ECPC uses Aprehend. Aprehend is a revolutionary fungal biopesticide that safely eliminates and prevents bed bugs.
Aprehend® is composed of Beauveria bassiana fungal spores applied in a proprietary and patented formulation.
Aprehend® is sprayed strategically in narrow bands where bed bugs are known to walk.
Direct spray contact is not necessary. Bed bugs of all life stages, sex, or feeding status are killed within four to ten days following short-term contact with a treated surface.
The fungal spores germinate within 20 hours of contact and then penetrate the cuticle of the bed bug and colonize inside, resulting in death.
Control Treatment
Extensive laboratory studies have demonstrated that when bed bugs cross a treated surface, they pick up and carry fungal spores back to the harborage or nesting area.
The spores are easily transferred to others in the colony. All bed bugs that come into contact with the fungal spores die within four to ten days.
This process of acquiring spores from a surface treated with Aprehend® and transferring them to the colony is repeated each night. This happens until the population is eliminated.
Aprehend® doesn’t kill immediately. This is intentional and strategic. We want every bed bug to come into contact with the fungal spores first. Only then does the population become infected and die.
Unlike chemical insecticides, only one application is required to treat an infestation.
Bed bugs are a serious problem in Pennsylvania. Thanks to several harmful myths, proper treatment can be delayed, making the problem even worse! Myths you should stop believing include:
Bed bugs are hard to see - bed bugs aren’t actually hard to see if you know where to look and what you’re looking for. When they’re first born, bed bugs can be hard to see because they’re only a millimeter long and translucent in color. However, as they age, they grow bigger and darker— almost looking like an apple seed.
Bed bugs are only found in dirty or messy homes - bed bugs are the great equalizer. They don’t care where you live, how much money you have, or how often you clean. In fact, bed bugs actually thrive in clean environments!
DIY treatments are just as effective as professional treatments - DIY treatments can actually drive bed bugs deeper into your home, making them harder and more expensive to exterminate!