Effective control means getting the insecticide into foliage and especially onto the underside of leaves where mosquitoes are often found.

Editor’s Note: This article was reprinted with permission from Techletter, a biweekly training letter for professional pest control technicians from Pinto & Associates. To subscribe, visit www.techletter.com.

Backpack mist blowers are useful for treating large outdoor areas quickly and getting insecticide into areas of dense foliage. They are rapidly becoming the tool of choice for PMPs performing backyard mosquito control, as one part of an integrated program. Gas-powered mist blowers are used to apply a barrier treatment of residual insecticide onto and into mosquito daytime harborage areas. Mosquitoes rest during the height of the day in and on vegetation close to the ground. Effective control means getting the insecticide into foliage and especially onto the underside of leaves where mosquitoes are often found.

There are several brands of suitable backpack mist blowers such as B&G, Solo, Stihl and Hudson. A mist blower uses a two-cycle gasoline motor. Suction draws the spray solution from a small (usually 3-gallon) poly tank into an air stream created by a blower. The mist is then blown through an application hose with a nozzle at the end. A trigger on the handle controls stop and start, and the output volume can be adjusted with a multi-position dosage control. Droplet sizes range from 51-100 microns.

TREATMENT SITES. Your main treatment sites are those where mosquitoes are hiding and resting, such as dense ground cover plants, in and under thick shrubbery, and small or bushy trees. Don’t overlook non-foliage resting sites such as the underside of decks, porches, bay windows or other low overhangs. Pay particular attention to the shady, moist areas that mosquitoes prefer. Keep your application low where the mosquitoes are, concentrating on foliage 6 to 8 feet up from the ground. Make sure you follow the label directions for mixing and applying the insecticide you are using.

Mist blowers are effective for mosquito control because they can treat a large area fairly quickly and backpack mist blowers use less chemical than a regular backpack sprayer. The forceful blowing action moves foliage around, letting the insecticide reach the interior of the plants and the underside of leaves.

Cautions: Think of your back when hoisting a loaded backpack mist blower. Set it on a tailgate or picnic table and back into the straps. Because a mist blower projects droplets about 30 feet horizontally and 20 feet vertically, be aware of the drift potential. To protect pollinators, don’t treat flowering plants. Also be careful about getting the spray residue on high-risk surfaces, such as automobile finishes or house siding.

The authors are well-known industry consultants and co-owners of Pinto & Associates.

A review of bed bug news and product information from industry suppliers.

Editor’s note: Suppliers and PMPs, if you have a bed bug-related news item or product you’d like to have highlighted in an upcoming issue, please send a press release and a high-resolution photo to jdorsch@gie.net.

The FlexICU from BRS Pest Management Innovations is a new device to give professionals hands-free convenience. The FlexICU was designed and tested to securely hold more than 700 different tactical, hand-held and utility flashlights and other devices such as bait tubes, screwdrivers and inspection tools. The manufacturer says the product is a lightweight, professional-quality device constructed of a durable, chemical-resistant polymer to provide a flexible, secure fit. The easy mount and quick release features of the FlexICU allow the unit to be attached to many common pest management tools and devices including sprayers, dusters, dusting extensions, etc., in seconds.

“(Additionally), the QC DustBrush is a game changer for effectively and accurately applying insecticide dust to mattress seams, furniture and equipment while reducing drift,” said Dr. Jamel Sandidge, owner/inventor. The stainless steel elbow joint allows the head of the QC DustBrush to rotate 360 degrees once attached to a duster, making it possible to reach seams and stitches at any angle.

Sandidge says the FlexICU joins an innovative product line, including the durable BRS DustROD with its unique application tip designed to mimic the shape and size of most common insect pests.

Learn more at www.brspestinnovations.com or www.dustrod.com.

Allergy Technologies has been named a supply partner by Hilton Supply Management, the global supply chain partner for more than 6,000 properties, including Hilton and non-Hilton-branded hotels.

Allergy Technologies is the manufacturer of ActiveGuard Mattress Liners, which is the only EPA-registered, proactive product labeled to prevent bed bug infestations for two years, the company says. In hotel use for years, ActiveGuard-based preventive programs have proven to reduce infestations as much as 90 percent or more, according to Allergy Technologies.

