Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Bed Bug Treatment
Has anyone tried Cryonite before?
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 9 months ago
Mon Feb 16 2009 17:54:37
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I found out there are 3 methods of treating bedbugs:
1) Freeze technology (Cryonite)
2) Steam cleaning
3) Conventional Spray
I heard of this company that uses freeze technology versus regular spraying. The lady on the phone explained to me that Cryonite kills bedbugs and their eggs by freezing them with dry ice without the use of pesticides or chemicals. This method sounds very interesting to me but I have read mixed reviews of this approach. The treatment is pricy but I think I am going to give it a try since it is eco-friendly and I don’t have to worry about inhaling harmful chemicals after the treatment.
Has anyone tried Cryonite before?
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senior member
Joined: Mar '08
Posts: 596
Posted 9 months ago
Mon Feb 16 2009 18:17:28
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Cryonite is a tool in the fight against bed bugs. Nothing else. That alone along with steam is not going eliminate a bed bug infestation in most all cases. I'm sure they are going to use pesticide products as well. That leaves many other questions as well. I don't use cryonite because of my feelings about it. I will use steam because I feel it is better then cryonite but I would be kidding myself and my clients if I told them we could do this without chemicals. Picking the right products to use and using them effectively and properly will be your best option. Be careful who you choose and what methods they try and sell you. Any company can sell a job ... few are good at solving the problem. Do your homework before you decide. Best of luck. KQ
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buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 9 months ago
Mon Feb 16 2009 18:40:21
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I don't think we've had anyone on the boards in the time that I've been here who has had a successful treatment with cryonite.
If you're looking into options that involve less exposure to chemical pesticides, you might consider looking into thermal remediation. Thermal treatment is a professional pest control option that involves PCOs coming in and setting up heaters to raise the temperature of every place within the structure being treated to over the bugs' thermal death point.
I had a thermal treatment in June, and it cleared the bugs up in one treatment without having to use myself as bait.
Type the word thermal into the box below, and you should find the posts on that method.
There are some issues with it, including the fact that finding providers in the NYC area can be problematic, and if you're not in a single-family home, it may not be effective if you're getting infested from neighboring units, but I would choose thermal over Cryonite any day.
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your host
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Posted 9 months ago
Mon Feb 16 2009 21:57:40
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Here are past discussions about Cryonite.
Your list does indeed leave out thermal treatments and vikane gas.If you describe your living situation (single family house, apartment in building, etc.), people can comment more on relative appropriateness.
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Bud33prono
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 4
Posted 9 months ago
Wed Feb 18 2009 0:11:19
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I heard a lot about Cryonite and was advised not to try this method by my brother-in-law who used to work for a pest control company. This method is expensive and it doesn't work that well. Cryonite alone will not kill bedbugs. You still need pesticide.
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senior member
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Posts: 596
Posted 9 months ago
Wed Feb 18 2009 0:20:01
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Yeah .. You know I try my hardest to be professional on here and not trash other companies who use this .. But if I’m politically correct people get shafted into glitzy websites or nice yellow page ads. Sooo here goes.. Useless!!Garbage! Marketing Scam! And I'll tell you I have done more than my share of treatments after these companies have failed with all their nonsense sales pitches. Don't forget to buy the vacuum and pesticide products from the other crooks who want you treating the bed bugs while they’re gone! SICKNING!!!!! Ok I’m done. Back to Mr. Nice guy =)
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ssayles
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Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 9 months ago
Wed Feb 18 2009 11:29:06
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The bedbugs were driving me crazy and I couldn't handle the mentally stress of getting attacked by these nasty creatures anymore. My landlord stopped answering my phone calls and emails. I couldn't wait any longer. I hired this company that used Cryonite and pesticide to treat only my room yesterday morning. I also paid an insane amount of money out of my pocket for this treatment. I had the treatment yesterday morning and I woke up with multiple bedbugs bites this morning. I am really upset!!! I should have read everyone's comments about this method before paying for it. I feel misled by their representative that claimed that this technology is able to freeze the bedbugs and their eggs and little to no pesticide is needed for this approach. I phoned them and they explained that there is no guarantee and that I should have treated all the rooms and not just mine. Now the thing is, I did pay extra to have their dog inspect the entire apartment and the dog did not detect signs in the other rooms and only my room and specifically my mattress, sofa and closet. They insist that I need to wait for the pesticide to work. Now If I wait for the “pesticide” to work, why did I pay so much for the “freeze technology” or “Cryonite”? They said if I wanted them to come out again, they will give me a discount for another dog inspection and treatment. At this point, I can’t afford another treatment and have to wait a few more days to see if it will get better. Am I overreacting?
