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Did I ruin effect of Phantom by caulking?

1. 

   HelpinDC
   

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   Joined: Dec '10
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   Posted 2 years ago
   Sat Feb 19 2011 14:59:25
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   We live in an apartment and have had 3 chemical treatments and 1 heat treatment, but still saw bugs. After the heat treatment, we saw a live bug, after which dogs came through our apartment (and detected nothing) and our apartment was sprayed with Phantom. After that, we saw one more live bug. The PCO then came in and set up 3 Nightwatch monitors in our apartment and left them there for 2 weeks. Nothing was ever caught in the monitors and we haven't seen a bug since.

   In the meantime, I have been getting strange marks ("phantom bites?"). I was also worried about bugs coming back into our apartment from our neighbors. So, we caulked all around the baseboards of our apartment underneathe the carpet. Now, just yesterday, I have mark that REALLY looks like a bed bug bite (see the other topic I've started recently, if interested in a photo and description).

   Could we have messed up the effects of Phantom by caulking? I thought that perhaps the reason that we weren't seeing bugs anymore is because they were being killed by the Phantom as they tried to enter our apartment. I was worried, though, that when the Phantom wore off that they would start coming back in again. That's why we caulked.

   Any thoughts? Also, where else do bed bugs enter from? Nailholes in the wall? Vents? Where else? (What else can we do?) Thanks so much!

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   horatio
   

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   Posted 2 years ago
   Sat Feb 19 2011 16:14:03
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   bugs can and will enter along baseboards, water and heat pipes, through floors, wall voids, etc.

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   cilecto
   

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   Posted 2 years ago
   Sat Feb 19 2011 23:24:23
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   I'm not an expert, but caulking is generally well-regarded as an element of BB-control. People on the board seem to say that you should wait until after applying dusts and chemicals to caulk. It sounds like that's what you did. If you caulked effectively, BB have fewer avenues via which to enter your space. It's conceivable to me that maybe by cutting off some (or even most) access, bugs might have to get in and out via remaining ways that are less treated, but we'll only know if you see an increase in evidence of BB, namely, bugs, eggs, shells or fecal traces. In that case, you can likely get re-treated. Hopefully, you won't need to.

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