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Action Pest Control, NJ — Treatment?
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petong
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 16
Posted 1 month ago
Mon Oct 12 2009 18:13:56
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My landlady has made an appointment with Action Pest Control of New Jersey (www.actionpestcontrol.com) to come and do a K9 inspection of our entire house on Wednesday. I'm having a visual inspection of my apartment tomorrow because it's free. I have found 3 bug samples, 2 or which have been positively ID's as BBs by the company that's doing my free visual inspection, Pest Control Systems of NY (www.pestcontrolsystemsofny.com). I feel good about having two different opinions, and about have both a K9 and visual inspection—and, frankly, about not having to pay for the K9 inspection myself.
But my question is: What are people's experiences with Action's TREATMENT methods. Everything that I've found on the forums so far seems to focus on their K9 inspections methods and not on their actual treatment. There's a thread in which someone from Action even seems to have recommended FOGGING, which is the exact opposite of everything I've read here and everywhere else.
Does anyone have any Action success stories?
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petong
I have worked on bed bug inspection projects with Action Pest Control.
Action is a fifty year old family run pest control company. In addition to their K9 program, they specialize in bed bug treatment with state of the art protocols.
I would suggest that you give John or Todd a call to discuss the protocols that will be utilized in your building. Every job is different... the treatment will be customized based on conditions that are discovered during the inspection.
The comments about "fogging" that you have read in the FAQs / comments are focused on aerosol total release canned foogers that are available over the counter (OTC) from companies like Hot Shot & Raid.
Commercial PCOs have professional grade products that can be applied in different ways.
In some cases, an Actisol machine is utilized to treat a specific area or item with a fine mist (fog).
This treatment is quite different from the products that are available in cans of OTC total release fogger that are sold in hardware or grocery stores.
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 8:27:14
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Hey petong,
I recently have hired Action to treat my apartment so I can give a detailed run down on what they have done, what my first treatment day was like (having a second tomorrow) and everything of that sort.
Before I begin though I want to say that Action Pest Control has, perhaps, the best customer service I have ever had the (unfortunate) pleasure to work with. I say 'unfortunate' because I am obviously dealing with bugs - but Susan, the bed bug lady who answers the phone - has been nothing short of wonderful in answering all of my questions.
I am going to break up the treatment description into several long replies in this thread - hope it's helpful!
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NewBlood
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Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 8:29:32
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When I hired Action at first I asked repeatedly if they would perform a visual inspection of what the dog alerted too. I was told that they would absolutely do this - that the technicians were all trained to do so. This was unfortunately not the case on inspection day - with the inspection guy saying that it was pointless to search for the bugs because they wouldn't be found (too small to see). :(
Now - with that in mind when I called Action back to ask about their treatment price (I was gathering information from several different bed bug companies for my land lord to use when hiring) Susan was shocked about them not doing a visual inspection when they arrived. She immediately scheduled a different K-9 team to come down and inspect - for free - and promised a visual inspection of what the dog alerted too. This occured last Wednesday and, although no bed bugs were found - I had a much better feeling to the second inspection rather then the first. (They found some fecal matter in some furniture). :)
I hope that I wasn't creating any problems when I called back and informed them - I really just wanted to know if their team would perform a visual inspection if the entire apartment complex was to be searchedn for these insects (and to have it in writing this time). Susan was wonderful in making sure I got what I requested.
Lastly - I had bought encasements for my bed/box-spring prior to the sweep online, and the first inspection team thought it would be a good idea to encase the mattress/box-spring right then - so as to contain any that may be already in those items.
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NewBlood
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Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 8:34:25
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Treatment - Part 1.
My first treatment was two days later (I pre-emptively hired Action because they were the only ones who had a 90 day warranty on my apartment - since none of my neighbors are being treated (none are complaining)) so that would have been 6 days ago. Susan answered many of my prep-questions before hand of course. So here's what happened last Friday! (October 9th, 2009):
I had asked if my car could be treated (I'm paranoid about such things)- and they did so. They used some sort of aersol spray to treat the inside of the car - spraying in the front/trunk for approximately a minute and then leaving the car sealed/shut for 30 minutes afterward. (I left it shut for 3 hours before I rolled the windows down to use it).
I had wondered what I could do about my winter coats. Susan had told me that I wouldn't have to bring them to the dry cleaners as they have pest strips that can be placed in the coat-closet to keep the bugs at bay. Alas for me the PCO's did not have any of those strips when they showed up, but promised to bring them by for the next treatment (tomorrow).
I had mostly followed the prep work provided. I say mostly because my bed/boxspring was already encased in a cover. The inspection team told me it was best to not unzip it to vacuum, just leave it in the encasement and the treatment team will decide what to do when they arrive. The treatment team decided that they would spray inside the encasements, but not remove them to steam the mattress nor box spring (I think... I can't recall if the box spring was steamed).
