http://bedbugger.com/forum/ Bed bug support forums en Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:58:12 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/what-kills-eggs#post-69263 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:36:18 +0000 spideyjg 69263@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>With assurance, temps over 125 but to 140 is faster and I have more confidence, Vikane fumigation, and good old fashioned smashing.</p> <p>Jim </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/what-kills-eggs#post-69262 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:30:13 +0000 cilecto 69262@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Murphy (and probably lots of other soaps and detergents) as well as alcohol are "contact killers", meaning, they will kill the bugs that you hit with them directly. They have little or no "residual" potency, so if you apply these substances to a surface and bugs cross over it later, they are unharmed. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/what-kills-eggs#post-69261 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:15:16 +0000 buggyinsocal 69261@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Heat above 120 definitely kills eggs. That's why so many prep protocols for treatment involve washing and drying everything. It's really the drying part that heats items up enough to kill the eggs. (The washing, I suspect, is mostly a back up and because drying dirty items is a bad plan if you want your items to look and smell good.)</p> <p>There is one chemical pesticide that kills some eggs. Part of the problem with bed bugs is that there is no chemical pesticide that kills <em>all</em> eggs. </p> <p>There were some studies of cedarcide in labs that showed that it kills eggs; however, the lab is very different from the field, and if you find the thread on that research, you'll see that it points out that some reputable people suspect that it's not the cedar oil itself that kills bugs but the stuff that's used to dispense the cedar oil.</p> <p>So, to recap: the best ways to get rid of eggs are: heat, either in a dryer or a packtite or through a dry vapor steamer or multiple chemical treatments. (The first chemical treatment kills bugs and some eggs; the second chemical treatment is for killing the bugs that hatch from the eggs that didn't get killed in the first go. This is why bed bugs often require multiple treatments with chemicals to eradicate. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of the exact chemical pesticide, but I used thermal, so I'm not as up on chemical pesticide names as someone who probably had more experience with them.)</p> <p>I could be wrong, but I don't think drowning in a reliable way to kill eggs, and I'm pretty sure that 91% alcohol only kills bugs, not eggs. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/what-kills-eggs#post-69260 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:55:37 +0000 curlybrooklyn 69260@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I have been searching the forums, and can't find anything definitive/comprehensive on what actually will destroy eggs, as opposed to live crawlers. So which of these commonly discusssed treatments work? </p> <p>- Heat (above 120)?<br /> - Water? (Did I read correctly that bedbugs do not swim? So the reason for the hot water, as opposed to just any water, is to destroy eggs, not live hatched bugs?)<br /> - alcohol? 91% kills live adults, but does it have an effect on eggs? (ie, if I wipe down my drawers with it, will it kill any eggs that fell off other clothes into the drawers -- I'm not talking about bugs that harbored and laid eggs in cracks/crevices).<br /> - murphy's oil soap? (or is that just a folk myth) </p> <p>And am I actually right about that thing that bedbugs drown in water? </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69259 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:46:23 +0000 curlybrooklyn 69259@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>OP here. Thanks all for talking me down from my panic ledge. It has been really freaky to not have any sign of bugs for two weeks, and then now the day after the second treatment to feel like there's an onslaught. </p> <p>I am happy, well ok, with ditching the couches. It may be overkill but a) they aren't that awesome, and replacing them has been a plan for quite some time, so it's just accelerating things to do so now, and b) I haven't been able to relax on them anyway. Every black speck I examine to see if it might be a fecal speck. The crib is different, but thanks to the advice here I will wait until the PCO comes back.</p> <p>And I do think that part of the problem might be a "lazy" PCO. We got estimates from some top-shelf PCOs, and while they inspired a lot of confidence, there are a lot of factors outside our control - we're in a brick/frame row house, and both neighbors, on both sides, have been infested within the last year. And even within what we can control, our house is mid-gut renovation and so there are a lot of open spaces (ie only two rooms have baseboards at all). So doing the math, we had a high probability of having to repeat this anyway) -- even the top-shelf guy warned us of that. That's also why we didn't really consider thermal. The guy we ended up hiring successfully rid a friend's house of bugs after two treatments so we were pretty confident that he was at least competent. But he's no hand-holder, that's for sure. