Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Reader questions (do not fit into other categories)
Advice About Items In Storage (Specifically Lifespan of Various Stages of BB)
(3 posts)-
buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 10 months ago
Sun Jan 25 2009 17:44:47
#
Login to Send PM
When my place underwent thermal treatment, I had to remove certain items from my apartment--specifically DVDs and CDs and some other items that were heat sensitive, including receipts printed on thermal paper, which I'm going to need in about a month.
Those items have been stored in plastic bins, sealed with duct tape, in a non-climate controlled environment. (Namely, outside.)
Most of the items in those bins (CDs and DVDs) were stored before treatment in the living room, a room that was *probably* not infested. (As I had thermal treatment, I'm not 100% sure where the infestation was, since my thermal treatment took them all out in one treatment.) Any of the items that had been in the bedroom were also placed in a ziplock inside the plastic bins that have been sealed with duct tape. I wasn't taking any chances.
The bins have been stored outside for 7 months now.
However, I'm in the process of the massive reorganization of my apartment, post BB. More importantly, I need to start getting my 2008 documents in order for tax time. (I itemize. A lot. So I'll need those receipts to give my accountant.)
And the bins can't stay where they are forever.
(An aside, on top of this, California is in the midst of a budget crisis. I *just* got word that I'll be getting an actual paycheck at the end of next week, as opposed to the IOUs some state employees might get, so I'm hesitant to commit to paying for a storage unit for the 11 months I might need.)
My question(s) is(are) as follows:
First, which specific stages of the bugs can live for more than 7 months?
Secondly, what do people think about the effect of temperature on those times? After all, southern California is a pretty warm place (as evidenced by our record high temperature week before last of over 85 degrees F.). Some of those weeks the temp never got below 70 F, but other weeks it did. The answer might be none at all or none reliably.
Thirdly, if you were me, and had been clear for more than 6 months, and had items that you at least needed to sort through, most of which had a very low chance of infestation, what would you do with them? Remember that leaving them as they are is out of the question, since I need to get some items out of those bins in the next few months.
-
The eighteen month figure (484 days) comes from an experiment where the bugs being were kept at 50 degrees F (10d C).
At 80 degrees F (27d C) the average for females was 87 days & 44 days for males. The 4th instars lived for a mean average of 73 days.
At 64 degrees (18d C) the 4th instar specimens lived for an average of 265 days.
These are all mean averages, so obviously some bed bugs lived for a longer period of time.
I suspect that any viable bed bugs would be reaching the end of their lifespan at this point, but personally I would consider placing a No Pest Strip (DDVP) in each bin for a few days to be sure. You can rotate the DDVP strips through the bins... each strip is good for about four months of use.
-
buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 9 months ago
Mon Jan 26 2009 10:45:34
#
Login to Send PM
I had completely forgotten about the strips. That's an excellent idea.
As for the lifespan issue, that was what I assumed, but goodness knows that the last thing I want is to go through all this again.
On the other hand, tax season looms, and everything in those bins is stuff that can't be in the apartment for a thermal treatment if god forbid, I had to do this all again, which also is far more money than the storage unit.
The strips, I think, would polish off any lingering bugs, and allow me to sort through the bins in a time frame that would work with the tax season issues.
There are a few items in the bins that I would still have to take out and inspect by hand, but most of them can be treated with boiling water or steam, and that's a lot less than what I'm dealing with with the whole collection of bins. (I have a lot of DVDs).
Also, a handful of items that would fit into a large ziplock that only need to be inspected for the larger stages is entirely doable. I was also worried that having to inspect as many bins as we're talking about would mean enough fatigue that I might miss a smaller stage.
So long as the Rubbermaid bins are sealed with duct tape, sealing one up (with fresh tape, of course) for a few days should be sufficient, right? I don't need to rotate the items to ensure even distribution of the DDVP? I only ask because I know that with Vikane some people think the failures they had might be the result of things packed too densely. I don't think the bins are that densely packed, but I also don't want to find out the hard way that it did make a difference.
Reply
You must log in to post.
