The big news today was that Mary-Louise Parker talked to David Letterman on his Late Show last night about her current bed bug scare.

(You can scroll in to about 1:33 in the video window below to see the start of the bed bug conversation.)

Apparently the star of “Weeds” suspected bed bugs and then had bed bug sniffing k9 “Bugsy” in to inspect. We are not sure what firm this is, but she is talking about New York City. We’re sure it’s not the Seattle Housing Authority’s bed bug sniffing dog, who is also called Bugsy. I gather this is a popular name!

Parker is not yet sure if she has bed bugs yet, but she talks about the option of commodity fumigation with Vikane gas (sending your belongings away “in a pod”).

There’s definitely some inaccurate information here: adult bed bugs are around 6mm or 1/6″ long — not the size of a pinhead as Parker states.

And only the adults look like the bed bug photo Letterman holds up.

First instar bed bug nymphs are 1mm or 1/32″ long, and either translucent, if unfed, or — if they have already fed — bright red with translucent legs and head. Subsequent life stages look a bit more like adults but are in progressively larger sizes, per Stephen Doggett’s chart here.

Also, everyone does not react to bed bug bites. Parker seems to be concerned that her son has been bitten — it was his line of three welts in a row that made her suspect bed bugs. However, if bed bugs are present, Parker could also have been bitten, showing no reaction.

Those who do react to bed bug bites may experience three bites in a row, which is how Parker says bed bug bites appear. But people can also get single bites, or pairs, or sets of three in triangles. There’s a wide variation.

Despite these inaccuracies, and despite the fact that Letterman does not seem the slightest bit concerned about bed bugs, I love that Mary-Louise Parker shared her bed bug scare on Letterman’s show.

No doubt she’s one of many celebrities who are going through (or have been through) such an experience, but she’s the first I’ve seen discuss it in this way on national television. I do hope Parker’s home is free of bed bugs.

Similar Posts:

• Brief report on Seattle NPMA Bed Bug Symposium; bed bug dog awareness among customers
• What percentage of people react to bed bug bites?
• University of Central Missouri (and other Missouri colleges) vs. bed bugs
• Man on #2 train with bed bugs: bed bug hysteria? Or fact?
• New York Times Health article on bed bugs: bed bugs bite

Given that bed bugs are so hard to eradicate, and how long it can take to treat using traditional methods, we’re always on the lookout for better options.

Those of us in multi-unit dwellings often daydream about having our whole buildings tented and fumigated with Vikane (TM) a.k.a. sulfuryl fluoride. It’s one way to get rid of bed bugs in a building (large or small) that’s out of control. You can do it to your house, or your whole building, but you can’t do it in a single apartment (hence the daydreams). It’s not legal everywhere, from what I gather, but is worth looking into. Everyone (humans and pets) must be evacuated before treatment, and the unit is covered in a tent so that the gas does not escape.

Only a trained and licensed professional can or should use Vikane gas. You should never try to replicate this kind of treatment using any kind of substance. It is extremely deadly.

Here’s Dow’s brief article on vikane gas fumigation for bed bugs, and Bowman Termite and Pest of Hawai’i on Vikane fumigation for bed bugs (this one tells us that the procedure takes one day and kills all bed bug adults, nymphs and eggs, if done properly).

Pest Control magazine clarifies that three times as much Vikane is used for bed bugs as for termites. And they outline Vikane’s benefits:

“We have recommended fumigation with Vikane on several extensive bed bug infestations where we felt that conventional treatment strategies could not bring a resolution to the problem quickly enough,” said Scott Crowley, technical director at Lloyd Termite Control in California. “When we use other treatment methods, re-treatments are frequently necessary. However, when we use Vikane and take some extra precautions, we can be sure that all of the bed bugs in the structure have been eliminated.”

The extra precautions that Crowley recommends include inspecting all personal belongings which may have been involved in the transference of bed bugs, as well as proper laundering of bedding and clothing which may have been exposed.

Frank of The War on Bed Bugs on Vikane:

(A) Vikane chamber can also be used to treat furniture and possibly vehicles. The technique sounds promising and does not cause significant damage to human health or environment. However, the cost of Vikane gas fumigation is significantly higher, and it is impossible to treat a multi-family dwelling without the co-operation of every unit. The long-term effects of using Vikane gas are also not clear.

Like Frank, I’d like to know more about the possible long-term effects. I have a hunch that gas is nor harmful to us or pets, because we don’t re-enter the home until it has been aired out for a time and the gas has fully dissipated (which is an advantage of a gas over other substances which might be applied). But I’d like more information on that.

I’d also love to have a ballpark figure on the costs of Vikane gassing a 3-bedroom house, say, or a 3-family house, or a 35-unit apartment building. If anyone has done it or knows how much it would cost, please tell us (and include the region or rough geographical location, if you will).

We also seriously need details on anyone who is licensed and able to provide Vikane gassing of a moving truck full of bed bug infested items. If you know of anyone who does this, anywhere, please let me know. Entrepreneurs, do you realize how many people from this site alone would frequent such a service? It would open up “moving” as a viable option for getting away from bed bugs, which it really isn’t now.

(Update: a number of companies are now doing this, some even specializing, such as Bed Bugs and Beyond.)

Dow’s FAQs on Vikane for termites note that many real estate transactions now require homes to be treated for termites before the sale goes through. For bed bugs, no other treatments but thermal and Vikane can potentially offer 100% success (and I stress that thermal and Vikane have to be done by people who know what they’re doing). Vikane seems like a good option if you’re selling a home or building and have bed bugs. What’s more, if the provider guarantees their work, buyer and seller can have peace of mind on this issue.

Further reading:

This is the Environmental Protection Agency (USA EPA) page on Vikane gas fumigation.

This is one example of a success using Vikane.

This is a site for people concerned about pesticides, which suggests Vikane may be dangerous even when used correctly. The issue is likely to be controversial, but I wanted to share this link so readers are aware of it and can do further research if they’re concerned.

Update: a note about Phosphine

badbugs of Minnesota reports that in that state, phosphine fumigation is available, but not vikane. badbugs had commodity fumigation done with phosphine. Note from badbugs: “phosphine … tarnishes gold, silver, and reacts really badly with copper (which means you can’t gas electronics)”.

Update (2008): Commodity Fumigation, Guarantees, and User Reports

When this article was originally written, the primary use of vikane gas that we were aware of was the fumigation of homes and cars. The procedure is also being used for commodity fumigation: you fill a truck with your stuff, it gets driven to a service provider, and they tent and gas it with sulfuryl fluoride (the generic gas which is sometimes sold as “vikane”).

This method is often used by people moving from an infested home to an uninfested home. If you intend to use commodity fumigation but will return the items to the same home, you need to be absolutely sure the home is bed bug-free before bringing things back in. You also need to make sure you are not suffering continued exposure to bed bugs (e.g. through a neighbor or workplace).

Finally, with any treatment, get a guarantee in writing. And follow your service provider’s instructions to the letter (as far as how to prep, and what to leave out). One Bedbugger has had to have her home re-treated after it was fumigated with vikane gas and all bed bugs were apparently not killed. On the other hand, many others appear to have had treatments that were successful in one go.

Further discussions of vikane / sulfuryl fluoride fumigation in our forums.Similar Posts:

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