A Long Island man made headlines this month after he doused his rental car in rubbing alcohol and lit a cigarette — causing a massive fire and nearly killing himself in the process. He was trying to get rid of bedbugs – and he’s in good company. There have been many reports all over the news the past few years about people setting fire to their apartments, accidentally poisoning themselves with chemicals and pesticides meant to be used outdoors, and many other disasters. People are willing to do “whatever it takes” to kill these unwelcome pests that live in our beds and feed on us while we sleep. The alternative to killing these pests can be even uglier: There are stories of people with a history of mental health problems who, after suffering infestations of bedbugs, jumped to their death.
So, how do we account for the bed bug’s resurgence in the past decade?
The growth in the bed bug population can be credited to a combination of several things. First of all, we were able to lower the bed bug numbers dramatically after World War II because of the advent of DDT and other synthetic organophosphate insecticides. However, when you put a lot of pressure on any species, evolution is going to happen. Bed bugs started to form a strong resistance to the DDT and began to thrive again. This resistance is still observed in many of today’s bed bug populations despite the banning of DDT. Even though we don’t use DDT in the U.S. anymore, the main class of insecticides that we’re allowed to use in our bedrooms, known as pyrethroids, work in a very similar way by attacking the nervous system in the insects. The insects that already have these genetic mutations that make them resistant to DDT also make them resistant to pyrethroids. These resistant pockets of chemically-resistant bedbugs can now be found all over the world. To add to everything occurring biologically, in the ’80s and ’90s, people started traveling more and more, which resulted in spreading bed bugs from hot spots to other parts of the world that they hadn’t seen this pest in a long time.
The last major factor that happened during the last few years is that our population has grown considerably. This has resulted in a larger percentage of the population living in high population centers. Bed bugs spread much more easily in a city environment where there are more apartment buildings, elderly care facilities, and hospitals versus residential stand-alone homes. It’s much easier for the bed bugs to migrate from one person’s home to the next in an apartment building because they just have to go through the walls or across the hall.
What are some of the tactics people are using that may be contributing to the rise in the Bed Bug population?
As far as fueling the resistance goes, continuing to use pyrethroids and other repellent chemicals such as foggers is not going to help things at all. There are a variety of over the counter chemicals that people use every day now. The truth of the matter is that any time someone tries to “do it themselves” with the over the counter products that say “kill on contact,” they probably aren’t just going contribute to the overall chemical resistance problem, but ultimately spread the bugs through their entire home and ultimately make a somewhat simple eradication extremely difficult and expensive to treat.
So what do I do if I think I might have bed bugs?
The best thing to do is call in the professionals! But, before calling just any exterminator, do your research. There are a lot of companies claiming they are able to take care of your bed bug problem, but due to inexperience and other factors, most fail to do so. This results in lost time and money. It’s best to “GO WITH THE INNOVATORS…. NOT THE IMITATORS!” Azex Pest Solutions has the most experienced heat treatment team in Arizona. Azex can search for bedbugs in your home or business by using specially trained detection dogs. Then they can perform a highly effective heat treatment that kills every bed bug the very first time. For AZEX Killing bed bugs is EASY!!
Concerns with Imitation Companies and Products:
- Inexperience:
- Incredibly, many heat treatment companies in Arizona have been doing heat treatments for less than 1 year
- Learning as they go
- Increased Risk of Property Damage
- Lower probability of Successful Treatment
- Inconsistent Monitoring- Temperatures / Heaters
Heaters / Equipment:
- Not Rated for Residential / Indoor Use
- Non EPA Registered Pest Control Devices (In the state of Arizona these ratings are a legal requirement for any pest control device used for a pest heat service).
- Increased Fire Hazard.
- Increased Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Why you should Call AZEX Pest Solutions over any other Bed Bug extermination service!
EXPERIENCE!!! When it comes to bed bug heat treatments, there is no substitute for experience!
- AZEX pioneered the first bed bug heat treatments in Arizona in 2007.
- AZEX is the most experienced heat remediation company in the state.
- AZEX employs the most experienced heat remediation technicians in Arizona
- AZEX already knows how to reach lethal temps without damaging your property
- AZEX Technicians Are All Highly Trained, Highly Experienced, and State Certified Pest Management Professionals
- QUALITY (Not all heaters are created equal!)
All heaters used by AZEX Pest Solutions:
- Meet or exceed OSHA Safety and Environmental standards
- Are EPA Registered
- Are specifically designed to heat structures
- Are approved for residential and indoor use
For more information or to schedule a bed bug inspection or treatment please call AZEX TODAY AT 877-445-BUGS.
