a problem.

You should also wash your bedding in hot water and put in the dryer for at least 30 minutes to make sure that all bed bugs have been killed.

You can also use hot steam as an effective home remedy to eradicate bed bugs and you can use it after vacuuming.The hot steam can eliminate bed bugs from small crevices and cracks. It can also penetrate through the mattress lining and eradicate bug infestations inside the mattress.

Another thing that you may want to try is placing bed bug traps (such asthis one) under your bed legs to stop bed bugs crawling up.

The next step is to use food grade diatomaceous earth to kill the bed bugs from furniture, beds, and other hiding places where they live.

Now is the time to put the bed bug killing power of food grade diatomaceous earth to work. This is what you should do to exterminate all traces of bed bugs from beds, sofas, and other furniture.

It will take some vigilance on your part to completely exterminate all traces of bed bugs from your home. You should also remember to continue using diatomaceous earth for a week or so after you are sure that the bed bugs are gone. This is to ensure that you have no further infestation from eggs that may have hatched during that period.

Although you can use food grade diatomaceous for bed bug killing liberally around the home without fear that it is toxic to humans and pets, there are some precautions you should take when using it.

Because diatomaceous earth powder is a very fine abrasive dust, therefore, you should avoid inhaling it. Prof. Stuart Hill advises using a dust mask to prevent inhaling diatomaceous earth if you are treating a large area of bed bug infestation. However, there are no other health risks reported with using food grade DE around the home for pest control.2

There are other natural ways to get rid of bed bugs that are non-toxic and safe to use in the home.

Tea tree oil. Some people have had success with using tea tree oil as a bed bug repellent and natural insecticide. A study in the journal Medical and Veterinary Entomology found that tea tree oil was effective at killing off various insects and also had a repellent effect.8

You can make your own natural insecticidal spray by filling a spray bottle with water and adding 20 drops of tea tree oil. Shake well and apply to all parts of the bed where you think bed bugs are lurking. Just remember, not to spray onto areas treated with diatomaceous earth as the liquid will cause DE to become ineffective.

Tea tree oil has another use in your battle with bed bugs and the irritation they cause. Tea tree oil contains antimicrobial and anti -inflammatory properties that can help to treat bed bug bites. All you need to do to reduce itching from insect bites is this: put a drop or two of tea tree oil on the end of a cotton bud and dab this on the itchy bed bug bumps as a spot treatment. Tea tree oil is one of the best natural treatments for bed bug bites as it kill off any germs that may cause infection.

Use bed bug sprays. There are effective DIY and commercial bed bug sprays that contain natural ingredients. You can find out how to make and use these sprays in my article about the most effective bed bug sprays.

Extreme temperature. Researchers from the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station recommend laundering bed linen in hot water and then drying them in a hot dryer to kill bed bugs. Also, you could put small items of bedding like sheets, pillows, and pillowcases in the freezer for 4 days.

The best way to make sure that you never have any bed bug problem is to prevent these nasty critters from infesting your home in the first place. Here are some effective tips on how to prevent bed bug infestation.

For other ways to eliminate bed bugs for good, read my article about the top 10 home remedies to get rid of bed bugs.

Read my other related articles:

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How to Effectively Kill Bed Bugs Using Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

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Can you get rid of bed bugs on your own?

Treating bed bugs is complex. Your likelihood of success depends on many factors, including:

Getting rid of bed bugs completely can take weeks to months, depending on the nature and extent of the infestation. To be successful, everyone will need to cooperate and do their part.

The following steps will help you begin:

You may have to follow these steps more than once to kill all the bugs and their eggs.

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Preparing for treatment is very important; it will make it easier to monitor for bed bugs that haven't been eliminated. This preparation should be completed whether you are doing the treatment yourself or hiring a professional.

Learn more about preparing for treatment

Learn about treatment options (PDF).(4 pp, 480 K, About PDF)Exit

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Bed bug interceptor (place under furniture legs to catch bed bugs)

For additional information, please see :The following links exit the site Exit

Bed bugs National Pesticide Information Center

Bed bugs: Do-it-yourself control options-- Texas A & M AgriLife Extension

Bed Bug Control in Residences-- University of Minnesota

Bed Bugs Integrated Pest Management in and Around the Home-- University of California

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Do-it-yourself Bed Bug Control | Bed Bugs: Get Them Out ...

Bed bugs are making a comeback, but Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has an on-demand online course to protect you and your home from this unwanted visitor.

People have a visceral reaction to the words bed bugs, said Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management specialist, Dallas. She and other AgriLife Extension IPM specialists created a $25 online program to help people learn how to effectively protect themselves from the pest.

Bed bugs have hitched rides via human movement for centuries before the pests were finally brought under control during the age of heavy chemical use, Hurley said. But after chemicals like DDT and organophosphates were decommissioned, they made a comeback.

Resistance to pesticides and modern travel habits are driving the pests resurgence in the U.S., she said.

For decades, bed bugs werent a problem, but since 2010 incidents have kept increasing, she said.

The one-hour online course teaches participants how to check for bed bugs, what they look like, how to get rid of them, and modern treatment options.

