Thermal treatment for bed bugs: bake the little B@#$%^&s!

7 Comment(s)

1. willow-the-wisp | Jul 29, 2007 | Reply

   Coit carpet and restoration in SF and Bay area would be a likely source to check into if you are going to go “the heat up and the hope to God it works route.”
   *********************
   Nobugs and all:
   I wonder if this would be a good time to use a repel first???
   Repel on all the walls then heat up so the bugs will NOT disappear into the cracks.
   But, of course, ALL adjacent units would need to do this simultaneously–and of course more than once. This I say, because using repels will drive the bugs deep into the walls.

   Then … you would need a third and maybe a forth treatment to get the bugs to cross over the poisons–once they come out of the walls and take the “final bow”– I mean the final bite.
   It all gets so complex … the multi treatments in multi dwellings.
   *********************
   I mean what would one do first???????????????
   *********************
   This may be a better course or the best course of action to take:

   *I guess they should start by drawing as many bugs over poisons FIRST—as in more traditional methods using a regular Bed Bug PCO company.This may involve more tha none treatment. Then, try the group heating thing with the repel put on all walls of all units.

   *That would ensure that as few bugs as possible would be in the walls before you’d put a repel on all the walls and then use the “heat therapy” to keep them out of the walls

   *Whomever it was that said “bed buds are among the most difficult house pests to treat” deserves a Nobel Prize for such an understatement.

   *But I guess this is really more abut taking your stuff OUT of the home and put it INTO one of these odd looking trucks and then BAJKING it all and then BRINGING it all home.

   *People would still need to treat the home while the stuff is “cooking in the oven truck”

   *In this case, more ways to skin a bed bug gets more costly and even more confusing!

   *IMHO or is it imho … I think these trucks are good for free standing houses or for multi unit dwelling that are all treating in sync. In this case even those who thought they had no bugs and indeed. Did not have any bugs WOULD also need to treat! … If they did not—then you might have a success story in the infested apartments but a new infestation brewing in the units that did not comply with all of the laying down of poisons, the repel on the walls the heating and then the waiting and possible need for retreating ALL UNITS YET AGAIN.

   *Caulking?
   Should that not fit into the mix somewhere too?

   *If anyone is scratching his or her heads in dismay at all this … your not alone.
   But I think my last case scenario—this onewith all the asteris added is likely to turn out to be the best. I say so ,so long as all treat and not just some—Especially concerning apartments condos and hotels where the extent of bed bug infestation is never really toally known.
   When will it all come together?
   We would need governments to step in with violation fines and stricter laws.
   But these would be laws easily fought as we supposedly have so much freedom in the good ol’ US of A.
   Invariably … som would fight for their rights and understandably so. If I had no bugs and they came and told me I’d have to go along with all of this—I’d balk.
   Such baulkers, would need proper education … and government monies need to be offered to help in all of this.

   *Nobugs and all: Most (including me) agree that using repels are very risky. It is nearly as bad as setting off a bomb.perhaps it may even be worse if your using it on your baseboards … But in combined strategies … like using this shake and bake your bed bugs treatment … some of the “do not’s” may become some of the “you may also have to’s.”

   I like this idea, but it is, by no means, the end all method to the mutli-faceted treatment(s) and regimes needed in multi unit dwellings now … is it?

2. nobugsonme | Jul 29, 2007 | Reply

   Willow,

   I seriously think that people with bed bugs should not be experimenting with repellents, or constructing their own treatment plans in the way you suggest above. The point of heat treatments, theoretically, is that they can work without the use of pesticides. In any case, if pesticides are needed, the customer is not the expert. A PCO should be offering the plan.

   If professionals are offering thermal service, they should be orchestrating your treatment plan–you should follow their plan exactly. Before working with them, ask for information on their success rate. You may even ask to see data on effectiveness (if available) and maybe even to speak to some former customers.

   I appreciate your creativity, Willow, but I am not sure you have the authority to suggest that people ‘may have to” use repellents with such a treatment. PCOs who know what they’re doing with bed bugs CAN be trusted to get rid of your bed bugs. Your own ideas and plans may sabotage theirs. They have experience. Why not allow them to do their work?