The PCO's who arrived themselves were extremely awesome to talk too - answering the hundreds of questions I had regarding the treatment they were doing that day, and the cute girl PCO informed me about what chemicals they were going to use too ! They use a contact and residual killer, and a chemical that will prevent new eggs from being viable - I'll attempt to get the chemical names when they return tomorrow. Basically - any females won't be able to have children. Take THAT bugs! Right in the baby maker!
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 8:38:26
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Treatment - Part 2.
I had left all of my 'doo-dads' (collectables, board-games, wall-hangings, books - stuff one shows off on shelves and whatnot) alone as Susan had told me that the PCO's would handle them when they arrived. When the PCO's arrived however I ended up having to bag all of those items to move them away from the furniture. So into regular plastic bags they went - left open to hopefully get some of the chemical into them. Not everything was bagged in such a way however -> some items I had in cardboard boxes were left in the rooms, as were other items I had in some large uncovered tupperwear. (I had asked what to do with them and was told they'd be okay). The PCO's that there told me it would be best to leave the items in the plastic bags until after the next treatment I was having (a week later - tomorrow October 16th) and mentioned that the bugs do not usually go into books or such.
At this point (during steaming, before chemical spray) I left to keep an appointment I had at my bank. I was gone for approximately 4 hours, and when I returned the apartment was completed (they had told me that they should be there only another 2-3 hours, and to wait until 3:30ish before I re-entered).
When I entered the place looked as I had left it - with my garbage bags lying around the apartment and stuff on the top of certain tables (not all the furniture needs to be steamed - only what the dogs alerted too). I was unsure what to do with them (the bags) so I moved all the items in them to Hefty One-Zip bags. Since the PCO's told me to leave the items in the bags until the second treatment I decided it was best to seal them up. I hope I haven't sealed any bugs away to avoid the chemicals they are applying. I was also a little worried - as the encasement on my bed was never removed so I was worried that it was covered with chemicals when they sprayed. Not knowing what to do I still slept on it that night anyway with no ill effects. (I HAVE to sleep on the bed).
The PCO's had showed me how to vacuum my furniture (my book shelves and whatnot) as well, and did their best (before I had left for my appointment) to calm me down too. :) They told me as well that they would prefer if I could vacuum the entire apartment every day as opposed to every other day - but at the very least I *must* vacuum every other day as is indicated in the post-treatment paper.
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 47
Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 8:47:19
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Final Thoughts/Grade -
So my thoughts? On a 1 - 10 scale I give Action a 7. I was happy with the treatment, although I wish I knew I was going to bag my stuff before hand so I could have done so much more efficiently (moving it all into bags before they arrived and into a room so as to avoid cluttering the place up). I would also have asked that the encasement for my bed be removed from the structure before fogging. I would recommend them to others for treatment - although I would really REALLY make sure of what to do with the books/etc that one has out. This may just be me obsessing over it though - as you can tell. I'm just worried that the treatment I had was done a little unconventionally for them and as such won't be successful as quickly as it could be.
Oh, I also give Action's Customer Service a 10. Honestly - Susan has been so incredibly helpful during the entire ordeal that I can not imagine any other company having someone so pleasant to answer questions/concerns I had. She really is incredible.
My advice - is that if you buy your own encasements do NOT put them on your bed until after treatment is over (or insist that they do treat the mattress and remove the encasement from the building prior to treatment). I would also recommend that you watch the entire treatment process and ask questions about anything/everything! They are very helpful in answering them, and I wish I had been there for the entire first treatment so as to ask what to do with my wall-hangings/pin-ups as well. Of course - they are the professionals.
It is the most important thing though - to follow the pre/post-prep paper they will eMail/provide to you. If you have any questions about the procedures ASK. Honestly - asking questions is most likely the best thing you can do to ease your mind and this way if something is going on you're unsure about you can then call the company and ask them directly later.
Also if you hire Action definitely request/ask/insist that they perform a visual inspection after their K-9 team alerts! They are supposed to do so - and odds are will want to know if their PCO is not doing this.
Lastly - the price and whatnot. I live in a nice two bedroom, one bathroom apartment. I don't have the dimensions unfortunately, but it's a decent sized place and I live there alone. It costs me $1,200 for the treatment and $300 for the dog-sweep. If you hire them to treat the apartment within two weeks of the dog-sweep they (or they did this for me, might not for others) factored that into the cost of the treatment, and it was lowered to $1,000. You will have to buy encasements from them before they will issue a warranty - you can do that yourself or through them. I ended up buying a box-spring encasement as the one I bought was ripped after a week (I have sharp edges on my metal frame which tore a hole in it). They sell a mattress/box spring encasement as a deal for $130.00 total - or $70.00 each (I don't recall the brand name, I can get back later with it though).
I hope this helps somewhat! I can, if you are interested - give more information after they treat my apartment a second time tomorrow - and give updated details as the days go by. If I am not supposed to post all of this in a forum like this let me know please as well - I am hoping though that it is helpful to anyone who wants to hire Action to know about what it has been like for me, and what was done, and etc etc.
