[Hilton]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11491127

Check this out from this morning's BBC News.

The important message is 500% increase in the capital alone, so it is clearly much higher than that and that they are getting swamped with enquiries.

Perhaps the Allerg Stop mob were a few years too early but you can rest assure (or maybe not ) that this will gather pace and the need for such services will increase across the country.

In the States the authorities will close hotels with immediate effect if an infestation is discovered and they are not allowed to open until it has been given the all clear clearly with massive cost implications to business.

[peter maybury]

Bed bugs are a real problem and when I was in college studiying pest control 20 odd years ago,  we might get one or 2 jobs a months but now you will get more than that a week. But this is a carpet cleaning forum an unregulated industry. Pest control is a regulated industry and you do need training and qualifications to buy the chemicals needed to do the job. Training is available from the R.S.P.H. or the B.P.C.A.
It is a growing industry. Allerg ease etc are not recognised solutions to problems such as bed bugs. A good understanding of the species you are dealing with and the insecticides are needed to eradicate this pest. If you think that popping in somewhere and giving a quick spray is all that these situations require then I am afraid that you are a little bit niave. Not only do you have the responsibily of expoising your customers to potentially hazordous chemicals you also have to expose yourself and your family to an exposure in order that you guarantee that you do not end up with somebody else's problem in your home.
It is a good industry but is not something you can go to bed as a carpet cleaner and wake up the next morning as a pest controller.
Peter
www.bedbugscardiff.co.uk
 

[robert meldrum]

Interesting post Pete and you've reminded me of a product which I looked at some time ago which is capable of eradicating this type of problem but was only available by purchasing an expensive licence.

[peter maybury]

Buying a licence will not give you access to the chemicals that work. Pesticides are controlled by the ministry of agriculture and fisheries and you need training and qualifications in order to purchase proffessional use only chemicals. There are few people that have exclusivity to a specific active ingredient and you also cannot be only using one type of insecticide. To get a proper insight into the industry you need to seek the proper relevant training, this is not something that you will receive from somebody who is going to sell you an expensive license.
Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com

[John Kelly]

The revival company and others are now using heat trailers for this kind of work. They did the accomodation block at Glasgow uni a while ago. They cook the building at about 60c I think. No chemicals, no pesticides.

http://www.revivalco.co.uk/documents/Overviewdocument.pdf

[peter maybury]

It is an expensive and awkward alterative as it has to be heated to the depth that the bed bugs harbourages are to be effective. A female bedbug lays 5 eggs a day so if you miss one female then the infestation continues. You can freeze them but again that is not really a practical answer. It will also not be long before heat resistant strains endure. Bedbugs are quite commonly within the bed and I should imagine that to get the temperature to 60 C within the base would tiake some time. Again they can be within cracks i n the walls even in electrical sockets, you would have to get the temperature within these harbourages upto 60c in order for it to be effective.  I have not seem or read anything on this subject within the trade press as of yet. Years ago I was one of two operating companies that was on the welsh forum of pest management which invoved manufacturers, researchers and others within the industry. A lot of the subjects and methods that were being heavily financed turned out to be totally useless in the field. It is on thing to have an Idea in a lab, many of these boffing are totally out of touch with whathappensin the field.  Residual treatments are still veiwed as the most effective solution to theproblem.

Peter

[Len Gribble]

I’m away next Friday in a hotel 4days (very big chain 4star) if I’m bitten (excluding love bytes) can I claim or at least get my money back (ant got any Allerg Stop to pre-spay)

[John Kelly]

Why would Allergstop do anything to bed bugs. Its an anti allergie product.

[wynne jones]

As soon as I get in the door of an evening I take all my work clothes off. Now I have a good excuse. 

[robert meldrum]

Peter

Hypothetically speaking !
 
If there was a product that killed bed bugs and prevented their eggs from hatching and remained active for weeks possibly months. Would you regard that product as having the potential to eliminate bed bugs from a treated area. Just assume that the area, say a bedroom had been cleaned and vacuumed, including the mattress, with a water filtration vacuum, all bedding laundered and all surfaces treated. Forget about nooks and crannies for now, as any bugs coming into contact with the product are killed.

No Fogging or High Heat or Freezing or returning a week or a month later.

Just clean ( thoroughly ) and apply to all surfaces. Job done!

 

[peter maybury]

That is the theory behind residual insecticies the idea is to but a barrier between them and the meal. That way the bed bug will cross the insecticide to get to you. The insecticide does not kill on contact but is designed so that the insects take it back to the harbourages. Bed bugs are possibly the most difficult pest to eradicate and you need to be extremely thourough with them. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of training. Legislation dictates what can and cannot be insecticided.

Peter Maybury

[wynne jones]

Peter, sounds like you know what you are talking about.

[murky]

John is right about the heat thing, SM used to have an 'Environment' license of some sort. They would come to your house and put all of your soft furnishings ie, curtains, mattresses pillows etc into a big type of bouncy castle thing and heat it up to 60 degrees and that would kill the bugs, dust mites etc etc, because the heat got all the way into the mattresses.

The principle worked very well, I passed custys on to them and they were usually happy with results.

Trouble with SM it ended in tears as the franchisees allegedly took them to court as there wasnt the amount of work out there to run the business despite what SM said.

Murky

[robert meldrum]

I easily found a whole range of products I could buy and use without certification. NOT THAT I WOULD but it can be done and I was NOT referring in my previous post to the insecticides you're familiar with Pete. I'm not talking about creating a barrier which would have to be crossed such as the ant inhibitor that's freely available.

As posted, if I had a product with the ability to kill adult bed bugs and stop their eggs from hatching or kill newly hatched eggs. Would you regard it to have the qualities you'd look for in a bed bug eliminator.

[wynne jones]

Someones going to come up with something that's for sure. Maybe the clue is... how did they nearly eradicate them from most of the western world in the first place?

Don't laugh, what about garlic?