Background: A Changing Pest Control Landscape
The global pest control industry has long been dominated by chemical pesticides and powerful multinational companies that control proprietary pesticide formulations. While these large corporations have delivered effective treatments for common structural pests, the past 25 years have seen a slowdown in true innovation. New pesticide launches are rare, as corporations hesitate to invest millions in development, wary of imitation by smaller manufacturers and the high regulatory hurdles involved.
In this environment, away from the limelight, individual entrepreneurs worldwide have been introducing non-toxic pest control solutions. One such innovator is Hong Kong’s Francisco Pazos, whose story exemplifies the shift towards safer, more sustainable pest control approaches for persistent pests like bed bugs, which are increasingly resistant to conventional pesticides.
Francisco Pazos: From Kitchen to Pest Control Pioneer
Francisco Pazos (Francisco), originally from Spain, made his mark in Hong Kong first as a chef. Working as chef having responsibility of pest control at his restaurant, he found himself confronting pest issues firsthand, which sparked a new direction: pest control.
Francisco’s practical experience led him to establish NoBedBugs Hong Kong in 2013.
NoBedBugs quickly became the first and only pest control service in Hong Kong to offer dedicated heat treatment for bed bug eradication. Francisco’s company developed a proprietary heater system capable of maintaining a safe, consistent temperature of 60°C for three hours, which was enough to destroy bed bugs at every life stage, including their notoriously resilient eggs.
The innovative heat treatment earned NoBedBugs industry accolades, such as the Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards and media recognition from The New York Times.
But Francisco’s journey was beginning.
Francisco Pazos, founder and owner of Hong Kong’s Chinchex Limited, manufacturer of Chinches bed bug desiccant
The Birth of Chinchex: Addressing a Persistent Challenge
While heat treatment proved highly effective, Francisco and his team faced a recurring challenge: bed bugs fleeing into cooler areas to escape the heat during treatment. To address the challenge, NoBedBugs embarked on extensive research, developing a synthetic amorphous silica gel dust that acts as a powerful desiccant, targeting and killing bed bugs through dehydration.
Applied to escape points like baseboards and wall joints, this silica-based dust prevented bed bugs from evading treatment zones. Recognising its effectiveness as a standalone, non-chemical solution against insecticide-resistant bed bugs, Francisco commercialised the product under the Chinchex brand, founding Chinchex Limited for global distribution.
Today, Chinchex Limited manufactures several Chinchex desiccator formulations and remains Hong Kong’s leading bed bug treatment provider. Confident in its SiO2 dust, the company offers an exceptional one-year warranty on its services and receives only a handful of complaints for every thousand treatments.
Global Reach and Partnerships
Chinchex’s proprietary formulation is now available in over 38 countries, supported by key distributors:
- India: Distributed by Giridhar Pai Associates (GPA) since June 2026, with product rollout from July 2026.
- United Kingdom: Available via the Cimex Store.
- Europe: Sold by Anti Cimex through an exclusive distribution agreement.
- Australia, New Zealand and Asian countries: Distributed by Ensystex as Diathor Bed Bug Killer Spray and Diathor Flowable Bed Bug and Cockroach Dust.
- Mainland China: Sold directly through e-commerce platforms like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).
- Other Regions: Widely available across the Middle East at Dubai) and Southeast Asia at Singapore.
Unlike multinationals that restrict manufacturers through product registration, Chinchex empowers its distributors to register products locally, focusing on quality manufacturing and supporting the global pest control community.
Chinchex has been independently evaluated by leading researchers and enthusiastically adopted by pest control operators (PCOs) worldwide. In some regions, PCOs previously reluctant to offer bed bug services due to operational difficulties are now reintroducing them, thanks to Chinchex’s reliability and safety.
Chinchex’s Global Contribution to Non-Toxic Bed Bug Control
Chinchex has transformed the approach to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for bed bugs, addressing the core challenge of insecticide resistance and reducing PCOs’ callbacks.
1. Purely Mechanical Mode of Action
Chinchex relies on a 100% physical process. Its synthetic amorphous silica dioxide (SiO2) strips the waxy protective layer from bed bugs’ exoskeletons on contact, causing rapid, irreversible dehydration and death within 6-8 hours. Because dehydration is a mechanical process, bed bugs cannot develop resistance to it, unlike with insecticides.
2. High Safety Profile
Amorphous silica dioxide is non-toxic to humans and pets and is even used as a food additive. It emits no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or neurotoxins, making it especially suitable for sensitive environments like bedrooms, hostels, hotels, and hospitals prone to bedbugs.
3. Exceptional Longevity
Unlike chemical sprays that degrade quickly, Chinchex dust remains effective for up to 10 years when left undisturbed in cracks and crevices, forming a long-lasting barrier against reinfestation.
Conclusion: Innovation from Unlikely Places
Francisco Pazos’ journey from chef to pest control visionary underscores how meaningful innovation in pest management can emerge from the most unexpected backgrounds. His development of Chinchex has provided the industry with a safe, effective, and enduring solution to bed bug infestations. As Chinchex enters new markets, including India in 2026, it stands as a testament to the power of ingenuity and the promise of non-toxic pest control for the future.
If you would like to source Chinchex in India, please Contact Us with your details, and we shall be glad to supply your requirement.