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 47
Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 9:27:35
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Oh - finally! Post-Treatment stuff.
I must keep all of my clothes bagged and sealed until after the second treatment, and I plan on asking about how soon I should remove them (do I remove them this weekend, or wait two weeks after the treatment to remove the clothes). Like others here I keep bags separated based on where/when I am wearing them.
I must vacuum the apartment once every two days - this includes all floors and all treated furniture (frame, shelves, etc). I recently discovered that I may have wanted to NOT vacuum up the cracks/crevices so as to avoid sucking up any dusts they applied there. I'll ask the PCO tomorrow, but Susan has indicated it'll be okay - they can reapply if needed tomorrow.
All surfaces should be washed when you return - so make sure to wipe down all counters, table tops, night stand surfaces, etc.
The cost of vacuuming (as I must buy bags for my vacuum) and washing clothes (as I must keep buying one-zip bags) has brought the total cost for the entire treatment process up to roughly... I'd say $1,500 total for my apartment all told. If I factor in the time I am spending doing laundry/vacuuming as well then I'd place the cost at roughly $2,000 so far - and going up to $2,250 or so by the end of it all (due to more laundry, and the 3.25 hours it takes to vacuum the entire apartment up). Finally - alot of clothes I had have shrunk.
So... keep that in mind as well. If I had to do it again I don't regret choosing Action Pest Control at all - although I might have gone with a thermal treatment instead. HOWEVER - Action is giving me a 90 day guarantee - which is two months more then any other place was going to give me without being able to treat surrounding apartments. This is - in the end - the reason I chose them as the company I wanted to treat me. So far I have not regretted it (save for being worried I've done things incorrectly for my bagged doo-dads, but that can be remedied I hope tomorrow) and they have gone out of their way to let me know what they can do for me with that warranty as well (they will come back as many times as I need to retreat or inspect - they even offered to sweep a house I may be moving too to make sure it is free of these nightmares before I move in - and also scan my stuff before moving out if I am under warranty then - honestly they're good folks). The '7' I gave them does not mean I dislike them at all - merely that I am worried about what to do about the bagged items, and my bed/box-spring too as it wasn't 'normal' procedure.
Whew, that was alot of text. Hope you got through it all, and hope it was helpful as well! If you go with Action I believe you're making a good choice - and I'll update this thread (if I am allowed to) with
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 9:28:32
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.. data as time goes by, assuming NoBugsOnMe allows me to do so. Whew. Sorry for what feels like spamming - I'm just really detail oriented. Hope this was helpful!
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petong
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 16
Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 16:10:01
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Thanks so much NewBlood!
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Thu Oct 15 2009 19:25:57
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No problem at all petong. I apologize for the various typos in my above posts - despite proof reading, my posts end up sounding like I don't have a handle on the English language!
After Action leaves tomorrow I'll provide another response here to indicate what happened to me then as well. At the moment I believe that their dog team will scan all of my belongings (I'll be leaving the bags opened for a limited time so he can sniff 'em) and clothes to see what may or may not be infested. Susan has already indicated that the bags that may contain bugs can be treated. Hopefully nothing is infested though, and far less is alerted to this in my furniture as well!
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Fri Oct 16 2009 12:10:16
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As promised - here's a recap on today's events. There wasn't actually much to report today!
Action showed up again this morning - this time with Rex. This would mean that I had all three dogs show up for my various inspections! The items I had in bags were opened (although the PCO said that the dog could smell the bugs through the plastic) and then the great bed bug hunt began.
As with the other times the dog was led around the entire apartment to find them and alerted on... nothing! Not even my bed had them in it this time. Nothing in the outlets, the closet, the sofa, the bed, the bathroom, etc. No bugs alerted too. Oh thank goodness! Horay for chemicals and cleaning up every other day!
They treated all of the edges around my apartment with more chemical (not with dusts) anyway to be sure, and reminded me that if I am indeed bit and suspect bed bugs they will gladly come back out to check/re-treat within 90 days of today. I signed the warranty, thanked them endlessly, and that was that!
The PCO's indicated that I could get 'back to normal' having the all clear -> but I will still vacuum every other day for the following two weeks, and none of my clothes are going back until another laundry which I'll do tomorrow. Finally all of my doo-dads are going to be kept bagged up and run through a packtite when I get one next month.
As before the PCO's who visited were glad to help out, reminded me to call if I had any questions or if I was bit again (if I SEE a bug call a week later, if I am bit after two weeks and suspect bed bugs call and they'd resweep again). I forgot to ask about the chemicals in my euphoria of being bed-bug clear - but I am sure that Susan can tell you what chemicals they used.
Well... that's it! I hope this has proven to be helpful. Action seems to have treated my apartment successfully (I need to wait two months now to be sure), and I have been very happy with them and their service. The PCO's were friendly and knowledgeable, and their customer service is second to none.