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/couch-encasements#post-69258 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:17:57 +0000 BobbyF 69258@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Could this be used for a reclining sofa bed or just for a standard non reclining sofa. Thanks </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69257 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:06:48 +0000 Nobugsonme 69257@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <blockquote><p><cite>Winston O. Buggy - 33 minutes ago <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69254">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;</a></cite><br /> While dogs can be an asset in the battle against bed bugs for sure the article did seem to read a bit like an infomercial. </p></blockquote> <p>Here's the problem-- and I noted this in <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2010/03/10/bed-bug-sniffing-dogs-what-you-need-to-know">the new dog FAQ</a> (which I hope you'll all look at and make suggestions on). Most articles about bed bug dogs are about one team or one trainer. Hence, they all read like infomercials.</p> <p>Only ONE article I've seen (linked to -- from <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2010/03/10/bed-bug-sniffing-dogs-what-you-need-to-know">the FAQ</a> from the Atlantic last summer) even mentions there is more than one "camp" in the bed bug dog training field, and that there are controveries over training, handling, and certification. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69256 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:03:25 +0000 Nobugsonme 69256@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2010/03/10/bed-bug-sniffing-dogs-what-you-need-to-know">I just updated my blog post </a>to comment on the practice of having a subsequently-hired PCO team do the visual verifications of bed bug alerts, and also about the story's assertion that all bed bug sniffing canines are trained with food rewards (which is not true). </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/finding-new-apt-tips-and-advice#post-69255 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:50:14 +0000 bugger09 69255@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>No prob Worst Fear. I'm actually trying to get this started way before I have to move so I can figure things out. I'll be probably asking a lot of questions on here before that.</p> <p>Good luck to both of us! </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69254 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:30:24 +0000 Winston O. Buggy 69254@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>While dogs can be an asset in the battle against bed bugs for sure the article did seem to read a bit like an infomercial. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/neighbors-have-bedbugs-what-are-the-chances-ill-get-them#post-69253 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:28:49 +0000 wchicago 69253@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>hi parakeets<br /> i think i'm about to ask a potentially dumb question (um, no surprise there perhaps) :)</p> <p>but, i've seen it frequently posted on this board that bed bugs will avoid DE to the extent it is not dusted lightly enough that they don't really detect it before walking through.<br /> i know nobody wants piles of De in their living space where it could blow around and get breathed in - but couldn't you put rather biggish piles of De under your baseboards (in the gap between baseboard and floor) before caulking and -if it is true that bbs will avoid wandering through it -then ahve a double layer of protection? another layer of protection to the caulking/sealing process could be good. (after having caulked my apartment like a madwoman, i have noticed sometimes caulk shrinks or the seals break, and it would be nice to have the "double whammy" of a layer of something they don't want to walk through even before they get to the caulk).</p> <p>i ask this because i'm going to buy a condo soon, and though it will be cleared by a bed bug dog before i purchase, i will then want to do some preventative caulking/sealing in case the neighbors ever get them. so, would an added layer of De before caulking be useful or useless? and should that layer be dusted lightly (like you would normally use if you wanted them to walk through and die) or piled less subtly in order to deter them from walking through at all? i know nothing is a perfect deterrent or preventative, but is there a way to do it that would decrease my chances of catching them from a neighbor if they get them, over and above just the regular ocd caulking/sealing? and the piles of De wouldn't be a lung hazard if caulked into my baseboards, presumably (as long as i used a respirator while doing the piling or dusting, whichever was better).</p> <p>and apologies if i'm asking the wrong person. but does anyone have an opinion as to which would be better, or if adding DE to the caulking process would even matter at all? spidey? </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69252 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:14:27 +0000 stacyeric 69252@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Saw a post on BrickUnderground about this: <a href="http://brickunderground.com/blog/2010/03/bed_bug_sniffing_dogs_dont_fall_for_false_positives" rel="nofollow">http://brickunderground.com/blog/2010/03/bed_bug_sniffing_dogs_dont_fall_for_false_positives</a> </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69251 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:36:21 +0000 cilecto 69251@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>So, another thread gets hijacked by the cult of the mint milano ;) </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69250 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:13:26 +0000 bb_gave_me_ocd 69250@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>nobugstobefound--That was a hell of a story well told, and which needed to be told. Thanks for sharing. