;'teen gitattl Advertisment 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 • • • • • • • 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 • • • • 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. II iuu I HUM YOU nave Bed Bugr • • • • 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 • • • • • 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 33