If I had to do this again I might choose the thermal treatment from a different company ONLY because of how much less work is required on my part (literally when you factor in the time it takes to do pre-post prep and the cost of laundry/dry-cleaning/etc it is about the same price) but I liked Action's service very much.
So there you have it! Hope the report is helpful.
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petong
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Joined: Oct '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Fri Oct 16 2009 18:57:28
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Thanks NewBlood. Sara and her handler—Able I think was his name—came by today and indicated BBs in every bedroom in our 4 bedroom building and in the walk-in closet in my apt. Able—he was so nice and I feel terrible for not remembering his name—said that it seems like our infestation is pretty mild and should be relatively easy to deal with. So I think my landlady is going to schedule treatment for a week from Monday—unlike myself, she and the 3 other people who live in this building haven't started the laundry prep so hopefully that should give them the time they need.
I hear you on the thermal treatment, but from everything I've read that's not an option here in NYC (Action was recommended to my landlady by a friend who had BBs, which is why she hired a company from NJ. The friend apparently moved soon after the treatment so I wasn't sure if her experience with Action's treatment was representative.)
Also, for anyone else who's interested, Able took a very strong anti DE stance. He said it works only as a repelant, which would of course spread the the BBs to other rooms/apartments perpetuating the infestation. So. Food for thought.
Now let's just hope everyone else in the building does their prep work! I'll update after treatment as well, and NewBlood, keep us informed of your situation! And thanks again for the info!
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Feel free to keep posting to this thread with updates. Reviews of customer service and the actual treatment day are useful, but it's much more useful to hear how things go from there on (follow-up treatments, etc.)
Good luck!
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Sun Oct 18 2009 12:52:14
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Just a quick update -
Yesterday I unpacked all of my doo-dads (books, my rock collections, minitures, DvD's, fake plants, etc) were taken out of boxes and placed back on the shelves. I did it without using a packtite as the dog didn't alert to any thing in the bags, and if there ARE bed bugs in them I want them to wander around so I know I have them again. I did NOT unpack my clothes though - and plan to bag my clothes for... well... most likely forever now.
On that note I was bit by something yesterday (might just be a small reaction to something) on my stomach, and again on my wrist a few hours later approximately 3 hours after unpacking everything. Today the wrist bite is gone completely. This morning, an hour after waking up, I had a bite on my right thumb which has practically faded away (and wasn't there when I awoke). I also found two dead midges while vacuuming up today - so small I wouldn't have seen them if I wasn't scouring everything for possible reinfestation, so I'm hoping it's just almost invisible flying bugs that are getting me as opposed to other things that were missed - but if I'm still getting bit by ANYTHING at the end of next week I'll call Action to let them know.
This makes me realize... you never get back to being 100% normal again do you? Like... my life has been forever impacted by the possible presence of these bugs hasn't it?
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junior member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 40
Posted 1 month ago
Mon Oct 19 2009 14:48:59
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Hi New Blood, Please let Susan know if the "bites" persist. Some studies are indicating that actual bite reactions aren't surfacing for 1 to 2 weeks. Ask Susan, she has first hand experience. Susan is quite a trooper in letting some bed bugs have a meal off her arm. Most of us have experimented and everyone has reacted differently and at different times. Anything we can do to help .. let us know.
Kind regards, Todd @ Action.
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NewBlood,
There's no reason to panic if you get a suspected bite; it could be a delayed reaction but it could also mean some bed bugs or eggs survived.
When you bag untreated items, it is fully possible that some will contain bed bugs or eggs.
Having opened those up may mean some bed bugs escape.
They may cross a residual poison or dust and die.
However, if you keep getting bites, I would personally request another follow-up treatment within a few weeks of the last one.
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petong
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 16
Posted 1 month ago
Mon Oct 19 2009 18:38:45
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That sound normal, right? Those last few bugs have to come in contact with the residual chemicals. Right?
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Wellllllllllllll, yes, and no.
I am not actually a big fan of putting untreated stuff which may contain bed bugs in bags. But I stress that I am not a pro.
Even without doing so, if NewBlood needed a treatment, then there will probably be bed bugs still living and hatching right after it (and hopefully they will die off). It is not abnormal to have some activity after any treatment.
Bringing stuff out of bags could mean more bed bugs to kill, or the PCO may be right that none were "preserved" in that way. Regardless, if bites or sightings continue, it's a sign you probably need additional treatment.
It sounds from what they've done (and said here) so far like Action is keen to make this treatment work, so that's a great sign.
petong, what's your status? FYI thermal is an option in NYC, even in single apartments. But there may be reasons it's not a good idea in your case.
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soscared
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Posted 1 month ago
Mon Oct 19 2009 21:05:58
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I am also using Action, and will post a review when they're done. They did the first treatment last Tues, and another one will be tomorrow. I am disturbed though, bc all of a sudden we are getting A LOT of bites. I hope it's bc they are all being lured out to the chemicals, as opposed to bc a female has become pregnant and is torturing us with several hatching eggs daily.