ActiveGuard liners kill bed bugs in/on mattresses and box springs and are effective in both active and preventive bed bug control strategies, the firm says. Maintenance-free and non-disruptive to hotel operating efficiencies, the liners work 24/7 for two years protecting guests and bedding from bed bugs. ActiveGuard comes in four bed sizes and are easily installed by one person, according to the manufacturer.

Extensively evaluated in field studies, ActiveGuard’s ability to save hoteliers hundreds of thousands of dollars in operational expense while preserving brand reputation is well documented, the company reports. “Bed bugs are a pest that notoriously plague properties with high client turnover, which makes proactively addressing the bed bug resurgence even more critical for hotels,” said Joseph Latino, president of Allergy Technologies. “The financial benefits of preventing bed bugs are clear: reducing operational expenses, increasing hotel revenues, preserving the hotel’s reputation, enhancing guest confidence and reducing legal liability.”

To learn more, visit www.allergy technologies.com.

For the third year in a row, Baltimore tops Orkin’s Top 50 Bed Bug Cities list, which was released in January. New York moved up two spots, while Atlanta and Philadelphia joined the top 10, replacing San Francisco and Dallas, respectively.

Five cities moved into the top 50 this year, including Lansing, Mich.; Orlando, Fla.; Davenport, Iowa; Ft. Wayne, Ind.; and Youngstown, Ohio. Houston dropped nine positions, while Greenville, S.C., rose seven positions, entering the top 20.

The list is based on treatment data from the metro areas where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments from Dec. 1, 2017-Nov. 30, 2018. Both residential and commercial treatments are included.

While customers still want discretion, they are willing to ask friends and family about their experiences with bed bug control.

It used to be that people didn’t talk about having bed bugs. They didn’t want anybody to know; not family, not close friends. That’s changing. People are “not as secretive as they used to be. They’re now asking around” about the service and if they hear you do good work they’re not so concerned about the price, said Garey Clark of Clark Pest Remedy, McDonough, Ga.

Brad Carrier of Bugsy’s Pest Solutions, Waterloo, Iowa, has received a few bed bug referrals. “That would never have happened five years ago,” he said.

“There’s not that hysteria that there was six, seven, eight years ago. The vast majority of people I’ve talked to either have had them or know someone who’s had bed bugs at some point,” said Adam Carace, operations manager, Pest End, Methuen, Mass. They understand that control may take weeks, multiple treatments and lots of preparation and “they’re OK with that,” he said.

The fear of reporting a bed bug problem “definitely has to change,” especially for tenants of multi-unit housing because “when people keep it a secret and they’re ashamed to report it for whatever reason, that’s when those numbers build,” said Tami Stuparich, owner, California American Exterminator, Boulder Creek, Calif.

Of course customers still want discretion. “We have been asked multiple times not to have any markings on (bed bug service vehicles) whatsoever,” said Scott Ballard of S&S Termite & Pest Control in Opelika, Ala.

On billboards and radio, PMPs generally advertise bed bug control as one of the services they offer. They promote it specifically online, using pay-per-click advertising, SEO and social media. “If they search for bed bugs on Google we’ll come up,” explained Carace.

According to PCT’s 2018 State of the Bed Bug Control Market survey, sponsored by Zoëcon, pest management professionals highlight their certified technicians (63 percent), excellent control (56 percent), free inspections (46 percent), discreet service (43 percent), service guarantee (43 percent) and use of mattress encasements/active mattress liners (40 percent) in marketing efforts.

The author is a frequent PCT contributor.

A primer for using desiccant dust to control and prevent bed bugs.

Desiccant dust has been around in one form or another for decades. For some pest management professionals, it’s a go-to product for controlling and preventing bed bugs. Others can benefit greatly from its use.

WHY? Desiccant dust kills bed bugs by damaging the waxy layer of the cuticle that helps them retain moisture, thus causing them to dry out.

So far the pests haven’t figured out a way to resist dehydration even though some have developed ways to resist conventional insecticides. “Resistance to desiccating dust is exceedingly rare in the insect world,” said Mike Potter, urban entomologist, University Kentucky.

Neither do the dusts lose efficacy like some liquid insecticides once they have dried on treated surfaces.

“These desiccant dusts are one of the few products that are available right now that work after the technician has left the building,” said Dini Miller, urban entomologist, Virginia Tech, of dusts’ long-lasting residual activity.

