BBTV #35 – Phantom Insecticide for Bed Bug Control

In this episode Jeff will explain why Phantom insecticide may be one good option for bed bug control and why if you are evaluating a pest control company and their protocol, you may want to see this pesticide being used. Phantom insecticide is a pesticide that, in some areas, may be used as part of a bed bug control plan. As stated previously, a multi-disciplinary approach to bed bug control is highly recommended (steamers, Cryonite, vacuums, etc) but when pesticides are needed, Phantom may be a good option to choose. Laboratory studies have shown that Phantom may be a good option to address pesticide resistant bed bugs as this pesticide falls into a different class of chemicals compared with the commonly seen synthetic pyrethrins. In addition, this pesticide has shown some residual effects with bed bugs. One concern is that Phantom has been shown to take 7-14 days or more to kill bed bugs and this may be a concern if people are being bit by bed bugs and the pesticide that has been applied takes 14 days to address those issues. Either way, many progressive bed bug control companies are incorporating Phantom into their bed bug treatment plans and when selecting a pest control company to treat your bed bug infestation, this may be a product you want to see incorporated into their protocol.