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Jewish-owned Green Titan offers solutions and advice for prevention and elimination.
By Allan Nahajewski
Above: Phil Premo, marketing manager of Madison Heights; Baratt Shanaman, managing partner of West Bloomfield; Chuck Shanaman CEO of West Bloomfield; and Blake Snavely, lead technician of Walled Lake.
Top right: Blake Snavely of Walled Lake. Bottom right: Green Titan CEO Chuck Shanaman of West Bloomfield.
aratt Shanaman had a reason to get
--"" interested in bed bugs. A brother
and a sister, living in different cities,
both experienced infestations.
That interest led to the creation of
Green Titan, a company with a focused
mission.
"We provide safe and discreet control
of bedbugs," he said. "We're a green
company. We don't use chemicals or
pesticides — just clean heat. Our motto is:
'Systematic. Scientific. Guaranteed.' "
Green Titan is based in Hazel Park. The
owners are Baratt, and his father, Chuck.
Both live in West Bloomfield and are
members of Temple Israel.
As vacation season nears, it's an ideal
time to learn the basics about bed bugs.
"They're hitchhikers," Baratt says.
"They'll get in your suitcase and come
home with you. They're also not
discriminatory. It doesn't matter if you're
at a nice, clean hotel or at summer camp.
They can be anywhere where there is a
food source."
For bed bugs, food is human blood, and
their prime feeding time is between 2 and
6 a.m. You most likely will not feel their
bite, since their saliva includes a type of
anesthetic.
Bed bugs are not known to transmit
disease; nevertheless, infestation can be
aggravating. Until the 1950s, DDT was used
to battle bed bugs before it was found
to be unsafe. Research also has found
that bed bugs can develop a resistance to
pesticides.
Green Titan uses heat to eliminate bed
bugs. "Thermal remediation is the only
method that can kill both eggs and live bed
bugs in one treatment," Baratt says. "Once
the temperature reaches 122 degrees, all
stages of bed bugs die in minutes."
Advanced technology and university
research are two key elements of the
Green Titan approach. Baratt says the
entomology department at Penn State
University has been especially helpful
in helping him fine-tune his method.
Green Titan has invested in high-end
equipment designed specifically for bed
bug removal. In addition to the heaters,
laser thermometers and a thermal imaging
infrared cameras ensure the proper
temperature is reached.
Green Titan provides the following
primer and tips:
Bed Bug Basics
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They are small, brown and red bugs
with six legs and no wings.
They feed on blood, and they're
attracted to the carbon dioxide we
exhale and our body heat.
They can consume three times their
body weight in a single feeding.
They can live up to a full year without
eating, but generally eat every 5-10
days.
They can climb, cling and hitchhike on a
variety of materials, including clothing,
luggage, furniture, mattresses, beds
and toys.
Females can lay up to five eggs per day.
Eggs are sticky, barely visible and very
strong.
Signs You May Have Bed Bugs
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Fecal remains are often the first sign.
Small, ink-like stains can be found in
the corner of the mattress, nightstand,
headboard or wall sockets.
Red, itchy spots on your skin with a
pinprick in the middle are possibly bed
bug bites. We strongly recommend
you see a doctor for a professionally
recommended remedy.
Blood spotting on the sheets is an
indicator there are bugs biting you —
either from squashed bugs or fecal
remains.
Live bugs. They are small, but you can
see them. If found, keep them in a vial
or ziplock bag.
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Bed Bugr
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Call a professional.
Don't change sleeping surfaces. That
will only spread the problem.
Don't throw away your belongings. You
can keep your mattress, furniture and
clothing after a heat treatment.
Don't try to fix the problem yourself.
Bed bugs are not a DIY project.
Travel Tips
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Use the portable luggage rack.
Keep your suitcase off the floor.
Keep it shut.
Bag your soiled clothes.
Do your own heat-treating: Run all of
your clothes through the dryer when
you get home.
If needed to confirm the presence of
bed bugs, Green Titan will use dogs trained
specifically to sniff them out. "They're
extremely precise," Baratt says. "They're
trained by the same people who train dogs
who sniff for bombs, drugs and money."
The heat treatment process takes about
10 hours, with two to three hours to
achieve the proper temperature, followed
by six hours of "cooking time." During
the process, people and pets cannot be
present, and items that can pop, melt or
explode — candles, lighters and aerosol
cans. Televisions and electronics are
unplugged.
Business is growing for Green Titan.
"We do a lot of senior living facilities and
apartments. About 30 percent of our
work is residential," Baratt says. "Our
success rate is 85 to 90 percent on the
first treatment. If the problem persists —
usually due to attempted self treatment
before we were consulted — we do come
back and do a re-treatment if necessary."
Green Titan services most of lower
Michigan — anywhere within a three-hour
drive. Because its customers appreciate
and expect discretion, Green Titan vehicles
do not mention bed bugs.
The company stands behind its work,
providing a 100 percent zero bed bug
guarantee. "We keep our promises," Baratt
says. "We know what happens when you
overpromise and underdeliver."
For more information, visit
www.green-titan.com , or call
(855) 828-0800 to schedule a free
consultation. ❑
June 12 • 2014
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