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An idea for electronics
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Xavier61588
newbite
Joined: May '09
Posts: 8
Posted 4 months ago
Wed Jul 1 2009 9:15:09
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I had an idea for electronics that I thought I would share. When I came home from my (potentially infested) dorm, I was worried that my electronics (laptop, iPod, camera, etc..) had been compromised. Everything else I had was treated with heat, but I didn't know what to do with these things. Every PCO I spoke with assured me that they were low-risk items, but I didn't want to take the risk. To put my mind at ease, I adapted an idea that I saw on the forums here. I took a heavy duty jumbo (double-zip) ziploc bag and placed all my electronics in it. Along with them, I placed one or two sticky-pads with activated handwarmers in the center of the pads. I returned after a week or so to put a new one in. Presumably, if they're hungry enough, they would run over to check out the handwarmer since there is no other "food" available in the sealed bag. I didn't find anything in my electronics, but I was wondering if this would be an effective way of ascertaining whether low-risk electronic items are infested....
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buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 4 months ago
Wed Jul 1 2009 13:03:31
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I wanted to applaud your ingenuity. It's true that we know that bed bugs migrate toward heat and carbon dioxide.
And I'm always glad to see people thinking outside the box to try and come up with more weapons in the fight against bed bugs.
Creating effective bed bug monitors is pretty tricky. This is partly because the bugs can lower their metabolisms pretty effectively. If they are removed from a host for an extended period of time, because of that ability to reduce their metabolism, can survive sealed in an airtight container for over a year.
The problem with just trying to lure them out with a hand warmer is that the home made monitors that people have tried to make with both a carbon dioxide emitting source and a source of warmth haven't always worked effectively. So even putting an item with both heat and CO2 in a bag won't guarantee that all the bugs will exit the electronics.
Sealing the electronic items in bags for 18 months would work to kill off any bugs, but most of us aren't willing to part with our cell phones, remote controls, laptops, and ipods for that long.
And I almost didn't reply to your post, because I do think that this kind of do it yourself, refusal to give in, thinking outside the box approach will ultimately yield good results in the long run.
But if it were that easy, people would be doing it. I'm not saying that your method will fail 100%. You may, in fact, lure any bugs that hitch hiked in your electronics out.
But the problem with bed bugs is that any technique that doesn't reliably lure all the bugs out runs the risk of being at the root of a full scale infestation.
And if the bugs had laid eggs in there, you would have to have the items in bags for a few weeks to let the eggs hatch. given how small first stage instars (young bed bugs) can be, plenty of people wouldn't be able to see them in the bags--esp. since nymphs are mostly transparent until they've fed.
Again, I'm pointing these problems out not to discourage you. Keep thinking about it. You might be the person who has that epiphany that leads to a whole new approach.
But if you lure all the bugs but one inseminated female or one pair of male and female bugs out, those one or two remaining bugs would be all it takes to start a whole new infestation. And I would feel just as bad if someone read your idea and followed your plan and thought he or she was totally free and then ended up with an infestation from some strays.
Electronics are a problem across the board with every kind of treatment. Hands down they are the hardest thing to treat. And given how dependent we are on them, our anxiety about that fact makes sense.
ETA: This is what happens when I post before I've eaten breakfast.
I see that your post is much more focused on determining whether there are bugs in the electronics at all.
Again, it's a good idea, but if you look at the threads about bed bug monitors, you'll find that many people have tried to create them, with only mixed results at best.
The fact remains that bed bugs are a very good pest at hiding, and attempts to create monitors have met with limited success. That includes high tech models including CO2 cartridges that gradually release both warmth and CO2 over time in an attempt to lure the bugs out.
I do think that your plan might increase your chances of figuring out whether the electronics are infested. But I don't think it's got a guaranteed success rate that's 100%, and unfortunately, with bed bugs, you need a 100% success rate.
I do think that limiting your use of the electronics to places where it would be easier to detect the exit of any bugs (using them only over a desk top that was a color that contrasted with both nymphs and adults and placing the items on that desk inside an enclosure of double-sided tape so that if any bugs exited the devices while they weren't being used) would make it easier to discover any hitch hikers.
But again, that's not how most people use ipods or cell phones, and so I would imagine that a lot of people would be hesitant to do that for 55 or 60 days, which is a number that most people use as the threshold for when they're sure they're bug free.
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Xavier61588
newbite
Joined: May '09
Posts: 8
Posted 4 months ago
Wed Jul 1 2009 14:35:01
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Thank you for your post. Indeed, the method would certainly not be fool-proof. Truth be told, when I brought everything home, I tried this. When I found nothing, I ran the electronics through my PackTite, paying close attention to how hot they got. All three items--iPod, laptop, and camera--survived (!).
I suppose my point is thus: if you are coming home from a potentially infested place and you have no way of treating your electronics, this method has the potential of identifying if those electronics have been compromised. I'll think about it some more!
anthony
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buggedoutinNJ
newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 10
Posted 2 months ago
Mon Aug 31 2009 15:50:38
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Xavier61588 - 2 months ago »
Thank you for your post. Indeed, the method would certainly not be fool-proof. Truth be told, when I brought everything home, I tried this. When I found nothing, I ran the electronics through my PackTite, paying close attention to how hot they got. All three items--iPod, laptop, and camera--survived (!).
I suppose my point is thus: if you are coming home from a potentially infested place and you have no way of treating your electronics, this method has the potential of identifying if those electronics have been compromised. I'll think about it some more!
anthonyHow long did you run the laptop through your PackTite? I don't know if I have anything in my laptop, but I would like to err on the side of caution.
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