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Are Mac's superior in fighting bed bugs, too?!
(11 posts)-
So in my house we have two laptops: a Mac and a PC. We have noticed that the Mac has far fewer openings to the outside that might be inviting for a bug, and the PC has many!
Anyone out there have an opinion about whether a Mac might somehow harbor fewer bugs than a PC? :)
(I promised DP I would ask this question, although I'm a born skeptic and think bugs don't care whether it's Coke or Pepsi. :)
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prayforamiracle
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Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 244
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Aug 11 2008 20:29:23
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I think the mac is superior in this. i sealed it in plastic. Cut a hole in the top as it got hot otherwise.
Taped my new key board in a plastic bag, It all worked and kept it pretty well from any getting in. Since its all one peice. I'd say great design for this problem...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25458362@N02/2578580535/ -
Pray...
Wow, really? Question: Did you have it in an infested environment before all of the plastic you talk about? If so, did you have it inspected and cleaned before securing it in plastic?
Ours has been out and vulnerable for 5 months. I think we should take both (Coke and Pepsi) to a professional to have them opened and cleaned before we seal them up and protect them from future exposure. What do you think?
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prayforamiracle
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Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 244
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Aug 11 2008 21:39:59
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I sealed it up the first week i got bit. I found this site and went into shut down mode. I had the bed bug dogs inspect and it was cleared . I figure if they were in there, I would also trap them . I left it on and it got pretty hot. Too hot, when i cut a hole at the top in the back. If you can seal it, I would either way.
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prayforamiracle
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Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 244
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Aug 11 2008 21:53:11
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Maybe you can put in the tub and open it up. Spray it with air to see if and bb are in it... and would come running out. The babys are clear. So very hard to see. Keep a 91 perecent alcohol in a spray bottle by the tub to spray the bottom of the tub, in case any come running out. Just an idea....
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Hmmm... I don't know how to open them up, so I may have to hire help for that. The tub is a good idea, though. If I could get the keyboard open I like the idea of using canned air.
Bottom line: I should assume that either laptop could have bugs (even a mac!) and I should inspect and clean before bagging.
I have read about the folks who run long programs (defrag, etc.) to sort of evict the bugs, and then keep the laptops in bags when not in use, but I like your idea of bagging even when in use. Thanks for all the tips.
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I would be very cautious using something while it was in a bag, even with a hole. This seems dangerous. Computers have vents and need to release hot air. Doesn't seem like a good plan to me, sorry, pray.
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I see. So perhaps it's best to clean with air, run hot, use, and then bag when not in use. I have seen the other posts where people do this. Thanks for all the help.
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buggyinsocal
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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,259
Posted 1 year ago
Tue Aug 12 2008 11:14:06
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HM,
If it's a Mac, I think you could take it to an Apple store and have them clean it out. I was thinking about doing that before I got bedbugs because I didn't get one of those "keep your laptop keyboard safe from crap that falls between the keys things" right away, and it seemed silly to seal crap in.
I never use my laptop on the bed, and I'm pretty sure (in retrospect) that I didn't have any infestation in the living room/kitchen where my desk is or where the futon is, so I don't think I ever had them in the laptop.
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The thing is, HM, since bed bugs are attracted to heat and CO2, it seems they're more likely to crawl in and hide when it's hot.
I don't think I would bag it at all, since I think they're more likely to crawl in when it's hot and unbagged, and then if you later bag, you're sealing them in there.
Getting it cleaned out is an option as buggyinsocal notes (though perhaps the store should be warned to do this in a completly clear location, the Apple Store equivalent of your white bathtub with a bag handy, and you should be present to help watch for escaping bed bugs).
I think all of this (Apple Store stuff) is probably most relevant for someone moving home.
It should go without saying that there's no secure way of taking a laptop to and from home unless you know it to be bed bug free and bag it on arriving at home (when it's NOT hot).
If you are fighting bed bugs in your home, the computer lives there full-time, and you have appropriate bed bug treatment, then bed bugs will eventually come out, cross poison, and die. I can't envision a scenario where every bed bug in your home is dead but the ones in the PC are reigning on. (I can kind of visualize it as a horror movie, but that's another story!)
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buggyinsocal
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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,259
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Aug 14 2008 10:56:18
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Well now, that's *totally* proof I've been fighting the bugs too long, isn't it? Nomorebugs is right--if you take the computer to the Apple store, you should warn them about what might be in it. I've warned everyone I've brought stuff to, no matter how careful I was, mostly because I'm not even sure I'd wish these things on my worst enemy.
I sometimes forget to mention that since it's become such a standard part of what I do. Last night, I gave yet another friend a crash course in how to inspect a hotel room. (My friends seem to travel about as much as I do, which means that my friends who know about the problem have begun asking me for help when they travel now.)
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