Lab tests by University of Kentucky researchers found that silica gel dust applied to carpet substrates remained potent for 18 months and that even a short exposure to the dust was lethal for bed bugs, achieving 100 percent mortality within two days. When the researchers applied the dust to bed-bug-infested apartments that had neither been prepped nor treated by other means, they achieved a 98 percent reduction of the pests.

NOT WITHOUT LIMITATIONS. Using desiccant dust poses some challenges, however. Most notably, it is lightweight and a heavy-handed application can disperse it readily into the air. Silica gel in particular is very “floaty,” said Potter.

“If you use a hand duster, you’re going to have a mess and you’re going to have this product all over the room and all over personal items,” said Lawrence Washburn, president of Blue Diamond Exterminating in Hyden, Ky. The dust is particularly noticeable when over-applied on dark surfaces.

PMPs who work in low-income housing also may have an unconscious bias against desiccant dusts as it’s not uncommon for residents to buy dusts like diatomaceous earth and apply it improperly, usually much too heavily. As such, the insects avoid the dust or walk across it when it becomes damp and ineffective.

“I think this has hindered their use in the pest control industry because these guys see residents misapplying it and not getting very good results,” said Miller.

The advantages of using a desiccant dust, though, far outweigh the challenges. “Most companies should be really looking at this and the best way to apply it,” advised Miller.

Pros-in-the-know shared how to make the most of these products:

Less is definitely more. An application of desiccant dust must be so light that the bed bugs are willing to walk through it, which is what causes them to pick up a lethal dose. “If you apply it too heavily, I think a lot of insects are smart enough to avoid it,” said Miller.

“If you see the dust you have too much applied. You should barely be able to tell it’s even there,” added Elia Levin, owner of 5 Star Pest Solutions, Indianapolis.

Focus on points of interception. Apply desiccant dust where bed bugs most likely will come in contact with it. Depending on the level of infestation, this may involve dusting the legs of bed frames and furniture, the seams, tufts and framework of upholstered furniture, the seams of mattresses and the underside of the box spring before encasing them.

“Your bed bug has to come in contact with the product. Obviously, it has to be put where they behaviorally are going to be either living in a brood center or meandering about” in search of a blood meal, said Levin.

Choose the right duster. Hand dusters don’t cut it. “I’ll see the technicians out there who are just puffing it and I don’t know that that’s really light enough,” said Miller of the resulting distribution of dust.

A power duster will provide the appropriate distribution, but “different dusts work better in different dusters,” she cautioned. “It’s not one size fits all” and it’s best to figure this out before investing in (or ruining) expensive equipment, she said. PMPs also may want to use equipment designed for specific applications, such as for dusting along carpet edges.

Diatomaceous earth (DE), a natural non-toxic product mined from the fossilized remains of microscopic plants (diatoms), is abrasive and acts like super-fine sandpaper on the insect’s cuticle when it crawls over or through it.

Silica gel, a non-toxic synthetic version of DE, works more like a sponge, sucking the wax off the outer shell of the insect. The name is confusing — it’s a dust, not a “gel” — and like DE it is amorphous (non-crystalline), which greatly reduces the potential hazard to humans should they inhale it.

Some desiccant dust products also contain insecticide, such as a neonicotinoid or pyrethroid, that can more easily penetrate the insect once the waxy layer is compromised, as well as additives to help prevent the lightweight dust from becoming airborne.

Use a brush. “You need to be precise with it; you need to be able to put it exactly where you need it,” said Washburn of the dust. As such, he uses a small brush (e.g., a cosmetic or soft paint brush) to lay the dust on mattress seams, bed legs and the undersides of upholstered furniture and box springs.

“If you use a bellows duster and just puff against the surface it’s just going to bounce back at you,” said Potter of the dusts’ tendency to go airborne.

Eliminate inter-unit travel. In multi-unit housing where bed bugs can move between units, use a power duster to apply the dust above shared drop ceilings (often found in bathrooms) and in the voids behind medicine cabinets and utility openings.

Also apply dust around the unit’s perimeter where the carpet and baseboard meet. “Desiccant dusts are excellent barriers to put around there,” said Miller.

Avoid unnecessary work. Don’t waste time pulling up carpet edges or dusting every crack and crevice, wall void or utility opening if an inspection shows the pests aren’t likely in those places. Large infestations of bed bugs are found everywhere in a residence, but in the early stages of an infestation they’re more predictably found near the sleeping person, said Potter.

