Pest-control expert tells Camden Hills families: 'Bombs don't work' and outlines detection, prevention and treatment steps

At an informational session at Camden Hills, pest-control specialist Jeff Haynes spent most of the meeting explaining bed-bug biology, how to detect evidence, and what families and the school can do to prevent spread. He emphasized professional inspection and targeted treatments and cautioned against common DIY approaches.

Haynes said bed bugs are difficult to eliminate, noting a long history of changing control methods: earlier broad fumigants and DDT were phased out in mid-20th century, leaving fewer effective consumer products. "People want you to bomb and it doesn't work," Haynes said, adding that 'bug bombs' and household aerosol foggers can disperse insects into hidden spaces without eliminating them.

He described key detection cues and behavior: adults are about the size of an apple seed, nymphs are clear until they feed, and the most visible signs are fecal staining on mattress seams or roping and cast skins. Only about 30% of people show visible bites, he said, so absence of skin reactions is not proof that devices are not present. Haynes explained that bed bugs are good hitchhikers (backpacks, coats, luggage) but do not live on people and typically feed about every two weeks.

For households, Haynes recommended practical prevention and remediation: inspect backpacks and coats regularly; store items in smooth-sided plastic totes so bugs cannot climb them; run suspected items in a dryer on high heat (15 minutes for single items, half an hour for full loads) and verify dryer temperatures if concerned (he suggested testing for at least 135°F). He recommended mattress encasements to trap and starve bugs sealed inside a cover and said professional inspection and coordinated treatment typically require multiple visits rather than a single spray.

Haynes also warned that pesticides are losing effectiveness in many populations: he cited resistance testing discussed by a University of Kentucky researcher and said some Northeastern samples showed resistance above 98–99%, underscoring why professionals now use integrated approaches (inspections, canine detection, dusting, encasements and selected products such as 'apprehend' that transfer among insects). He urged renters to notify landlords promptly (he referenced a 24–48 hour notification expectation), to avoid treating units themselves, and to coordinate inspections because infestations can spread between adjacent units.

"Don't panic," Haynes told parents, but added that prompt reporting, coordinated inspection and professional remediation are the most reliable ways to manage introductions before they grow into larger infestations.