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Joined: May '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Mon Oct 19 2009 22:29:13
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nobugs.. to address your comment regarding your "not being a fan" of putting untreated "stuff" in bags. This is something as a PCO ; not sure anyone dealing with Bed bugs can really boast the title "PRO", we are all striving to to find an economical and relatively painless solution with the least inpact on our "living space" environment. However, one thing we come up against is, an apartment/home/condo that is ..well..not minalmalistic. I worked as a PCO in Ireland and it was a breeze working in the sparsley decorated homes. I think as Americans in general, myself included, we aquire ALOT of stuff. I think somedays if me, Bed Bug genius..lol..would develope an infestation... I'm at risk each and everyday. My wife and I have a house full of Antiques, ornate furniture, etc. We have alot of "stuff"...and so do alot of my customers. If these items aren't bagged , gathered, corraled, etc... it may hinder the actual application of the treatment. A PCO needs access to all cracks/crevices...alot of times dresser drawers... nightstands with collections of old lottery tickets and half read magazines...this is reality.
Part of our treatment is bringing the K9 back on the followup visit.. these dogs consistantly amaze me and those around them. Lets say we do miss a few bugs that were tucked in a purple Crown Royal bag that held your poker change; that was in a giant Ziplock bag of a nightstand you emptied. We can open all the bags and run the dog and check. A not so perfect "process of elimination" but sometimes its all you got. Trying to narrow down a very elusive and crafty bug.
Everyday is a learning experience..
"soscared"---don't be ..your in good hands. If you need to have a talk call the office and ask for Todd. I will help you to understand the fundamentals of the treatment. Bed bugs lie dormant between feedings. Some of the chemicals are actually designed to "wake up" the bed bug..we want them on the move. Stay in contact .. we will walk you through it. As I'm sure any PCO will agree... we work with a very emotional customer..we understand..it SUCKS. Best part of my day is getting that all clear sweep and folks can get back to normal...
OK..
Maybe never normal..
Everyday is a learning experience.
T
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NewBlood
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Oct 20 2009 5:59:58
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Hey ActionK9, hey NoBugsOnMe,
Thanks very much for responding - and I'm doing my best not to panic! :) It's rather tough, but I know it can take up to 9? 10? days for the bites to show up. I'm waiting until next Friday - and if I keep getting bit I'll have another sweep of the apartment again. You folks have been incredible during the entire process - so thanks so very much!
If I do get any positive hits this time I'm not going to touch anything that I own (as I was a bit unsure of what to do with all the books and whatnot I have) and I'll leave it to the experts to move about or put in bags, or whatnot. I'm hoping that it's some other sort of bug and not bed bugs getting me at the moment though!
- NewBlood
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petong
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Joined: Oct '09
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Oct 20 2009 11:44:14
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NoBugsOnMe — My status is, the dog indicated bugs in all 4 bedrooms in the 3 apartment building I live in and in the walk-in closet off my living room. I'm on the top floor so it looks like the BBs have moved down from my apt, since I seem to have the most activity up here. No one else in the building is complaining of bites, not even my roommate whose bed also has them according to the dog.
The PCO guy said it looks like we have a relatively mild infestation that should be easy to treat and my landlady scheduled the treatment for Friday morning.
But, like NewBlood, I'm a little worried about my own prep work. Pretty much all of my clothing—nuked in the dryer—is either in vacuumed Space Bags or ziploc bags in clear Sterilite tubs (which my PCO guy said were no good on their own, hence the ziplocs within). I think I'm ready to get started on vacuuming the apt, but my vacuum in really crappy, so I have to figure out what to do about that. And I find the info regarding books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, office papers, belts, shoes, duffle bags, etc. kinda confusing. The prep sheet simply says "All loose items shall be removed from floors and closets emptied." Ok, emptied, but what do I do with the above mentioned stuff? Put it in bins? Baggies? The PCO who came with the dog said that books and shoes and coats where ok to leave unbagged, which, if I understand the treatment makes sense—even if there are bugs in those, they'll come out, get all up in the poison and die or stop breeding or whatever. Either way, I'm trying, unsuccessfully so far, to get in touch with Susan at Action to ask her some questions about prep.
Besides all of which I have no idea whether my stoner roomie is doing his prep correctly or if he'll even be ready by Friday morning. SO frustrating.
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soscared
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Posted 1 month ago
Tue Oct 20 2009 16:47:14
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Thanks, Todd. I may call. I'm just freaking out bc they are biting me a lot more, and the dog today alerted to MORE locations, rather than less. Hopefully it's bc they've been "woken up" only to hit poison and die.
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ActionK9 - 21 hours ago »
nobugs.. to address your comment regarding your "not being a fan" of putting untreated "stuff" in bags. This is something as a PCO ; not sure anyone dealing with Bed bugs can really boast the title "PRO", we are all striving to to find an economical and relatively painless solution with the least inpact on our "living space" environment. However, one thing we come up against is, an apartment/home/condo that is ..well..not minalmalistic. ...... Lets say we do miss a few bugs that were tucked in a purple Crown Royal bag that held your poker change; that was in a giant Ziplock bag of a nightstand you emptied. We can open all the bags and run the dog and check. A not so perfect "process of elimination" but sometimes its all you got. Trying to narrow down a very elusive and crafty bug.
