Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Bed Bug Treatment
More Packtite Questions
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kpabarue
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Feb 6 2009 19:31:21
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So, my Packtite just came in the mail yesterday, and I'm super excited about it. I just had some questions, and I was wondering if anyone around could answer them...
Firstly, should I just put it on the floor when I use it? Maybe I'm being silly, but I've been paranoid about things on the floor these days. Is there a concern about bugs infesting the oustide of the packtite? Do I just inspect it before you put it away?
Secondly, has anyone baked stuffed animals? I know, I know, I'm 23 years old. But my bf made me a stuffed penguin for my birthday, that resided on the bed I found the bugs. He's been in isolation, but I'd love to put him in. He's not huge, but he is pretty fat. The only thing is, I can't put the thermometer inside of him to check that his insides are getting to the temp. Has anyone done stuffed animals? What do you think? Should I just keep him sealed for 18 mo.?
Lastly, do I just leave the stuff in the bags (assuming that I put them in with the bags) after I cook them? Part of me feels weird about this- if there ARE bugs in there and they are baked, should I shake them out, or something (I'm mostly thinking about my shoes right now...)?
Any Packtite advice would be super!
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Feb 6 2009 19:56:31
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For your first question, if you are worried about the outside of the unit being infested, you can remove the internal frame and put the canvas bag part in a dryer.
We have had people treat their stuffed animals, but without minor surgery I can't think of a way to get the thermometer inside.
For the third question are you talking about ziplocs or some other kind of bag?
I would be interested in hearing from any of our customers concerning what exactly they have been treating in the their packtite.
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kpabarue
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Feb 6 2009 19:59:11
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Awesome! I'm glad to hear about the outside. In terms of the animal, that's what I figured... I think I'll leave him in isolation until my bf is back (he's in London for the year), do some surgery, and then let him stitch him up.
For the third question, I am talking about ziplocs.
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Overwhelmed
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Posted 9 months ago
Fri Feb 6 2009 21:58:31
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djames1921 - 1 hour ago »
I would be interested in hearing from any of our customers concerning what exactly they have been treating in the their packtite.I've treated a pretty wide variety of stuff: purses, books, shoes, mail I need to send to my roommate who is away at grad school, the footstool and removable seat of an armchair that lives in my bedroom, the carpet attachment to my vacuum, the wood-framed mirror that hung on a wall near my bed . . .
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kpabarue
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Posted 9 months ago
Sat Feb 7 2009 1:54:20
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I've treated a pretty wide variety of stuff: purses, books, shoes, mail I need to send to my roommate who is away at grad school, the footstool and removable seat of an armchair that lives in my bedroom, the carpet attachment to my vacuum, the wood-framed mirror that hung on a wall near my bed . . .
Were your purses and shoes leather, by any chance? I have some leather things I want to try in there...
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Overwhelmed
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Posted 9 months ago
Sat Feb 7 2009 12:04:26
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kpabarue - 10 hours ago »
Were your purses and shoes leather, by any chance? I have some leather things I want to try in there...
Indeed they were. It's not something I would want to put them through on a regular basis because I'm sure it's not good for them, but they all came through it just fine.
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Posted 9 months ago
Sat Feb 7 2009 21:07:51
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I just checked inventory, we have plenty.
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kpabarue
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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Feb 8 2009 21:32:55
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I just sent the following message to the contact on the site, but I thought I'd post it here, too, in case people know...
I tried out my Packtite tonight! I put in a plastic bag (Ziploc) with 4 sweatshirts in it and put the probe in the middle of one of the shirts. After 2.5 hours, the thermometer only read 87.4. I realized that it was set on "In" as opposed to "Out." When I switched it to "Out" it says it was up to 114.1 degrees, which makes more sense. However, I can't, for the life of me, find the directions for the thermometer. Should it be on "In" or "Out" when it is measuring?
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djames1921 - 2 days ago »
For your first question, if you are worried about the outside of the unit being infested, you can remove the internal frame and put the canvas bag part in a dryer.Thanks David!
