Written by the Past President of the Structural Pest Management Association of Ontario

The newest strain of bedbugs to invade North America has developed into a SUPER BEDBUG that is impervious to present day pesticides. Even pesticides of old, like DDT has proven to have no effect on these blood sucking parasites.

Many claims of success with chemicals have been made by various manufacturers and sales/distribution companies. They are able to show results by testing their product on laboratory bedbugs that have been in captivity for sixty years. These are not the same bedbugs that people are now facing in their home. The laboratory strain has not developed resistance like the field strains and therefore most pesticides are still very effective.

Today's field strain of bedbug can be control by two methods, dry steam and diatomaceous earth. Dry steam is very effective on clothing, baseboards, dressers, drapes and mattresses. The use of dry steam saves the home owner of hotel thousands of dollars by being able to save mattresses that previously needed to be discarded. Because there are no harmful chemicals being used, the hotel can rent out rooms immediately after treatment. Homeowners can treat their bedding and not worry about sleeping on a bed of pesticides.

The dry steam has the ability to destroy the bed bugs by boiling both the adults and the eggs in a fraction of a second. Bedbugs will never develop a resistance to heat, so this method will always be effective.

Diatomaceous earth is basically ground up fresh water shells that attach to the bedbugs and scratch the exo-skeleton, causing them to dehydrate over a period of days. Diatomaceous earth is excellent in conjunction with dry steam because it allows residual activity that steam does not. The diatomaceous earth cannot be applied to bedding and can be unsightly, so dry steam is the preferred treatment for the infested bedding, while diatomaceous earth is used as a crack and crevice treatment for baseboards and closets.

The Pro6 by Vapor Clean is perfectly suited for the professional control of bedbugs. The nozzle heat of 270 degrees is definitely hot enough to kill both the adult and egg stages of bedbugs. The dry steam penetrates deep into the mattress and rugs to kill bedbugs not visible to the eye. The triangle brush is ideal for treatment due to the fact it contains the heat within small bristle line area and projects the heat deep down into fabrics. Do NOT use a cloth heat cover over the triangle brush when performing a bedbug extermination. Although the cloth will increase the surface heat, it will greatly decrease the penetration of the dry steam and therefore not get the results you would want. The Steam Intensifier pads will the needed penetration. The steam nozzle can be used for cracks and crevices but the steam will lose its killing temperature if exposed to outside air, therefore it only works will in very enclosed areas. Look at using diatomaceous earth in the cracks and crevices of the walls and use the Pro6 on the beds and fabrics.

Another big advantage of the Pro6 is the continuous feed of water. Having crews working on bedbugs is very labor intensive and you cannot afford down time. With the continuous feed Pro6, your crews can work through the day and you never need to wait for the boiler to cool down to add water. This feature is a must for any company looking to use the unit more than occasionally. Homeowners would be able to use any Vapor Clean for the occasional dry steaming if the bedbugs are a re-occurring problem due to infested neighboring apartments, returning students, or re-infestation from using mass transit or your work site.

Regards,

Steve Peltier

Steve's Pest Management

Chatham, Ontario, Canada[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]