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bedbugdude
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Posted 9 months ago
Wed Feb 18 2009 16:22:27
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I gotta ask. How much did they charge you for that one room? How much time was spent on treatment? What chemical was used for the chemical treatment in the coventional spray? Is only one treatment in the contract? Did they actually find a live bed bug after, during treament? Did they toss mattress covers in the cost?
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 9 months ago
Thu Feb 19 2009 23:31:15
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They charged me $500 to treat my bedroom that did not include the inspection fee. The technician who came to my apartment spent about an hour for the treatment. He sprayed some chemicals along the walls. I have no idea what chemicals were used during the treatment. He also found a live bedbug and a bedbug shell at the corner of my bed frame before he started the treatment. The mattress cover was not included in the cost of the treatment. I had to pay extra for that. I am still upset that I still have bedbugs after the pricy Cryonite treatment. Some companies that use pesticides do a few treatments in order to get rid of the bedbugs completely. My bedbug problem has not been solved. I’ve gotten several new bites this morning. At this point, I am looking to move out unless my landlord is willing to hire someone else. I do not want to waste anymore of my own money on treatments that will not work. I felt cheated by this company and will not recommend cryonite to anyone.
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senior member
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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Feb 19 2009 23:45:42
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Before you go jumping ship I would wait and see how the treatment will go. Some products used in bed bug work have slow active ingredients. That being said, you could still get bites for weeks and the treatment is still working or will work. You have to allow for time to pass and bugs to come out of harborage that the cryonite did not get into. That is the reason for chemicals. I'm sure a residual insecticide has been used. Let's hope it's effective.
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 9 months ago
Fri Feb 20 2009 21:24:43
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I will wait for a few more days and since I have no other choice. I am trying to be patient and clean up my room as hard as I can. I can't wait to have a good night sleep without worrying about bedbugs. I will keep everyone posted of my nightmare situation. This forum is very informative and the users are very helpful. Thank you!
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 8 months ago
Thu Feb 26 2009 20:08:35
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It has been a week since I had the Cryonite treatment. My bedbug problem has not been solved yet. I wake up with multiple bedbug bites almost every morning. I constantly wake up earlier than usual due to the unbearable itch. Apparently Cryonite does not work at all. The company I hired advertised on the television before. I will leave out the name of the company. I am still upset that the pricy treatment couldn’t solve my problem. On top of the cost of the treatment, I have to spend so much money on laundry. I have wasted a lot of money, time and energy on this nightmare situation. I will not recommend Cryonite to anyone in the future. Bedbug Victims should do more research before deciding on which company to hire and what method to use before they go ahead and pay for it. I am glad that my landlord has finally come to his senses of paying for the next service. I am currently doing research on which company to hire. I do not want my landlord to end up hiring a company that does not do a good job. I am more careful after this bad experience. Any recommendations would be helpful. Thank you in advance.
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JimmyChanga
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Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 54
Posted 8 months ago
Fri Feb 27 2009 0:30:00
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where do you live, ssayles?
it took me a LONG time to find someone competent in atlanta, but basically i called each and every pest control place I could find... i spent a few days just making calls! I had a script I would read, full of questions to "test" them, to see if they know their stuff. It's not easy, and you have to learn a lot about the bugs yourself, so that you can detect when someone is BS-ing or doesn't really have much experience with them.
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 8 months ago
Sat Feb 28 2009 10:20:04
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Thanks for sharing the tips. I live in Queens, NYC. So far I have called 3 pest control companies. None of them sound competent or seem to really care. I will start researching to find the right company. Can anyone recommend a reputable exterminator that specializes in treating bedbugs? Thanks in advance!