Picking up bed bugs during a hotel stay is a common scenario, Hurley said.

People travel for work or vacation, and they never know it until they have a reaction to the bites, and by then they may have spread them to other locations, including their own home, she said. One of the instructional videos covers how to look for signs of bed bugs in hotel rooms and avoid those little hitchhikers.

Hurleys family was caught in that scenario during a trip to Italy last year. They didnt realize bed bugs were the issue until they were returning home and had to treat their suitcases and clothes by stuffing them into freezers for two weeks to kill the pests.

The program is research- and fact-based and includes simple things every homeowner can do to be aware of and be better protected from infestations, Hurley said.

The course provides good information, especially for travelers, she said. Education is knowledge, and its good knowledge to have whether youre going to Europe in the future or taking a weekend road trip.

Going through the course can also give homeowners good insight into questions they may want to ask professional pest controllers who might enter their home.

As for people in the pest control industry, the course would also provide them with essential information, Hurley said. The course offers one structural Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education credits for applicators.

The course is available on demand and accessible at any time once an account is created and paid for, Hurley said. Participants can go through it at their own speed and come in and out at their convenience.

It is somewhat interactive, she said, with slides and photos that include narration and videos. There is a final exam with a 70% efficiency requirement at the end for applicators seeking the one structural pest management continuing education units.

The course will cover:

The course is worth the hour for anyone who wants their household to have the peace of mind knowing about common ways bed bugs enter homes, how to recognize their presence and what to do next, she said. Its just good, straight-forward information to know.

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Bed bug cases on the rise since 2010 | AgriLife Today - AgriLife Today

Bed bug on skin image by Pat Porter

Bed bugs are small, brownish, flattened insects that feed solely on the blood of animals. The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is the species most adapted to living with humans. It has done so since ancient times.

Adult bed bugs are about 1/4 inch long and reddish brown, with oval, flattened bodies. They are sometimes mistaken for ticks or cockroaches. The immatures (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are smaller and lighter in color. The youngest nymphs are approximately pinhead size and visible to the naked eye. Bed bugs do not have wings and do not fly, but can move quickly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces.

Bed bug on dime, taken by Pat Porter

Bed bugs prefer to hide close to where they feed. However if necessary, they will crawl quite a ways to obtain a blood meal. Initial infestations tend to be around beds, but the bugs eventually may become scattered throughout a room, occupying any crevice or protected location. They also can spread to adjacent rooms or apartments. This can be especially problematic on college campuses, hotels and anywhere multi-housing scenarios occur. For this reason, control must be comprehensive and pest management professionals must think 3-dimensionally.

Bed bugs feed mostly at night, by piercing the skin of people as they sleep. However, if they are very hungry and if the light is dim, they will feed during the day. When bed bugs are not feeding, they spend their time in large, dense aggregations that consist of all life stages from eggs to adult. They use chemical communication to locate each other in these groups that are typically in flat, dark spaces.

When bed bugs bite, they inject a fluid into the skin that assists them in obtaining blood. Often, but not always, the fluid causes the skin to become irritated, inflamed and to itch. Elongated, spindle shaped welts can develop as a result of the bite. If the bites are on the limbs (arms or legs), these welts will be aligned with the long axis of the limb. This elongated, spindle shape can distinguish the welts from those resulting from mosquito or flea bites. In some cases, it may take several days for the reaction to occur.

If its feeding is undisturbed, a full grown bed bug becomes engorged with blood in 3 to 15 minutes. It then crawls back to its hiding place, where it remains for several days digesting its meal. When hunger returns, the bug emerges from hiding and seeks another meal of blood.

The three life stages are egg, nymph and adult.Under favorable conditions of temperature (above 70 F) and regular feeding, female bed bugs will lay about 200 eggs during their lifetime at the rate of 3 or 4 per day. Eggs are coated with a sticky substance, causing them to adhere to objects on which they are deposited. The eggs hatch in 6 to 17 days and the nymphs begin to feed on blood immediately.

After 5 molts, bed bugs reach maturity. However, bed bugs must obtain a blood meal before each molt and females must also feed before laying eggs. There may be 3 or more generations a year. Environmental factors and the availability of food will cause considerable variation in the developmental rate of all stages of growth. Young and old bed bugs may live for several weeks to several months without feeding, depending upon the temperature.

To control bed bugs in homes, locate their hiding places such as described above and treat with an insecticide approved for this use. Select a product whose label includes specific directions for bed bug control. Spray or dust beds (slats, springs and frame) and other hiding places about the room.

Because it is impossible to penetrate all hiding places, control is usually not immediate. A few living bugs may be seen for a week to 10 days after application. After 10 days, a second application, equal to the first is necessary to kill the just hatching nymphs. The pesticides used for bedbug control have a short residual life and so this second application is always needed. For heavily infested areas, it is recommended that a commercial pest control operator be consulted to control the infestation.

Always read and follow carefully the instructions on the container label.

Bed Bugs Insects in the City

Bed bugs: Do-it-yourself control options Insects in the City

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Bed bugs - Texas A&M University