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/helpim-itchy-broke-and-going-insane#post-69249 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:07:30 +0000 bb_gave_me_ocd 69249@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>As I see by your handle you're in NYC, you should be aware that it's definitely the landlord's responsibility to eliminate bed bugs. If you have problems with him you can call 311 and get the city involved...if you really can't make headway with the landlord. (I don't have any experience with actually getting the city to come out and help, but in theory it's an option.)</p> <p>In my experience routine visits from an exterminator that are done in most buildings include baited traps/ bait pesticides, which might work for mice or roaches but won't do anything for bed bugs (since they only feed on blood and won't eat any bait). Any exterminator that comes in for bed bugs would have to use something quite different. There are non-chemical means, such as heat, that can be used that won't make anyone sick if that's a sticking point.</p> <p>I'm sorry you have to go through this. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69248 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:32:58 +0000 cilecto 69248@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I'd like to reiterate from before, a few bugs or bites shortly post-treatment is too soon to declare victory or concede defeat. Give it a few more weeks under your current program. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/save-cornell-ipm#post-69247 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:24:50 +0000 Winston O. Buggy 69247@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>YES FOLKS THE POST IS BACK , BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/what-are-the-standard-preventive-measures-against-bed-bugs#post-69245 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:01:32 +0000 spideyjg 69245@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <blockquote><p><cite>4blossoms - 7 minutes ago <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/what-are-the-standard-preventive-measures-against-bed-bugs#post-69243">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;</a></cite><br /> I'm wondering if there are standard guidelines for preventing a future infestation of bed bugs after a PCO has visited your home? </p></blockquote> <p>Vigilance and risk reduction. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69244 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:01:16 +0000 Nobugsonme 69244@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I posted about this article last night but that thread is dormant and this one is alive, so I am moving it here and deleting the old one!</p> <p>------------------------------------------------</p> <p>New bed bug sniffing k9 FAQ (and NYTimes article)</p> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/garden/11bedbug.html">A new article came out in the New York Times<strike> tonight</strike> last night</a>, and it was as good an opportunity as any for me to take a stab at the long-awaited bed bug sniffing k9 FAQ.</p> <p><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2010/03/10/bed-bug-sniffing-dogs-what-you-need-to-know/">Check it out</a> and please comment <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2010/03/10/bed-bug-sniffing-dogs-what-you-need-to-know/"><strong>on the post itself</strong></a> if you have suggestions, questions, or differing viewpoints!</p> <p>Alternately, if you want to have an industry pow-wow or toss a few grenades, go to the <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/official-bed-bug-k9-industry-thread">Official dog industry thread.</a></p> <p>This FAQ was partly based on the helpful suggestions <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/bed-bug-canine-inspections">in this thread</a>, and I thank everyone who participated, though I only named LVK9 -- whose list of tips I paraphrased. More suggestions or corrections are very much welcomed.</p> <p>The new dog FAQ is now linked from the main <a href="http://bedbugger.com/faqs/">FAQs</a> page and the <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/faqs-about-bed-bugs-for-bedbugger-forum-users">forums FAQs page</a> (located in the green stickies on the forums main page).[u] </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/what-are-the-standard-preventive-measures-against-bed-bugs#post-69243 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:53:15 +0000 4blossoms 69243@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I'm wondering if there are standard guidelines for preventing a future infestation of bed bugs after a PCO has visited your home?</p> <p>I'm still waiting for my landlord to send a PCO to spray my apartment but was wondering if there are any specific guidelines for prevention of a future infestation? It would be such a waste of time and effort if after the PCO has eliminated the infestation the bugs come back again. