Bed Bug Q&A With Experts

Lets Get Started!

For our first question we asked the expert Louis Sorkin who is a B.C.E. Louis is also a Forensic Entomologist at Entsult Associates and an Entomologist at the American Museum of Natural History. He is an expert at the identification, classification and the study of insects. We asked Louis this question:

• Q: In the next 10-20 years do you think bed bug infestations will stay the same/increase/decrease?

• Louis Sorkin: “I hope I can say decrease, but seeing how things are now and how they’ve been in the past 20 years, I’d have to say same or increase.  Everyone who is involved in bed bug remediation plus the people of the world who live with infestations will never be on the same page.  There is really no concerted effort and no standard operating in how to identify the problem and take care of it.  Public education is still lacking – it’s not the same information being given to all people, public opinion and understanding of bed bug infestation is not universal, bed bug biology is not fully understood and methods of dealing with them are not at the point where it’s easy to eliminate infestations unless these are incipient ones.  Well-entrenched infestations in multi-family unit buildings means that the infestation(s) were not caught early, there was no education to alert tenants/owners/renters to the issue or they really didn’t care about the problem because of many reasons, some of which have origins in truth or,unfortunately, in misunderstanding or deliberate ignorance.  It’s a very intertwined and intricate balance and depends on the people, neighborhoods, landlords, legalities, political correctness, money, the list goes on.  And I’m not cynical.”

For our next question, we asked Standard Pest Management located in Queens, New York. Standard has been serving NYC for pests for 80+ years. If anyone has a grasp of the evolution of bed bugs in NYC its these guys! Gil bloom served a seat on NYC’s Mayoral bed bug advisory board in 2009. He is another well known expert in the area. Josh Bloom is a board member of the NPMA for Region 3. We asked Standard:

• Q: Even though an article was recently released that said bed bug infestations is on a decline in our area of NYC do you find a decline in bed bug treatments?

• Gil Bloom: “while city complaint numbers may be down and that is a
  good thing, they represent bed bug issues that have not been resolved by landlords. The flip side of the reduction in complaints is in part due to the work performed by professional pest control companies so they do not become complaints.”

For our next question, we wanted to think outside our state lines. We wanted to know about other states. Who better to ask then Steve Jackson of Titus Pest Control. Steve is a well known active pest control blogger and pest control expert. He has a wealth of information for the pest control start up’s as well as the veterans. He is a pest control business owner which gives him a good grasp on all aspects of his business. We asked Steve Jackson:

• Q: In your professional opinion, what is the number one reason bed bugs are being spread in your area, Warner Robins GA (by hotel stays, travel, public transportation etc..)

• Steve Jackson: “Our small town is attached to a large Air Force Base.  We have a great deal of our military personnel traveling from State to State, Country to Country.  From the outside, you would assume our bed bug outbreak stems largely from these types of transfers and deployments, but that’s not the case – at least in my experience.
  Easily, the most frequent cause of bedbug infestations is the result of house guests.
  Don’t get me wrong, we see our share of introductions through hotel stays, used furniture, et cetera – It’s just that nothing tops that good ‘ole “sleepover”.”

• Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception when it comes to bed bugs?

• S & S Pest Solutions: “I’d have to say the preparation. I find that a lot of people think simply hiring a company is good enough to resolve the issue and in very few cases that can be true. What most folks don’t understand is proper preparation is vital to a successful treatment. I’ve recommended prep companies in the past to people who can afford such services but when it comes to lower end housing, that’s simply not an option. Proper prep means a thorough treatment.”

• Q: What is bed bug work like in your area? Do many people have a problem? Is it getting better or worse? In New York City since people live in such living quarters, bed bugs spread easily. Is this a similar problem in your area?

• Micky Ferrell Jr: “We don’t have the tight living arrangements that are expereinced in more highly populated areas. However, we do see but see the same trends. Bed bugs are more commonly found in apartments, condos, and town homes.

  The exception to this is single family homes that are owned by traveling seniors. They make up the 2nd largest group of affected people. And are the most likely to act quickly when bed bugs are discovered.

  We are experiencing a significant increase in bed bug related calls and services this year.”