I am also interested in hearing user's experiences.
From interacting with David, it seems like the units were originally designed for people who did not have bed bug infestations to prevent them by de-bugging luggage after a trip.
From what I understand, it was quickly realized that people with bed bugs have lots more uses for this product.
I can't personally speak to the times needed to debug particular items, but we know from the use of dryers that a longer period of time is needed for items that are thicker (comforters, stuffed animals, pillows) rather than thin (socks, t-shirts). David, would you adjust the time used for different items in the Packtite, or is it pretty much a four-hour thing, no matter how dense materials are, or how closely packed?
Thanks again. I want to say how much I appreciate your participation here.
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Overwhelmed
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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Feb 8 2009 22:47:46
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kpabarue - 1 hour ago »
However, I can't, for the life of me, find the directions for the thermometer. Should it be on "In" or "Out" when it is measuring?Out. That's what gives you the temperature for the probe.
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kpabarue
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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Feb 8 2009 22:53:27
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Out. That's what gives you the temperature for the probe.
Thanks! I figured that out. The next problem is that I realized there is a small hole in the fabric in one of the bottom corners! It's not on the seam, but rather in the fabric itself. It looks like that area was worn thin. This is the first time that I've used it and it came straight out of the box! All that I put in there was a bag of sweatshirts that were already decontaminated (I wanted to test it out to see how it worked before I tried it on stuff that I hadn't de-bugged). What should I do about this hole? Oh no! My PackTite!
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Adele
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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Feb 8 2009 23:40:11
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Nobugs - I'm sure David will give you his answer to your question as the manufacturer but I can also give you my observation as well - I've been using my unit a lot to disinfect stuff for weeks now
From my usage - my unit get very hot - the hottest that i've clocked it at is 152F - although I'm sure it can get much hotter than that
From my observation - it really does matter quite a bit as to WHAT you are disinfecting as to how long to let it run and how hot to let it get.
For examples - when I put loosely packed boxes of paper that I thought may be infested into the packtite - I really only had to let it run for a couple of hours and let it get to 135 or so and then shut it off and let it cool down completely - that did the trick and I had no problems with the papers afterwards
However a couple of months ago when I pulled out my big heavy winter boots and put them on I was bitten right away and I knew they were still infested
i put them along with the other shoes in the closet into the packtite for treatment and again let it run a couple of hours at 135F then let the unit cool down
This may have been enough for the other shoes which I do not know if they were infested or not but they were lighter and smaller - but when I put the boots on and wore them - I was still bitten.
now these boots were bit and had heavy leather and were thickly insulated
so I put them in the unit alone and let the unit run the full length of time and get very hot. I pulled the boots out the next day after they had cooled down and I had no trouble with them at all. This was over 6 weeks ago and I have had no trouble with them since
So I can only assume that with very thick and heavy items or very densely packed items like suitcases that these items may need more time than the 4 hours at full temps. I have been disinfecting large bags of pillows and blankets and have let them run in the unit for 4 hours twice - after a cooldown of 1 day
The other thing that I've used it for - and mind you DAvid james & Co does not recommend this - but my printer was very infested from my other apartment.
I took out the printer cartridges and treated it in the unit and it has been working perfectly and I've had no trouble with anything at all. In that case I treated it twice but I only let the unit get to about 135 (took a couple of hours)
please note that I treated the printer at my own risk knowing that if it was ruined that I would buy another one anyway - but it works perfectly
hope this helps
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MyWorstFear
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Posted 9 months ago
Sun Feb 8 2009 23:58:00
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Just wanted to add something I discovered regarding the Packtite. We kept all our suitcases in the garage when we returned from a trip and it got rather cold in there. When I would bring a suitcase in to treat it in the Packtite (David had told me not to use the Packtite in my garage, and I fully understand now why he said this)the temperature probe said 44 degrees. The suitcase still had clothes, and some other items in it, and it took 2 cycles to reach "killing temperature".
