6/8/2011 Just How Effective Is New BedBug Spray?  Ortho Home Defense Max BedBug Killer Is Supposed To Kill Before Infestations Set In

In response to a growing bedbug population, Scotts Miracle-Gro has come out with a product to help people fight back.

The product, Ortho Home Defense Max Bedbug Killer, is designed to kill bedbugs before they reach the infestation stage, the company said. It’s also recommended that the spray be used with other treatment methods.

Bedbug complaints in central Ohio totaled 450 in 2009, the most recent year for which numbers are available. That was up from 50 in 2005, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Some experts recommend always using a professional first.

“Bedbugs are the most difficult bugs to deal with in an urban environment,” said Susan Jones, an Ohio State University entomologist. “Once an infestation takes hold, they can be hiding in so many different places.”

The spray isn’t meant to take care of any and all bedbug problems, said Rami Soufi, who leads the company’s control-product line.

“Our product is positioned for those whose son or daughter is coming back from college, and they see a bedbug,” he said. “If they see bedbugs in multiple locations of homes or in corners, at that point the infestation is out of hand and they need to consult a professional.

“The cost in involving a professional is very expensive. It will probably run into $100 to $200 a visit,” Soufi said.

The Ortho product is $7 or $8, and for an occasional instance, “definitely suffices,” he said.

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