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senior member
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Posted 8 months ago
Sat Feb 28 2009 11:13:42
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ssayles - 52 minutes ago »
Thanks for sharing the tips. I live in Queens, NYC. So far I have called 3 pest control companies. None of them sound competent or seem to really care. I will start researching to find the right company. Can anyone recommend a reputable exterminator that specializes in treating bedbugs? Thanks in advance!Am I allowed to answer this one Nobugs?
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junior member
Joined: Oct '08
Posts: 88
Posted 8 months ago
Sat Feb 28 2009 22:11:23
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I'd also have to add that remember, follow-up treatmens are necessary for lots of reasons having to do with this bugs biology and behavior. Now I know KQ is going to argue a little about how many treatments it typically takes to rid an apartment of bed bugs, but depending on the level of infestation you could be looking at between 3-6 treatments before the bugs are gone.
The reason I said what I said about KQ is that I know he's more focused on spending a lot of time on the initial service trying to find every last bug. Other good companies try to get as many as they can within a reasonable time frame (say 2 hours) and then let the bugs biology work against it (having to come to the bed to get food). Both approaches work and it's more about money and time in regards to the approach. The all in one approach can be expensive while the let the bugs work against itself can be a little less expensive but again, it's all depending on infestation level.
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Adele
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Joined: May '08
Posts: 556
Posted 8 months ago
Mon Mar 2 2009 22:20:18
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SSayles - there are more and more PCO's on this board now - and I've hired or been in contact with many of them as I had a very severe infestation
I can recommend KillerQueen - as he helped me to finally rid me of my infestation
talk to him and see what he can do
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Mar 4 2009 20:48:50
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Thank you, Adele! I will call Killer Queen tomorrow. So far I have called Magic, M&M and Pest Away.
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Bud33prono
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Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 4
Posted 8 months ago
Wed Mar 11 2009 17:31:44
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You should also call M &M Pest Control. I found them in Time Out New York and their people seem very knowledgeable.They solve our problem after a few treatment. You can also try Bug Off in Manhattan. I thought both sound good on the phone but M & M were eco-friendly. I am very happy with my decision.
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My name is Ella and I am the Account Executive for Stern Environmental Group in N.J. I speak and deal with thousands of people experiencing bedbugs on a daily basis. I will say this (and this is not a sales tactic), Cryonite works beautifully when the tenant prepares properly and the technician knows what he's doing. Stern has a huge success rate of eradicating bedbugs. When we do have to go back for follow ups, it is usually because the tenant(s) did not follow our directions in preparing or a deeply infestated item was not thrown out. Many of our customers have used other methods and then turned to us to eliminate the bedbugs. Our initial visit includes a full vaccuuming of all furniture pieces, cracks & crevices, moldings and window sills (in all the bedrooms and living room). Then we do the cryonite treatment. This too is harmlessly applied on all furniture pieces, cracks & crevices, moldings, window sills, laptops, computers, t.v.'s, all other electronic equipment, etc... Then we do apply a pesticide to leave behind as a residual. About one week later, we return to do another cryonite and pesticide treatment. A 2 month guarantee is then provided to each customer. We also at the customers request swap out the pesticide for organic chemicals, which are really not chemicals (it's mineral oils, not as effective as a pesticide for obvious reasons). I work very closely with each and every customer to insure that they know exactly how to prepare and what we will do for them.
I understand the havoc and termoil that these bugs cause, especially in this financial nightmare that we are in.
For further information, free to contact me at 1-888-88STERN EXT:211.
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 12 2009 18:23:58
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Ella,
Thank you very much and I agree with you that proper preparation is important but I can assure you that I prepared for two straight days. I did not sleep for 48 hours and followed all the instructions. Even the exterminator commended my preparation. I appreciate your comments but you are not objective. Thank you!
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 5,547
Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 12 2009 18:40:39
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KillerQueen - 1 week ago »
ssayles - 52 minutes ago
Am I allowed to answer this one Nobugs?Sorry, KillerQueen.
Plenty of reviews of you exist on the site but it's not kosher to recommend yourself. I see someone else has below.