Hi Action,
Thanks for your response. I do appreciate the difficulties of treating cluttered homes. It sounds like you have a protocol for dealing with the possibility of stragglers in bags. That's good. Oh, and when I say I am not a "pro," I mean professional. I don't work in bed bug treatment.
We have a FAQ about whether people should bag their stuff. The main suggestion is to ask the PCO questions about their plans -- when the stuff will be brought out.
And I wrote the FAQ because some people were bagging their stuff without a PCO's instructions to do so (just because others were doing it, I guess) and also because some PCOs were telling people to bag and not giving any further direction about when or how to remove the stuff. You can imagine this can be disastrous!
Re: dogs -- I have heard bed bug dogs can be effective (have heard reports and seen the research) but have heard some are not. Speaking generally, and not about your firm, it's important for readers of this thread to recognize that results from dogs may vary.
(And let's not have anyone -- you know who you are -- jump in and tell us that whether a bed bug dog is effective correlates with who trained them or didn't train them, or whether they're certified by a certain body or not; it's speculation and anyway, I think we all know it's probably a lot more complicated than that. I don't want this to become derailed into one of "those" bed bug dog threads!)
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petong,
Definitely address your questions about prep to the company. Don't worry about what people say on the forums -- others do not know your situation, what it looks like, or what the PCO is planning to do. People using other firms might do a different prep routine, but it does not make it better or worse.
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NewBlood
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Posts: 47
Posted 1 month ago
Wed Oct 21 2009 6:33:44
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petong,
I myself left my belongings unbagged until they showed up - then everything had to be removed from my shelves and I was unsure as to what to do with it all (leave it in piles on the floor, leave it in bags?) so I bagged my stuff in those large lawn garbage bags you can get from anywhere. I asked what I should do with the stuff and the PCO indicated that I should leave them in bags until the following week. I get the feeling that I may have hindered the process by doing any 'stuff' work myself -> which is why if I have to be retreated again I'm not going to touch anything. I'll let them decide what to do with the stuff - I would suggest you do the same. (Don't bag anything like books or the like - Susan had told me not to. If you have to move the stuff I guess just leave it on the ground or something? Ask the PCO's when they show up but if I end up getting retreated again I am NOT going to bag the stuff this time). The prep instructions are unclear about what to do with those items (it's clear on clothes and bedding) aside from removing them from the furniture - so let them move them I suppose.
In my case I picked up those Hefty One Zip plastic bags and put all the books, DVDs, etc into them. After the sweep this past Friday I decided I would take all the things out of the bags as instructed. Susan had told me repeatedly not to bag any such items before the first treatment - which is why I was worried when I did bag them on treatment day (and why I kept asking her what I should do since I had done so).
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petong
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 16
Posted 1 month ago
Wed Oct 21 2009 13:22:15
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OK, so far Action has been really bad about returning my phone calls about prep questions. Not very impressed on this count. If pre- and post treatment is so vital to the success of the treatment, I would hope for some clearer instructions and a little more help when questions arise.
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junior member
Joined: May '09
Posts: 40
Posted 4 weeks ago
Thu Oct 22 2009 13:38:01
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Petong..... call me direct with your questions. Please understand, we are an extremely busy operation. We have given you prep sheets and while we cannot address every single item that a customer may or may not have in their possession...you have to use common sense.
There are FAQs on here regarding some of your concerns. If you empty a drawer..put the items in an open box/container so that it can be exposed to the treatment. If it can handle a high heat dryer cycle...do it.
732-552-8857 Todd
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Action k9,
I would strongly advise against your phone number on the forums. Please let me know if you would like it deleted and also, remember you can Private Msg other users with such info.
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soscared
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 113
Posted 4 weeks ago
Fri Oct 23 2009 18:46:45
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Hey Newblood,
How is it going? Still getting new bites? -
petong
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 16
Posted 4 weeks ago
Fri Oct 23 2009 18:50:35
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Had treatment today. I've been really anxious again the past few days, worried that my roommate would not be ready, and sure enough, this morning when the PCO guys got here the roomie had not vacuumed his room or stripped his bed. I had to do these things as he had already gone to work. The guys calmed me down, assuring me that it wasn't such a big deal, that the rest of the house was very well prepped, and that our infestation was mild. They said they were confident that they could knock this thing out easily.
However, when I got home my landlady said that the PCOs had particularly mentioned how many BBs they found in the roommate's room. Now I'm really scared that if they were that bad in his room he's taken them to work with him and will just keep bringing them back without knowing it (according to him, he's not reaction to the bites at all). But I guess that's just out of my hands at this point.
The PCOs said that they feel confident that they got everything. They said anything we had was either dead or it was going to die. So we'll see.
