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Background
Clint Childers from Robinhood Pest Solutions has been providing full pest control services in Northern Ohio since founding the company in 2019. With years of experience in the pest control industry, he felt that it was time to venture out on his own. Aprehend is Clint’s go-to for heavy bed bug infestations—with low prep and in one treatment.
Treatment Scenario
This client is elderly, of limited financial means, and unable to prep the massively infested home. The home is a hoarding situation—clutter is so deep that it eliminated access for direct treatment of two rooms (Figure 1).
Figure 1 The home was too cluttered to allow perimeter access and completely blocked access to two rooms.
Because other pest control companies’ quotes were cost-prohibitive for this client, the infestation remained untreated for more than two years. By the time Clint accepted the job, it had become a structural infestation that included the ceilings, light fixtures, moldings, and behind paneling (Figures 2 & 3). There was massive activity in every room, including the bathroom.
Figure 2 The infestation had spread to the ceiling mouldings.
Figure 3 Evidence of long-term and structural infestation.
Customer was advised to provide access to the main bedroom and to launder all bedding on high heat. This was the only prep requested. Customer complied, and no other prep was performed by Clint and his team.
Protocol
In the main bedroom, the mattress was treated with Nature-Cide®. The metal bed frame was also infested with eggs and bed bugs and was treated with Aprehend. The rest of the room around, pictures, furniture, outlets were also treated as well as along each of the wood panel slats on the walls and trim at the floor and ceiling level both vertically and horizontally.
Robinhood also treated the hallway, bathroom, door frames, and living room which included a recliner and wooden chairs.
Treatment was completed with 2 technicians in under 30 minutes, and total service time with customer education was 54 minutes. Total Aprehend usage was 7 ounces (total Nature-Cide® usage was 7 ounces).
Follow-Up Schedule & Results
Clint performed a follow-up inspection two weeks later, and there were dead bus everywhere. At that time, client saw “3-6 live bugs since treatment.” Clint performed a follow-up at 45 days. No live bugs had been observed since last follow-up. Robinhood will reapply primary barriers (around beds and frequently-used living room furniture) at 3 months. This allows Clint to meet the warranty and high service standards he sets for Robinhood Pest Control.
Overall impression of Aprehend treatments
At the time of this service, Clint had been using Aprehend with outstanding results for over three years. “One Aprehend treatment will eradicate most heavily-infested accounts.” However, the level of infestation combined with the situational and environmental challenges, Clint said, “This was one of the top 5 worst infestations, and we went in with the expectation to truly stress test Aprehend.”
Aprehend solved this client’s problem at a fraction of the cost and effort. “Aprehend treatments are 1/4 the price and time needed for service as traditional methods,” says Clint.
Suggestions for other PMPs
“Customer education and buy-in to the ‘no-self-treatment’ law of service is key,” notes Clint. Customers need to leave Aprehend barriers undisturbed and to be patient. Clients who have been living with long-term infestations are more likely to follow direction and cooperate in light of finally living bed bug-free.
ConidioTec offers Aprehend professionals handy post-treatment door hangers that illustrate do’s and don’ts following Aprehend service (check these and other protocols out here and click here for a downloadable file). They clearly communicate behaviors that they need to avoid that create callbacks. Available in English, French, and Spanish. Contact your Aprehend representative or drop us a line here to get yours.
Note: be sure to check out our first case study with Clint: No Prep in a Multi-Unit Apartment Complex and other case studies here. To learn how Aprehend can help you win the fight against bed bugs, give us a ring at 800-891-8610 or contact us here.