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69242 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:49:30 +0000 wchicago 69242@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>hi curly<br /> sympathies, it must be so stressful feeling that the baby is potentially vulnerable to bites. BUT -before you throw out the crib and the sofas - look into the cost of thermal for the whole home. it sounds like you are the owner and the upstairs neighbors are your tenants, yes? if so, then you are in control and you can choose thermal for the whole house -and then make sure to educate your tenant (and yourself) about ways to avoid bringing them back in. thermal is expensive - but it may not be much more expensive than costs of disposing of your furniture, added to costs of replacement. and as spidey and buggy both said -thermal, when done right, is one shot. it is also doesn't require exposing the baby to pesticides (though i have heard that some companies also may spray a residual in some places after the thermal - but it is still less chemicals than traditional treatment)<br /> best of luck </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69241 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:26:31 +0000 spideyjg 69241@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <blockquote><p><cite>4blossoms - 37 minutes ago &lt;a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-<br /> That's true though I think if your neighbors have a bed bug infestation the bugs are going to eventually go back to your home even if you manage to eradicate them from your own apartment. This is happening where I live currently. I think my neighbors may have them. Controlling bed bugs has become a community-wide problem especially in densely packed cities like NYC.</cite></p></blockquote> <p>Well control can be challenging in dense cities but your other post made it sound as if there is no cure.</p> <p>Folks come on here desperate and spooked and reading <blockquote>currently there are no methods that promise complete eradication of these insects</blockquote> would make them despondent. </p> <p>Victory can be had but it is not easy.</p> <p>Jim </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/landlord-knew-about-infestation-before-i-moved-in#post-69240 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:00:37 +0000 theJ 69240@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Yes, contact a local tenants rights organization or the BBB (better business bureau). They should be able to advise you on your legal rights. I had a nice conversation with the BBB the other day about my situation and they were knowledgeable on the subject. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/using-canned-air-for-electronics#post-69239 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:57:18 +0000 theJ 69239@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Thanks for the two responses.</p> <p><strong>florida st</strong> - I'm not worried about blowing them around. I'm moving out, and packtiting everything as i go. Anything i can't packtite is going into storage. So if i blow any eggs around, it will be on the carpet, and i'll leave them here. I'd make sure to change my clothes too.</p> <p><strong>buggyinsocal</strong> - It's a desktop that i self assembled from parts. So it's roomier, which will make it easier for inspection. I think i'll use some canned air to at least blow the dust out and then inspect with a bright flashlight. I too doubt it's infested, because a bed bug crawling on the surface of the motherboard (which would have happened by now i would think if it were infested) should short the computer.</p> <p>The computer is in the next room as well. I've seen one bug out here, so i'm too worried. Also, i'm not living in the infested apartment anymore. I'm slowly moving everything. The electronics will be next to last (in two weeks or so). Hopefully by then the BB's have moved on to a new host and out of our apartment for the most part (mean to say i know, but no one in this building seems to care...so i'm done caring too). </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69238 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:45:15 +0000 4blossoms 69238@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <blockquote><p><cite>spideyjg - 13 minutes ago <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69233">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;</a></cite></p> <blockquote><p><cite>4blossoms - 26 minutes ago <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69227">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;</a></cite><br /> Since currently there are no methods that promise complete eradication of these insects it's necessary to use a combination of preventive measures to deal with bed bugs. </p></blockquote> <p>Ummmm no. Thermal and Vikane done properly are one shot, nuke and pave treatments.<br /> There is nothing going to wipe BBs to worldwide extinction though.<br /> You can make them extinct in your home<br /> Jim</p></blockquote> <p>That's true though I think if your neighbors have a bed bug infestation the bugs are going to eventually go back to your home even if you manage to eradicate them from your own apartment. This is happening where I live currently. I think my neighbors may have them. Controlling bed bugs has become a community-wide problem especially in densely packed cities like NYC. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/landlord-knew-about-infestation-before-i-moved-in#post-69237 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:10:19 +0000 buggyinsocal 69237@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I am not a lawyer, so this isn't legal advice, but what I would suggest you do is get in touch with your local tenants rights organization as soon as possible.