Different levels of infestation and clutter require different strategies for controlling the pests, advised Miller.

Think outside the box (spring). Miller works in public housing where “there are no box springs.” And different cultures prefer to sleep on different types of beds, from those of stone to roll-up mats. “We need to think how these desiccant dusts can be applied in a non-hazardous way in situations where the people don’t have the traditional bed,” she said.

Always read the label. “The number one mistake with desiccant dust is not being really familiar with the label and where you can apply it and where you can’t,” said Miller. Labels for products without added insecticide are generally broad; still, experts advised not to apply the dusts where residents might come in contact with them.

And while airborne silica gel or DE is not considered a health hazard, Potter urged PMPs to take extra care to limit this around people with respiratory ailments. He also said silica gel was far more effective as a dust than as a suspension mixed with water, as allowed for on the label.

Recent studies on diatomaceous earth and silica gel by the University of Kentucky indicate the latter may be PMPs’ best choice of desiccant dust.

“Diatomaceous earth is not nearly as good a desiccant as silica gel,” said Mike Potter, who led the studies. “(Silica gel) tends to be lighter, more amorphous in shape, it clings to the bug better, it absorbs the wax layer better and somewhat faster.”

“That’s probably one of the best products we have out there right now,” agreed Dini Miller, urban entomologist, Virginia Tech. Desiccant dusts with insecticide may deliver a double-whammy to bed bugs, but where and how they can be applied is more limited per the label.

Play defense. Most PMPs combine the use of desiccant dust with other bed bug treatments, such as conventional insecticides or heat. Brad Carrier, owner of Bugsy’s Pest Solutions, Waterloo, Iowa, uses silica gel as “a defense mechanism,” a hedge against the day he runs into insecticide resistance.

Washburn uses the dust alone to prevent bed bug introductions from becoming bigger problems. Two years ago he treated the perimeter carpet edges of the rooms at a resort and hasn’t had a bed bug problem call since.

A desiccant dust “can be used either as a primary or a supporting secondary material. It depends on the level of infestation and how quickly you need to accomplish the elimination,” said Levin.

Offer as an alternative. Washburn often gets calls from people with bed bug problems who cannot afford professional pest control. “That’s one of the big problems with really getting a handle on what’s going on with bed bugs,” he said. As such, he advises callers on how to purchase silica gel and apply it with a brush. Potter would like to see an affordable application device developed for the consumer market to help people more effectively do this.

Satisfy the desire for green. “Desiccating an insect totally makes sense. How green do you have to be to use something that s

imply dries it out,” asked Levin. As such, Bryan Nichols, owner, Advanced Maintenance and Pest Solutions, Chicago, uses silica gel as a stand-alone green treatment for some jobs. “It’s been very successful in getting rid of the bed bugs and also keeping my clients more at ease. It has the safety profile that allows us to really breeze through a lot of the chemo-phobic questions that come about” and also reduces the risk should a resident return home to find that a treatment was done but who wasn’t told of this beforehand by the landlord, said Nichols.

“It’s a great tool to have in your toolbox,” said Levin.

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT.

PMPs weigh in on their loyalty to distributors, the quality of distribution and more.

PMPs and distributors have always shared a close relationship. Distributors provide products and equipment to PMPs so that they’re successful in the field. They educate PMPs about the latest products and application techniques while also providing insight into new training programs in the pest control industry. In turn, PMPs have historically shown a strong loyalty to their primary distributor. To discover more about the current state of these mutually beneficial relationships, PCT asked PMPs about their distributors.

In a 2019 survey, PCT found that 66 percent of PMPs believe the quality of distribution in the pest management industry is above average or excellent, which is up one percent from the 2018 survey.

PMPs generally remain loyal to their primary distributors because they know how important distribution is to their business. In fact, in 2019, PCT found that 42 percent of PMP respondents said that their relationship with distributors has become more important to their business than it was three years ago, a 5 percent decrease from 2018’s numbers. In 2019, 41 percent said distributors have remained just as important to their business, up three percent from 2018’s 38 percent.

Additionally, 87 percent of PMPs told PCT that they purchase products from one to three distributors, which is up from 2018’s 85 percent. Eleven percent purchase from four or more distributors.

Regardless of how many distributors they purchase products from, 72 percent of PMPs surveyed in 2019 said they are loyal or very loyal to their distributors. That number is down slightly from 2018’s 75 percent.