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The takeaway from a warning issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in August is that even while you are not required to contact a registered pest management firm if you find bedbugs, it would be irresponsible not to. According to an EPA consumer alert cited by The Hill Healthwatch online, “using the wrong pesticide or using it inappropriately to treat for bedbugs might make you, your family, and your pets sick.” “It may not eliminate the bedbug problem and it can also make your home hazardous to dwell in.”

The U.S. EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a joint statement last July cautioning consumers against using outdoor pesticide products inside their homes in an effort to get rid of bed bugs. This warning came in response to reports of dangerous pesticide misuse and extreme measures taken by some homeowners and apartment dwellers in do-it-yourself efforts to eradicate bed bugs. Concern among government officials, the medical community, public health guardians, and the National Pest Management Association has grown in response to reports from licenced pest control professionals in the field and the news media of people dousing their beds, pyjamas, and even bathing their children in garden insecticides (NPMA). The use of harsh chemicals that have not received EPA approval for home use can expose you to carcinogens, result in severe burn-like skin and eye irritation, and perhaps harm your central nervous system.

The use of extremely flammable chemicals to kill bedbugs by desperate people to start home and apartment fires has also been widely reported in the media. An apartment fire was sparked in January by a man from Cincinnati, Ohio who was using insecticide and alcohol to clean his furnishings when his cigarette ignited chemical fumes. An Eatontown, New Jersey man attempted do-it-yourself pest control in July 2008 when he blew up his flat. An explosion and fire that destroyed the man’s flat and seriously damaged nearby apartments were brought on by a pilot light that ignited chemical spray and fumes. The explosion blasted out the apartment’s front windows.

In Bugs Without Borders, Defining the Global Bed Bug Resurgence, a recent international survey of pest management companies, University of Kentucky entomologist and national bedbug expert Michael Potter writes that “Pest ant control firms reported seeing many ineffective and potentially dangerous measures used by do-it-yourselfers, including ammonia, bleach, fire, smoke, kerosene, wasp spray, and bug bombs, as well as concentrated pesticides bought on the internet.” “Serious harm may ensue from such applications, especially among those who opt not to hire a professional,” he cautions bedbug victims who are growing more desperate.

Home remedies don’t usually work on bedbugs. Because of their biology and behaviour, these apple seed-sized insects that feed on human blood are difficult to destroy. DIY home remedies may, at best, drive bedbugs elsewhere, hastening the spread of infestations. These insects have a thick, impenetrable carapace that serves as protection. Products currently approved by the EPA for domestic use have no effect on insect eggs and must come into direct physical contact with the bug to kill it. When not feeding, bedbugs conceal themselves in hard-to-reach places including deep holes in walls, under baseboards, beneath floorboards, and inside electrical equipment. Bedbug infestations can swiftly spread across a house or apartment complex due to the ease with which bedbugs and their eggs can be carried on clothing and personal possessions. Because of their nature and behaviour, bedbugs are so difficult to eradicate completely with a single pest management method. In most cases, a bedbug infestation requires three professional pest control treatments spaced two weeks apart in order to completely eradicate the problem and guarantee that all hidden bugs and newly produced eggs have been eliminated.

The most efficient way to get rid of bed bugs is by professional extermination by a certified pest control company with experience in bed bug eradication. Getting a pest management professional (PMP) engaged as soon as possible rather than taking the time to try to address the issue yourself is very effective at preventing new infestations, according to the EPA’s Bed Bug Information Page, which is posted on its website.

Combating bed bug infestations requires quick action. Bed bug infestations can spread swiftly and reproduce at an alarming pace. A female bed bug can produce 500 eggs over the course of her 6- to 12-month existence, and her progeny are able to reproduce once each month. An established infestation of bed bugs frequently contains three or more generations. Early detection and prompt treatment can help to contain an infestation and stop it from spreading.

Licensed pest control specialists use a number of pest control products that have been certified by the EPA for residential use exclusively by licenced pest management professionals in order to effectively treat bedbug infestations. This approach is known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Removing clutter, clothing, bed linens, and other items that could allow bedbugs to escape exposure to pest control agents is the first step in an effective bedbug elimination. Following site preparation, a variety of pest control tools are used to combat bedbugs from various angles.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a warning to consumers to stay away from insect extermination services that make “unrealistic promises of effectiveness or low cost” due to concerns about health and safety issues related to the misuse of pest control chemicals by unlicensed or inadequately trained pest controllers and unqualified contractors trying to capitalise on public fear.

A pest treatment business in Newark, New Jersey, was charged in July with using chemicals that weren’t authorised for residential usage. Technicians sprayed potent pesticides on mattresses and kid’s toys while treating 70 homes and apartment units for bed bugs. Seven tenants were hospitalised and the building was placed under quarantine in Cincinnati, Ohio, last June after an unlicensed contractor hired to eradicate bed bugs sprayed an apartment complex with an agricultural pesticide, prompting seven residents to go to the hospital.

The NPMA recently created Best Management Practices for Bed Bugs (BMP) to serve as a guide for both the industry and consumers in an effort to prevent such occurrences. To protect their health and safety and guarantee that the pest control services they receive are safe and effective, consumers are advised to only engage qualified and licenced pest management companies, according to a list of consumer advice for choosing a pest professional included in the BMP. The NPMA also advises consumers to give licenced pest management companies who have earned QualityPro accreditation preference since they demonstrate the highest technical, educational, and ethical standards in the sector.