</p> <p>The laws vary from city to city as to what rights a tenant has in this situation, and breaking your lease even for something like bed bugs may make you liable. You could go to court and challenge that, but if there isn't legal precedent, even if the situation seems unfair, you might not have your side upheld in court.</p> <p>Unfortunately, sometimes local laws don't take into account the realities of bed bugs. </p> <p>But I do want to validate the fact that it sounds like regardless of what the law says where you live, the landlord clearly did something totally unethical. Contacting a tenants' rights group is probably the best way to get a remedy soon. They'll know what the local laws about pests and habitability are, and they will also know under what circumstances you can legally break a lease. Hang in there. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69236 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:05:39 +0000 buggyinsocal 69236@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Just seconding spideyjg's point. I had thermal treatment of my apartment in June 2008. I'd had bed bugs (unbeknownst to me) since (As best as I can tell from reconstructing the timeline) sometime in March of that year. Despite having had an unchecked infestation for several months, thermal got rid of the infestation in one treatment.</p> <p>And I live in a multi-unit building.</p> <p>The difference between me and some folks in other multi-unit buildings is that it's only a four plex, and my neighbors all cooperated. They all agreed to inspections, so we knew that their apartments were clear.</p> <p>As to getting rid of items, the best advice is to talk to the pest management pro that you've hired. If the tech sent to treat your residence isn't that knowledgeable, get on the phone and talk to the main office of the company you've hired. Every treatment is a little different, and the folks who know exactly what's been placed where in your residence are the best sources of information for how to proceed. (That is, some PMPs want everything bagged--even non fabric items. Some want very little bagged. One approach isn't more right than the other; one approach goes with one method of treatment instead of the other.)</p> <p>Hang in there. It really will get better. it just doesn't feel like it right now. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/using-canned-air-for-electronics#post-69235 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:56:45 +0000 buggyinsocal 69235@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Do remember that while it's possible for bed bugs to harbor in electronics, it's not as common as reading the boards here might make you think.</p> <p>Bed bugs like to harbor near their hosts but in places that won't be disturbed. If you talked to pest management pros and asked them how often they saw bed bugs inside electronics, I'm guessing the numbers would be a lot lower than you think.</p> <p>I understand that once we find out about bed bugs, we become anxious about the million places they could be hiding that we'd never thought about them before.</p> <p>In most chemical treatment situations, electronics aren't treated because the bugs would have to leave their hiding places to feed (and cross residual or mechanical killers).</p> <p>In thermal, electronics are sometimes not treated because some of them can't be in the home. Others are left in the home but unplugged/batteries removed.</p> <p>In Vikane, they get treated along with everything else in the structure.</p> <p>My laptop didn't spend much time in the bedroom, so I didn't treat it at all.</p> <p>The three major items damaged in my thermal treatment were my two TiVos and my microwave--all electronic devices that I hadn't unplugged at the time.</p> <p>I would NEVER packtite a computer. (Unless the computer was already on its last legs and I was trying to kill it off as an excuse to buy myself a new one when the old one finally gave up the ghost--and only then after I made sure my data was backed up.)</p> <p>If the laptop hasn't been at the epicenter for the infestation, I would be vigilant to make sure there are no bugs coming from it in the next weeks, but I wouldn't generally be terribly suspicious of it being infested in the first place. For a laptop kept outside the rooms that are the primary sites of infestation, I would probably say there's about a 2% chance of it being infested. If it was at ground zero of the infestation, I might give it an 8% chance of infestation. </p> <p>By all means, take it apart and inspect it if that gives you more security, but I also know that in my experience, after one run in with bed bugs, for a while there, I imagined them everywhere and made myself a nervous wreck. </p> <p>It's just that over time, as I got further away from the infestation, I eventually started estimating just how risky things were as I tried to move closer to a less anxious lifestyle. I wasn't able to do that while in the throes of bed bug battle. In other words, I mean for this post to be encouraging in the sense that the chances of the bugs being in your laptop may be lower than you're thinking they are--esp. if you haven't left the laptop lying on the bed or next to it if that's where the infestation is centered. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69234 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:50:17 +0000 djames1921 69234@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Thanks for the story. One thing people tend to overlook as well is fecal spotting, which if you know what it looks like can be diagnostic as well. If a bedbug cannot be found, in most cases the poop they leave behind can be discovered by anyone with any experience with bedbugs. I'll add to mike potter's "show me the bedbugs" with "at least show me the poop!" </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69233 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:48:18 +0000 spideyjg 69233@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <blockquote><p><cite>4blossoms - 26 minutes ago <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/baby-got-bit-do-we-have-to-get-rid-of-the-crib#post-69227">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;</a></cite></p> <p>Since currently there are no methods that promise complete eradication of these insects it's necessary to use a combination of preventive measures to deal with bed bugs. </p></blockquote> <p>Ummmm no. Thermal and Vikane done properly are one shot, nuke and pave treatments.</p> <p>There is nothing going to wipe BBs to worldwide extinction though.</p> <p>You can make them extinct in your home</p> <p>Jim </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/helpim-itchy-broke-and-going-insane#post-69232 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:45:51 +0000 florida st 69232@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>&lt;<br /> I like the idea of calling the Board of Health but when I called the Board of Health in my city they said I had to call the Municipal Nurse instead of them and when I called her, she said bedbugs were not a health issue. Just warning you that some municipalities don't deal with bedbugs under the Board of Health.</p> <p>Whoa. I guess it really depends on where you live. I live in San Francisco, they're pretty good about the bedbug thing. I was told they would find a translator to explain the problem to my landlord, and inform him of his legal responsibilities. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/i-dont-know-if-i-have-them-or-nothelp#post-69231 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:38:59 +0000 florida st 69231@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Don't want to alarm you, but the fact that you haven't been bitten doesn't mean there aren't bedbugs there. Don't panic or start throwing things out, but do try to get a sample of a bug- one of those monitors might be worth it, especially if your neighbor has bedbugs.</p> <p>I started getting bit more than six months ago. I didn't think it was bedbugs because:<br /> -I didn't get bit every night, more like one night every 5 weeks<br /> -I searched diligently for specks, bugs, casings, etc, didn't find anything<br /> -Neither of my roommates had any bites</p> <p>Then, last Thursday, I found one on me, in broad daylight. It's better to start dealing with it early, rather than put it off and hope for the best. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69230 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:32:06 +0000 nobugstobefound 69230@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <blockquote><p><cite>paulaw0919 - 45 minutes ago <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/dog-and-human-interest-article-in-ny-times#post-69225">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;</a></cite><br /> Thanks for taking the time to share. I'm sure it will help others to react logically and investigate further rather than react on emotion.</p></blockquote> <p>Thank you for reading and responding so thoughtfully. </p> <p>I simply could not believe that this article exists, not a week after our dealings with this service. What crazy timing. That the article does not even allude to the fact that there's any level of controversy among pest-controllers about a service which provides canine inspection without uncovering physical evidence is bothersome, but not surprising. </p> <p>I hope it does help people. It was postings like this which helped me. </p> <p>$350 is a lot of money, and a full treatment -- which if we'd not stopped for ten minutes and caught our breath, we very well may have wound up getting -- would have cost a heck of a lot more than that. </p> <p>Again, thanks for reading. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/neighbors-have-bedbugs-what-are-the-chances-ill-get-them#post-69229 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:30:20 +0000 parakeets 69229@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I think the idea of a bedbug sniffing dog is great, but I am under the impression that while you can seal and caulk, there is no preventative pesticide treatment for bedbugs if a neighbor has them and you don't have them yet but don't want to get them. If you have bedbugs, you treat. If you don't have bedbugs, treating with pesticides including DE will not prevent you from getting bedbugs if they are in the building. You have to employ the integrated pest management techniques that don't involve pesticides, sprays or DE. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/using-canned-air-for-electronics#post-69228 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:28:46 +0000 florida st 69228@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I thought of that too- I don't think it would work, though. I don't think it would dislodge all of them. Remember, they're sticky enough to walk on ceilings, and I read somewhere about someone trying to vacuum one up and seeing the bug cling to the surface.</p> <p>Also, it seems like a bad idea to blow them all over the place. Wouldn't you just be spreading them around?</p> <p>I think you should look into the ddvp/"hot strips". If you can seal your computer in a bag with a hot strip without damaging it, that might do the trick. </p>