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 5,547
Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 12 2009 18:43:48
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ssayles - 17 minutes ago »
Ella,
Thank you very much and I agree with you that proper preparation is important but I can assure you that I prepared for two straight days. I did not sleep for 48 hours and followed all the instructions. Even the exterminator commended my preparation. I appreciate your comments but you are not objective. Thank you!ssayles,
Cryonite would not personally be my first choice. I pointed above to other reviews people have written here about their experiences with it.
I do want to point out that some people posting here have needed multiple treatments with Cryonite, but if I had already paid for the treatment, I would get the company who did it out to re-treat and make it good. Some firms have multiple methods they can employ. I am not sure if you used Stern (since I understand at least one other company in the area is using this technology), but if they did the initial treatment, I would certainly ask them to come back and solve your problem.
I should add that sometimes companies may think they are very successful because instead of calling them in to re-treat, customers move right away to someone else.
Unless you're using thermal or vikane, retreatment is often needed.
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We didn't have a positive experience with cryonite and I caution others exposed to bugs to do the same. Locally cryonite is available via Termenix. They call it "Rapid Freeze."
The treatment is was only effective in reaching the bugs at the surface that we could see. With nymphs or eggs nestled in cracks or crevices, it was unsuccessful reaching. While some of the bugs died, within ten to fourteen days we were right back where we started.
Sandy
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senior member
Joined: Mar '08
Posts: 596
Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 12 2009 23:26:30
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Nobugsonme - 4 hours ago »
KillerQueen - 1 week ago »
ssayles - 52 minutes ago
Am I allowed to answer this one Nobugs?It's not kosher to recommend yourself.
lol .. now why would you think I would do such a thing? I was talking about my top 3 picks =) Kidding!
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 8 months ago
Fri Mar 13 2009 19:13:39
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Nobugsonme,
As I mentioned 3 weeks ago, I phoned that company that did the Cryonite treatment for my room. They explained to me that there was no guarantee for the treatment and if I wanted them to come back for a re-treat, they would give me a discount for another treatment. My bad experience with Cryonite has made me reluctant to spend any more money toward it. Fortunately, my landlord has decided to pay for the next service. I am still doing an extensive research on which company to hire and have narrowed down to two companies. My landlord will pay for one company only. Therefore, I have to make sure that I choose the best company. I am tired and want this nightmare to be over. Thanks everyone for replying to my posts. I will keep everyone updated.
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 5,547
Posted 8 months ago
Tue Mar 17 2009 18:41:41
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ssayles - 3 days ago »
Nobugsonme,
As I mentioned 3 weeks ago, I phoned that company that did the Cryonite treatment for my room. They explained to me that there was no guarantee for the treatment and if I wanted them to come back for a re-treat, they would give me a discount for another treatment. My bad experience with Cryonite has made me reluctant to spend any more money toward it.Sorry I misunderstood that.
I am surprised a company is offering Cryonite as a one-off deal with no follow-ups or guarantees. Can you tell us which company this is?
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 8 months ago
Sun Mar 22 2009 11:00:44
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Bell Environmental
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senior member
Joined: Mar '08
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Posted 8 months ago
Sun Mar 22 2009 12:14:27
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I just completed a 3 bedroom treatment yesterday after being called in to eradicate a bed bugs problem. These people used CRY-O-NITE first ... and what do you know... after a few minutes of looking around, I find bed bug eggs and immature in the same areas. Makes me wanna CRY. I don't think they stood a chance after steaming the room with 300 degrees of blazing hot dry vapor steam.
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your host
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Posted 8 months ago
Mon Mar 23 2009 18:09:08
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ssayles - 1 day ago »
Bell EnvironmentalThanks.
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ssayles.
newbite
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Posts: 1
Posted 7 months ago
Mon Mar 30 2009 18:32:28
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It has been a month since I had Cryonite treatment. After an extensive research, I decided to hire a company that has excellent review and experience. They were very knowledgeable and professional. I really hope it will work out as this will be the only time my landlord is going to pay for this multi-part service. I will update everyone after the treatment. Thanks!