Another interesting tidbit. You know the heavy plastic zip bags that comforters come in? I had treated the comforter but wanted to store it in the original plastic zip bag it had come in, (not ziplocks) so I treated the plastic bag. It got very hot and very soft and limp, although it did not melt. The next day, to my surprise, the bag was back to its old self, thick like when I bought the comforter, and not limp at all. -
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Posted 9 months ago
Tue Feb 10 2009 1:01:55
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These are all great posts! Kpabarue, I'm assuming you got the response from us that a new outer shell is on the way. Sorry about that it might have gotten damaged in shipping. One thing that newer units are being equiped with is a simple warning strip about 2 inches from the end of either side of the shelf. This area should be kept clear for adequate ventilation as it is not only the heat generation in the unit but the circulation that effects the heating times. This unit is definelty not meant to be stuffed to the point that items touch the outer shell as this does not allow for enough air flow and may trigger a safety mechanism and shut the unit down. Treatment times will vary depending on what is put inside buy most things and combinations of things we have tried including stuffed suitcases have reached killing temps in that 4 hour range. Denser, insulated items could take longer and may need to be rerun. I must admit that is the main reason I asked for input for what people are putting inside. We tested the unit with many common items, but obviously we couldn't test everything. Anyone else with things that have been treated? The weirder the better.
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Posted 9 months ago
Tue Feb 10 2009 1:02:51
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Love my spelling, I should be in bed by now........
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OutOutDarnBugs
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Posted 8 months ago
Sun Mar 1 2009 13:00:45
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Even more questions!
Pillows in packtite: How can you monitor how hot they get? I see it advertised that you can put your pillow in, but I'm not sure where to put the temp. probe to test the heat factor? Note, this are not down pillows, but synthetic filled (although fairly thick)... does that make a difference?
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Posted 8 months ago
Sun Mar 1 2009 18:21:17
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If there is no way to get the probe into the center of the pillow, you may have to make a small entry hole for the probe. If that is not possible, I would treat one or two pillows at a time and run it for the full four hours. Remember to leave ventilation space at the ends of the bottom rack.
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lynnee82
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Posted 8 months ago
Sun Mar 1 2009 18:45:31
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I know this is not recommended, and I did it at my own risk, but I put my laptop in the packtite. I put the probe in the laptop cd player, and heated it for 2 hours. This was 3 weeks ago, and it is still working perfectly. I also put my Tivo, remote controls, zip lock bags, bedside lamp, cell phone, lcd computer monitor and watch in at different times. All still work perfectly. My husband is now going through his tools and putting them in the packtite. I love the packtite!
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aballen
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Posted 8 months ago
Sun Mar 1 2009 18:47:24
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Can you put electronics in the unit? Computers? WE take a laptop on trips and hubby uses upside down can of air to blow it/freeze, but I am not convinced this is a throrough method as it does not get into every nook and cranny.
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lynnee82
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Posted 8 months ago
Sun Mar 1 2009 18:55:58
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The packtite company does not recommend putting electronics in the unit, but we were desperate. I was willing to take the risk, because I would have thrown the laptop away if I could not clean it.
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OutOutDarnBugs
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Posted 8 months ago
Sun Mar 1 2009 19:52:01
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djames1921 - 1 hour ago »
If there is no way to get the probe into the center of the pillow, you may have to make a small entry hole for the probe. If that is not possible, I would treat one or two pillows at a time and run it for the full four hours. Remember to leave ventilation space at the ends of the bottom rack.Hm. Maybe time for some pillow surgery...
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Adele
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Posted 8 months ago
Mon Mar 2 2009 23:26:49
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I put my printer into the Packtite (after I removed the ink cartrisges) and it came out fine and works perfectly
Just note that the manufacturer (DAvid James) specifically does not recommend using the Pakctite for electronics - so i think you do so at your own risk
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spideyjg
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Posted 8 months ago
Tue Mar 3 2009 2:25:30
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aballen - 1 day ago »
Can you put electronics in the unit? Computers? WE take a laptop on trips and hubby uses upside down can of air to blow it/freeze, but I am not convinced this is a throrough method as it does not get into every nook and cranny.The battery is, when powered off, the most heat sensitive element of a laptop. Very high temps will shorten their life and may kill a marginal one.
