Bedbug Programs

Our programs are based on an "inspection – treatment – inspection" protocol. With an emphasis on inspection, through our detailed reporting capabilities, we can determine where the populations are hiding as well as our program's success rate.

Inspections – K-9 and Human

Human Inspection		K-9 Inspection

Up until April of 2008, Lower Mainland pest control companies were forced to perform all inspections for bedbugs using a human's set of eyes. Having people inspect for bedbugs can be challenging, especially if the bugs are hiding inside a mattress, behind a baseboard, in a closet filled with clutter or any place that a set of eyes cannot see through.

Peter & Vegas appear on Fanny Kiefer Show Click to Watch

As of April 2008, we are the first company in the Lower Mainland to incorporate the use of bedbug dogs to aid in the eradication of this challenging pest. Our beagles have the ability to smell all stages of the bedbug life cycle, including egg, instars, adult and even castings. The benefit our "K-9 Unit" has over human detection, is the fact that our dogs have the ability to smell in parts per trillion, enabling them to smell through walls, furniture, drawers that contain clothes, suitcases, box springs and mattresses. When you consider a human uses vision as a means of inspection, you can see the limitations people have over dogs.

An inspection consists of having our dog inspect a room and all the contents within it, including furniture, mattresses, box springs and luggage. In the event our dogs alert to an area, our handlers (part of the K-9 Unit) then proceed to further check the area to ensure it is not a false alert. Our handlers all have technical experience in bedbug control, so they are able to identify if it is bedbugs, where they are hiding and if in fact it's an active problem. Upon completion of the inspection, our handlers document all findings on a "K-9 Inspection Report", a copy of which is given to our technical team, which allows for a more strategic treatment.

Treatment

There are two different types of treatment that we offer, a "Conventional" and a "Steam" treatment. The Conventional treatment consists of using a variety of insecticides, all labeled for bedbug control. These insecticides are applied by IPM certified technicians, using various types of equipment. We also offer a Steam treatment, which uses dry steam to eradicate bedbugs within a unit. We have the ability to use these treatments as an alternative, or in conjunction with each other during an application.

Conventional Treatment

Conventional treatments refer to the application of insecticides for the purpose of eliminating bedbugs. All the insecticides we use are federally labeled for bedbug control, and are applied in accordance to the label. We use residual insecticides as well as "on-contact" insecticides when applying.

Residual insecticides are used in areas where there is minimal contact by people or pets (e.g. behind a baseboard or inside a wall through a pipe opening). The benefit to residuals is that they provide, as the name implies, a residual on the surface they are applied to. Once an insect crosses the residual's path, it should die within a few days time, depending on how long ago the residual was applied.

"On-contact" insecticides, or non-residual pesticides, are applied to areas where people or pets would come into direct contact with our product (eg. mattresses, couches and armchairs). These insecticides kill on contact only, and dissipate within a short period of time.

Steam Treatment

Heat is a very effective method for killing bedbugs. As a result, we've incorporated the use of dry steam as part of our treatment process. Our portable dry steam machines have the ability to kill bedbugs on contact, without damaging the material we're applying it to.

Several advantages steam offers over a conventional treatment is that there is no stay-out time required since there are no pesticides being applicated and steam is the only application that will kill all stages of the bedbug life cycle, including eggs.

Encasements

Encasements are also known as mattress and box spring covers. The idea behind the encasements is to trap any existing bedbugs that might be inside the mattresses and box springs, as well as prevent any new ones that enter a room from hiding in the mattresses and box springs. When you consider one of the primary areas for a bedbug to hide is in the bed, it only makes sense to limit the harbourage areas available to these bugs. This will make ongoing bedbug control and management a lot easier, and provide ongoing comfort for your guests.

Our encasements are not only bedbug bite proof, but also completely waterproof, fire retardant, breathable, hypoallergenic, heat and pressure sensitive (i.e. they can be used on a memory foam mattress) and contour to the style of any mattress.

Staff Training for Hotel and Rental Properties

We feel that education is half of the battle in managing bedbugs, which is why we offer in-house training for all of your housekeeping, engineering, resident managing, building managing and all other appropriate staff in how to inspect, detect, report and act on a bedbug problem. We offer a power point presentation that discusses the biology, feeding habits, hiding spots and management strategies of bedbugs. In addition, we also have multiple handouts and brochures, which we can leave behind for your staff.

Prevention Program

Dealing with bedbugs on a per unit basis is, in most cases, insufficient in solving the problem. The nature of bedbugs is such that they will travel great distances to get a blood meal, meaning that they can easily move from a neighbouring unit (whether it be beside, below or above the problematic unit) to get to their food source. There is no way of knowing where they are hiding if we only treat on a reactive basis. Our solution to this problem is to implement preventative building "sweeps". With an entire hotel or apartment building sweep, we have the ability to inspect every unit to see if there is a bedbug problem in that unit, which may otherwise have gone undetected.

Once the sweep is complete, our K-9 unit will have a detailed report on each room, illustrating where all the positive and negative alerts are. These reports are then passed on to our bedbug treatment team, making for a more strategic attack using fewer pesticides. Building sweeps also prove pro-activeness on the hotel or apartment building's part in dealing with bedbugs. There are multiple cases where guests or tenants have sued for punitive and/or compensatory damages, however, if a hotel or landlord can prove due diligence on their part, it does make these cases more difficult to win.