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Hitchhiker Theory a no go and questions about DVVP
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Ithappenedtwice
newbite
Joined: May '11
Posts: 12offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sun May 22 2011 1:03:11
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PCO came and treated by spraying perimeter of Bedlam around MY room (not the living room or roomates room) and by putting ficam (??) powder in my power outlets. They said if I emptied my drawers they would treat them, but based on the lack of smell in my dresser I think they neglected it. I had all my clothes bagged for the laundry mat but because I am so busy I haven't gotten to washing them yet, however, after what I found tonight I am going to spend all day in the laundry mat tomorrow. I have always kept two under the bed storage containers under my bed, until the treatment and now they are just out in my room - one holds school papers and the other holds summer clothes. I got a top out of the summer clothes container earlier today and saw a BB. I went to put it in a baggie and realized it is dead. I still bagged it though. Needless to say that shoots the hitchhiker theory my landlord and PCO want to stick to out of the water. Now, some questions.
He treated on Tuesday...it has not even been seven days, so how would the bedlam have killed the BB already?
How long does bedlam actually last, my PCO said 4-8 weeks. I read somewhere only about 3.
Can I just buy my own Bedlam and spray the perimeter of my apartment and dresser and use DE to put in my power sockets? He charged me a hundred dollars to do that.
I'm really worried about my couch and living room, how can I treat a couch?
I have read about DVVP on here and it seems there is a little debate around the product. I would like to use it on my books and in my closet. How would I go about doing that exactly? How do you seal off a closet? My PCO said I didn't have to waste all my money at the laundry mat, I could just use DVVP.....
Also, one of the climb ups they supplied my with broke, WTF? What do I do about that, just get a new one?
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buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 2,440offline
Posted 2 years ago
Mon May 23 2011 13:12:53
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While using DDVP on books is a possibility, you absolutely MUST not use it on your closet.
If you read the label for DDVP strips, you'll note that the chemical they use is not labeled for use in "occupied structures."
DDVP strips offgas a chemical. In fact, it's an organophosphate. Organophosphate poisoning isn't something that's healthy for living things (hence, why we use it to kill bugs).
DDVP strips are labeled for use in unoccupied buildings--like a shed in your backyard that no one lives in or a detached garage that no one lives in.
Since it's a gas, if you try to put it in your closet, then the gas will seep into not only your apartment, but possibly an adjacent apartment.
Even if you know the signs of organophosphate poisoning, you won't be telling all adjacent neighbors--next door, above and below--and above and below next doors--what you're doing.
Making a whole closet air tight enough to seal the strips in there is next to impossible.
While before, without being able to inspect your place, I wasn't sure what to say about the PCO, now I am. Unless you're misunderstanding what he says, the guy is giving you lousy advice. If he's suggesting that you put a DDVP strip up in your closet, I wouldn't trust anything else he says.
Some people have used DDVP strips to treat clothing that cannot be washed (leather shoes, jackets, purses--dry clean only items), but you don't just put DDVP in a closet.
Some PCOs suggest sealing up DDVP strips in plastic bags with such items. I'm okay with people choosing to do that, but I strongly advise anyone who chooses that as a means of treatment to be as safe as possible when doing so:
1. If you opt to use DDVP as part of your treatment, it's important to understand how DDVP works. Since the strips off gas a chemical that can be dangerous to peoples' health, the items sealed up with DDVP need to be as air tight as possible. Since air tight is almost impossible, the containers that are nearly air tight MUST be stored in unoccupied structures.
2. I'm not a big fan of using plastic bags as the only line of defense against air tightness. A mouse could chew a hole in a plastic bag, letting the gas out. If it's stored somewhere that is occupied, you have a problem . The bag could also tear. For that reason, plastic bags alone seem risky.
3. The people who understand the science better than I do will debate about how much air circulation you need going on inside those containers. I don't understand that part, but people planning to use DDVP strips should read the posts on that so that they can make informed decisions for themselves about how effective this method is.
4. Using DDVP strips anywhere where the gas could leak into other people's occupied structures is a big no no--hence, my objection to trying to wall off a closet and put a DDVP strip in it. Some people are much more sensitive to chemicals than others; you may be fine in your apartment, but a neighbor who is more sensitive who doesn't know you're playing around with organophosphates could be getting a much more dangerous-to-them dose.
Organophosphates are very nearly illegal overall in the US for residential use. They can be a useful took against bed bugs; I'd hate to see careless use get the last one we've got outlawed, and I never want to see anyone's life or health put in danger by careless or bad advice from professionals or amateurs.
If your PCO was that nonchalant about DDVP strips, I would not trust his advice at all.
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