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soscared
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 113
Posted 4 weeks ago
Fri Oct 23 2009 20:06:01
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I hope they are right, Petong. They told me the same thing. But now after the second treatment, I am still being bitten. But I keep hoping they are just coming it out to the lure of the poison.
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 47
Posted 3 weeks ago
Sat Oct 24 2009 15:54:08
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soscared - 21 hours ago »
Hey Newblood,
How is it going? Still getting new bites?Hey SoScared,
Yes as a matter of fact I am! However I'm not sure if they are bed bug related or from some other insect. If they don't stop by the end of this week I'll have to call Action again to get another sweep and treatment if I need it. Hopefully it won't come to that though and it's just chiggers, or other bugs that are getting me at the moment but if it is bed bugs I'm ready for more weeks of vacuuming. :) I still haven't seen a single bug, cast off skin, or the like - just the occasional bite.
- NewBlood
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senior member
Joined: May '07
Posts: 436
Posted 3 weeks ago
Sat Oct 24 2009 18:02:04
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Just a note about action first quote. It is always a difficult task when people ask about throwing things out. On one hand if it all goes resolution will be easier to achieve which is what folks want, on the other hand throwing stuff out can be expensive so you try and be sensitive especially when
things have sentimental value. So people want quick resolution and want to limit throwing things out. Already two opposing forces. Unfortunatley in the early days around 2001 - 2003 I probably felt bad and tried to work around not throwing things out. Fortunately with encasements this is less of an issue these days and for some who can afford it there is fumigation and now heat. But sometimes some things gotta go. Just be sure to bag it before taking it out and indicate that it has bed bugs so some other chap doesn't pick it up. -
petong
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 16
Posted 2 weeks ago
Mon Nov 2 2009 20:57:44
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Just a quick update: Had our second treatment with Action this past Friday—only a week after our first, not sure why the landlady scheduled it so soon, I thought you're supposed to wait 2 weeks between treatments. They brought the dog in again, a different one from the first time, and it did not indicate BBs anywhere in the house. Also, I haven't been bitten since that first treatment. So I'm feeling pretty optimistic!
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soscared
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 113
Posted 2 weeks ago
Mon Nov 2 2009 22:11:40
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WOW, Petong. congratulations. I am jealous. We are having our 3d treatment with them tomorrow.
petong - 1 hour ago »
Just a quick update: Had our second treatment with Action this past Friday—only a week after our first, not sure why the landlady scheduled it so soon, I thought you're supposed to wait 2 weeks between treatments. They brought the dog in again, a different one from the first time, and it did not indicate BBs anywhere in the house. Also, I haven't been bitten since that first treatment. So I'm feeling pretty optimistic! -
NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 47
Posted 2 weeks ago
Tue Nov 3 2009 7:25:59
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Congrats Petong!
Alas for me I am still getting bit constantly - every day I've had 1 - 5 new bites show up on me (even since they announced me bed bug free two weeks ago) in the morning, or the mid-evening hours. They are coming back this afternoon to resweep and possibly retreat if they find anything this time. I'll update again with what happens later today after they visit! I still have not seen a single bug, casing, blood spec or spot during this time - and if they don't find any this time I'm going to convince myself that something ELSE is attacking me.
Wish me luck!
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NewBlood
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 47
Posted 2 weeks ago
Tue Nov 3 2009 15:01:49
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Hey everyone -
Action Pest Control just left, they were very friendly as always. Unfortunately their dog handler was sick today (the one scheduled to see me) so I couldn't have a dog sweep to see where the bugs are hiding. They did spray some chemicals on my floor, cracks/crevices and my couch/bed frame just in case but didn't want to do any large chemical treatment without having a dog to help them figure out where the bugs are. The chemicals they used look like it was... Suspend, Demand, Transport, Onslaught, and CB80 - a mixture of the first four I believe and the CB80 was separate.
I was glad for their arrival again - they recommended I vacuum again so I'll go back to my 1/2 the apartment schedule as of tomorrow. They also answered a host of questions I had too - very patient folks! Hopefully the bites will die down a bit - and if not I am already in the works to have a dog team down to sweep the apartment again. Another week or so it seems - but I'm not overly worried about it. Life as usual (or as usual as it can be with these things) for me until then!
Oh, they also pointed out that they'll come back out as often as needed (and allowed based on the chemicals they used) to treat me until the bugs are gone or until the warranty ends. :) I think that you're in good hands should you choose them.
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watkinsnewan
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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 330
Posted 2 weeks ago
Tue Nov 3 2009 15:18:08
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Glad to here.....Just out of curiosity How long is the warranty...
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NewBlood
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Posts: 47
Posted 2 weeks ago
Tue Nov 3 2009 17:49:54
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Hey watkinsnewan,
90 Days since the end of the second treatment (I believe). This would mean roughly January 13th or so for me.
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NewBlood
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Posts: 47
Posted 1 week ago
Thu Nov 12 2009 8:04:11
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Hey everyone, another update!