   I know you may answer that doing it yourself is an option, but I seriously disagree when it comes to heat treatment. Please do NOT try and do this on your own. You can start a fire, you can disburse the bugs, and none of us amateurs know enough about pesticides to say that spraying something into the walls before a heat treatment is a good idea.

   This website was created to give good solid advice on bed bugs, about things we know work, and I’d hate to think people were surfing in and trying something because someone was making statements like those you make above–based on pure speculation.

   By the way, I think those “trucks” may have been larger heat generators. I was not certain they were for loading your stuff into, as you suggest, but then I did not read the entire site, so correct me if you saw that.

3. willow-the-wisp | Jul 29, 2007 | Reply

   I’m not suggesting any do it yourself. I’m suggesting how much planning and stategy may be needed–I’m suggestion this will take a while, and for folks to realise they will need to do a lot of stuff–but I did not ever say they should just do it on their own.
   Did I?
   Surfers–I did not and I don’t say that.

   Anway–the trucks … they are ugly.
   I think some are for piping air in and some for putting funiture into.
   So your back.
   Thank you?

4. nobugsonme | Jul 30, 2007 | Reply

   Hi Willow,

   When you say things like,

   “I wonder if this would be a good time to use a repel first???
   Repel on all the walls then heat up so the bugs will NOT disappear into the cracks.”

   To me, that sounds like giving advice, a how-to. And it’s not based on any thorough knowledge of repellents. I think if you are going to speculate you have to be really clear. Lots of times people will happen upon ideas they find on Bedbugger and assume they are advice–”all advice created equal”. It’s not. Some of the advice on Bedbugger has been used by many and carefully seasoned. Other “advice” is just speculation, ideas, or (unfortunately) manufacturers and sales people masquerading as contented customers.

   Reading between the lines, Willow, I can see your speculation. But can panicked newbites, looking for answers, see it? The FAQs on pest control warn against using various substances which repel. At face value, it looks like you’re suggesting people do use repellents. That’s a scary bit of advice, seeing as this is neither your professional area of expertise, nor a method you used yourself!

   I hope that makes sense. Your participation is very welcome. I just want you to be super cautious about making speculatory statements of what might work, seeing as people are coming here for solid advice.

   I guessed the trucks were not for loading furniture into because the doors looked quite small, again, we don’t know.

5. willow-the-wisp | Jul 30, 2007 | Reply

   They should not do it!
   I hope a seasoned professional that would test it out might try!
   We have professional here–this was speculation for sure!
   Nobugs …
   I’m so glad you pointed that out!
   I hope they see what I said …
   What you said …

   And now this!

   Mr. Willow

   Ps folks–I’m not high on repels and have not used them, as; I don’t really feel they usually do more good than harm i.e. they drive bugs into the walls! even up the walls.
   Then …. You’ve got bed bugs on the ceiling (or worse) in the walls–MUCH faster than you might have otherwise–not good! They will get into the light fixture and set up shop. And, if that is over your bed ???

   WATCH OUT!
   As always

   Mr Willow

6. Winston O. Buggy | Jul 30, 2007 | Reply

   Presently in NYC one problem is that the heat generator must be fueled by
   natural gas or popane neither of which is permitted in NYC buildings. There
   are ways to push it up to four (maybe 6) floors or so but that requires a
   larger unit. Electrical units which are used in some commercial food opps are usually 220v based as 110v usually ends up blowing fuses and cascading circuit breakers. Also there are other issues such as home belongings that might not
   deal well with heat. Keep in mind this technology started with drying concrete
   in industrial settings and in the food industry is used in specific controlled
   non living space environments like silos and processing floor areas.
   As you can imagine units are costly and fans are needed as well.
   I mentioned a number of other concerns in a previous post
   but I certainly feel that heat plays into the future solution.

7. willow-the-wisp | Jul 30, 2007 | Reply

   I looked at the site–the fans …
   the voltage scared me.
   the temps scard me
   guess I’m scared!
   chicken willow.

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