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Idea for treatment with boiling water

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TXbedbugger

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Posted 9 months ago
Wed Aug 1 2012 13:17:23
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Was reading Potter's "History of Bed Bug Management" and this passage made me think:

Wealthy households with an abundance of domestic help discovered that
bed bugs could be kept in check with vigorous housecleaning, espe-
cially in respect to beds. Washing bedding, breaking down beds, and
dousing the slats, springs, and crevices with boiling water or grease
from salt pork or bacon proved helpful. Another benefit from such
efforts was detection of infestations in their more manageable initial
stages.

Is this a treatment that people with limited means could do? Break the bed apart, vaccum any harborages (with a nylon wrappered around the attachment) and then with boiling water from an electric kettle get all the crevices on the bed where they may be hiding. Then follow it up by drying everything with a blow dryer.
batbugger

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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 2 2012 13:20:47
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I guess that might lower the numbers a little, but why would you want to go through all that trouble? Getting everything wet, and the grease thing that just sounds gross. I think there are much better ways even if you are on a tight budget. Even just using the hair dryer sounds better then boiling water and the grease.
cilecto

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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 2 2012 14:14:06
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What you are decribing can be labeled "integrated pest management". It's not "off the mark", but it takes diligence.

It would depend on the heat source being hot enough. Whether the surface you're treating can "take" the heat (from water, steam, or whatever your source) with an acceptable level of damage and that you have a way of drying the item without causing mold. You'll probably need to back up your attack with something that has residual action (chemicals and/or dusts), unless you identify and eradicate every harborage, every bug, every egg.

A comprehensive guide, like this one, is handy for a solid understanding of bed bugs and various approaches to detection and eradication, including heat.

Note that in some cities, it's a landlord's responsibility to provide pest control, regardless of how poor the tenant is.
bed-bugscouk

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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 2 2012 14:20:20
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Hi,

The bit you are missing is that you are quoting from the 1800's and their methods.

Although a lot of that good sense still applies it is far from a solution unless you can:
- Come up with a good way of communicating that simply to people
- Come up with a good way of ensuring people do that
The first I have cracked, the second is the main reason for repeat visits.

We can learn a lot from the past and history, some of which is reflected in Prof Potters article but it is by no means complete. I have over the years researched and collected a massive amount of bedbug related material including some books so obscure they were only printed in small batches. They give some good insight and good ideas but non of the elements I use in my most efficient treatments were available back then.

Although there is a lot of focus on how to treat bedbugs that stance is very much akin to shutting the stable door long after the horse has left the stable yard, paddock and competed in the equestrian event (silver for team GB).

You also need to consider that given that the bedbug issue has been huge media since 2007 and thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people are working on the issue that if there was a simple solution it would be out there by now because so much has been tried already.

David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited
Nobugsonme

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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 2 2012 17:09:29
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TXbedbugger - 1 day ago »
Washing bedding, breaking down beds, and
dousing the slats, springs, and crevices with boiling water or grease
from salt pork or bacon proved helpful.

Bacon grease. There's an idea!
cilecto

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Posted 9 months ago
Thu Aug 2 2012 17:52:53
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Probably holds heat longer than water and clings. The odor would get old pretty quick.