Action returned today with a Dog team I had had in before - handler Steve with Sara (this team alerted to 10-14 places the last time they were here just before my initial treatment on October 13th or so) to sweep the apartment and see what they would find. I had all of my plastic bags unzipped this time as well to be sure they would be checked - and the great scan began and ended with... 0 hits/alerts! He brought Sara around the apartment twice to be sure as well - and no hits at all. As always Steve was friendly and reminded me that if the bites continue to give them a call again and they'll come back out.
- NewBlood! (Two new marks/bites were on me this morning but I am beginning to think that something ELSE is getting me, or I'm having a reaction to something in the apartment now).
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Hello everyone!
I have been reading these and other post since August-never wrote anything myself. Now, I feel that I need to share my knowledge for all those that will be searching for answers just like I I did. So here is my story...
One morning in August I woke up seeing something little running over my sheets, I caught it squish it and found out that this little thing was full of my blood! Disgusting. Googled it and found out that it was a bed bug. Called my slumlord who arranged for a regular exterminator to come out and spray. We never found any source of hiding, no spots on the bed, nothing. I had that so calle d early infestation. Should I mentioned that between my first day of seeing the bedbug and my first spraying I found two more bugs two mornings in a row that fell from me in the bathroom when I woke up. Speaking of moments in my life that I wish never, ever happened. To make a long story short. They sprayed once, then twice then 3 times, then I bought DE, not the one for the pool that one is dangerous for your health, bought Pronto, washed and dried EVERYTHING-coats, hats, scarves, tablecloths, stuffed animals. Every single thing was in the zip lock bags. I had to rent the storage since my apartment wasn't big so I had to make it livable. In the meantime my slumlord decided that he had enough of the bedbugs and didn't wan to to any additional treatment. I hired Action K-9. They did pretty much what everyone described here, so I don't want to repeat myself. Additionally I bought Packtite and regardless of all the spraying I treated all my books and anything that will fit in the Packtite. I bought little steam and steamed little things that were "suspicious " to me. Last time I saw live bed bug was 8/30. End of October I moved out, trashed my old bed and moved on. How do I know that they are gone? That's a hard question for all of us. I don't see them, nothing bites me. I guess I will know in a year. I am paranoid, still looking for them even in the new place. I know that I did every single possible thing available for treating bed bugs-except I did not heat my whole house. All the reading, research I did pointed in one direction, you have to do multiple things to get rid of them. What worked for me was Packtite, DE, Action K-9 and a little steamer. You HAVE to wash or at least dry everything. Don't assume anything, remember nothing is 100%. It cost me close to $3000, all the washing, storage, spraying, Packtite-I'm selling it on Amazon-if you need it http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002C4NVO4/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1258494374&sr=8-1&condition=used
In my worst times I put petroleum jelly on the legs of my bed and DE on the floor. I know that PCO are against DE, but I think that DE works. Packtite works for sure and it can fit a lot. I treated all my shoes, too. If you buy DE, buy the one on Amazon marked Concern. I would use Action K-9 again, those dogs are more accurate then any exterminator and these people are very nice as everyone already noticed. It really, really sucks to have theis experience and it does get worst before it get's better. Oh yeah, I also ended up in the courtroom because I withheld my rent (escrow) so we shall see how is that going to end. Good luck, don't let them beat you, talk to people, read, find friends that can listen and pray. May all the bb's go to freaking hell! -
cilecto
senior member
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 507
Posted 2 days ago
Tue Nov 17 2009 21:45:24
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As the bedbug problem spreads, the risk of a re-infestation grows. A PT is valuable in helping to prevent and mitigate. If you already have one, why would you part with it?
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cilecto - 11 hours ago »
As the bedbug problem spreads, the risk of a re-infestation grows. A PT is valuable in helping to prevent and mitigate. If you already have one, why would you part with it?First three spraying were done by the exterminator that my slumlord uses on regular basis, meaning this company wasn't specialized in exterminating the bed bugs. Second of all insecticides alone are not good enough to take care of the bedbug problem. This was proven in my case, when I saw live ones after first two spraying. Like with any kind of problem, goal is to get someone who is specialized in certain area, not someone who has general knowledge of the problem.
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cilecto
senior member
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 507
Posted 2 days ago
Wed Nov 18 2009 17:11:39
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In 6 months, you could get a new neighbor who brings in an infestation. Or in a year, you inadvertntky pick up a few in a diner…
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zzzra,
Your posts on other threads about your Packtite for sale are considered spam and wertr deleted.
Your original post about selling your Packtite remains above.
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soscared
newbite
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 113
Posted 1 day ago
Wed Nov 18 2009 22:21:30
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Personally, I will never sell my sweet amazing delicious beloved Packtite. It makes me feel safe and happy. Like cilecto says, you can bring the bugs back on any day. And if you ever plan to travel, won't you want to bake your suitcases? I think Packtite is, sadly, a necessity now that bbs are a worldwide epidemic.
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