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your host
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Posted 7 months ago
Mon Mar 30 2009 19:12:31
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sayles,
Is there a reason you are not logging into your OLD account? Keeping the same user account is helpful to you and others (access for you to PMs, access for you and others to your old posts linked from your username).
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ssayles
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Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 7 months ago
Mon Mar 30 2009 20:12:29
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I couldn't log in to my account earlier. That was why I used a different account. Now, everything is okay. Thanks!
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your host
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Posted 7 months ago
Mon Mar 30 2009 22:06:04
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Did you clear your cookies? :-)
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ssayles
newbite
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Posted 7 months ago
Mon Mar 30 2009 22:57:00
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I just did. Thanks! :)
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your host
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Posted 7 months ago
Mon Mar 30 2009 23:51:30
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People who are not seeing the (pink banner above) about clearing cookies are requesting new passwords and starting new accounts. I just wondered if that was the problem. Thanks!
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ssayles
newbite
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 16
Posted 7 months ago
Thu Apr 2 2009 18:27:43
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I had a bedbug treatment yesterday morning. Everything went well. The technician was professional and friendly. He was able to answer all of my questions. I was very happy with the job he did. So far, I don't have any new bites. It is still too early to tell as the second treatment is not done yet. I will keep everyone updated once the second treatment is done. I will see how good this company is. Hopefully this company won’t disappoint me. Thanks!
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What methods is this one using, ssayles?
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DonnaBellEnvironmental
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Joined: Apr '09
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Posted 7 months ago
Wed Apr 8 2009 7:03:29
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Sayles,
I work for Bell Environmental and we would never say that you needed just one treatment. We always recommend at least two treatments, depending on the infestation of the area. I am the person that you would get on the phone, and I do not remember a time when I have basically told a customer that we were not going to help them. The problem is that you needed to have two treatments, one treatment is just not enough. If you are still having a problem you can call us, and I will see what the situation is. Also, it is very rare for us to treat just the one room. I have looked through our files and I can not find a one bedroom that we treated in Queens in the month of February. Please call me and I am sure we can resolve this. I am at ext. 24. -
Hi Donna,
Somehow I missed this post when it was put up. I appreciate your following up. -
ripoffexterminators
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Joined: Aug '09
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Posted 3 months ago
Sat Aug 1 2009 7:50:13
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Cryonite is a ripoff. Let's just call a spade a spade. I came close to getting suckered myself before I did some more investigation. Stern charges astronomical prices for a method that clearly falls short and leaves the customer with a huge bill and a returning infestation. The cold cannot be relied upon to reach all the bedbugs and eggs. You can't get deep inside a piece of furniture like a couch with cryonite and if you don't get a direct hit what happens is the bedbugs get shocked into hibernation by the cold and come back later on. This Cryonite treatment falls into the category of a certain type of scam I'll call the "magic bullet scam" Bedbugs are a serious problem in which people such as myself have had the experience of seeing traditional pest control methods fail because bed bugs are poison resistant and the person who has them is usually pretty desperate and so the seller offers some kind of exotic "miracle cure". The high price is part of the deception as it gives the potential buyer the impression that because of the high price it must a be a very effective treatment. Expensive but worth it. It's not worth it and at this point with all of the unsatisfied clients posting here and elsewhere it should be painfully obvious that the provider of the service knows full well what they are selling. I am going to write the governor and the state Attorney General about the extermination business and how people are being robbed. The bedbug infestation is the biggest financial windfall in the history of the extermination business and everyone is jumping on board racing to grab their piece of the pie. Problem is many exterminators don't really know how to get rid of them and worse we have the scam artists running amok. Why in a country of laws should an exterminator be allowed to offer an exotic treatment at exhorbitant prices which is not only unproven in the field but has been been actually proven not to work based on the high number of unsuccessful treatments. Local governments have been quick to legislate to assign responsibility to landlords to treat for bedbugs but the actual extermination/pest control industry has been given a free hand and they are ripping people off left and right. I should know it's happened to me more than once.
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DrFrank
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Joined: Jul '09
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Posted 3 months ago
Sat Aug 1 2009 11:10:59
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Can anyone point to a study of the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of the freezing treatment in real-world cases?
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