Check the owners manual or contact the maker and ask about the maximum storage temperature the device is rated for. If not over 120F the device will suffer damage.
Some and I mean some electronics can be stored in temps up to 140F. Packtite cannot vouch for all electronics so they are going to not recommend it. Even after doing your homework it is still an "at your own risk" thing. Nothing is guaranteed so back up any data on a computer.
Homework can only help you find what should definitely not go into it. Any device going in should be 100% off.
I am not affiliated with Packtite but do work with electronics and would only risk a device that could safely be stored, per the maker, at temps over 120. It is a roll of the dice, period.
Jim
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mangycur
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Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 5 2009 14:06:58
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Djames, I would love it if we could come up with a master list of things to run in a packtite and how long. For example, if I put in a bunch of sweaters, but not packed too tightly, how long would I really need to run them? A full 4 hours or no? This list could be made into an FAQ that you could use to respond to all your customers
Here is a list that I woudl find helpful and I'm sure everyone else would too
--I want to run a load of ziploc big bags. I am not comfortable with just spraying the insides with alcohol because that doesn't kill eggs. So if I were to put a load of just ziplocs in, how long should I run it? I am guessing the temperature will get up to par pretty fast.
--And if I had sprayed them with rubbing alcohol a month ago, should I not put them in the packtite at all, or would they still be flamable?
--lingerie which can't be put in a dryer--how long to run them in a packtite?
--sweaters that can't be put in a dryer--how long to run them
--do leather shoes and purses need a full 4 hours if packed not too tight?
--books? how long?
--a picture inside a wooden frame--full 4 hours?Finally, in response to your question about the weird things we're putting in our packtites, I am putting in yoga props and meditation benches. Which made me think that I am sure there are people out there who have special props for other purposes that they are putting in their packtite, but maybe they don't want to mention it . . .
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mangycur
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Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 5 2009 15:24:59
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Also could I throw in power cords, computer mice, christmas lights? And if so how long?
I am putting my cat's scratching post in for 4 hours--that's another one for your strange items list.
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Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 5 2009 21:13:40
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The master list idea would be nice, but I think there will be just too many variables and might discourage use of the included thermometer to monitor ones progress. We could say x number of hours for sweaters, but the type of sweater, the size of the sweater and how tightly folded etc the sweater was put in would effect treatment time. I would recommend running the thermometer into the center mass of what you are heating and once it hits 120 give it another hour just to be sure. I love the different things you mentioned putting in the unit, who knew bed bugs could be into yoga?
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DeathToBBs
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Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 5 2009 21:28:47
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Won't the ziplocks melt if put into the packtite? Temperature too high? Also, how is the packtite on electricity bill? Is it like running an air conditioner?
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EudoraWelty
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Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 5 2009 21:58:58
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I'm another one who has run laptops through the Packtite without any problems (I removed the battery packs first). My violin and case also withstood 4 hours of bug-scorching heat and came out unscathed. Other than extremely flammable or meltable stuff I'm game to drop just about anything in there ("here kitty kitty kitty" - just kidding!) Picture frames! I left a thermometer in my car last summer and it recorded 120+ (that's as high as it went) for most of the afternoon so you're probably baking a lot of stuff at similar temps and not even realizing it!
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lynnee82
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Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 5 2009 22:15:37
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I put zip lock bags and the thick black trash bags in my packtite regularly, and they come out fine. The cheap white plastic trash bags melt together though.
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MyWorstFear
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Posted 8 months ago
Thu Mar 5 2009 23:22:23
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djames1921 - 2 hours ago »
The master list idea would be nice, but I think there will be just too many variables and might discourage use of the included thermometer to monitor ones progress. We could say x number of hours for sweaters, but the type of sweater, the size of the sweater and how tightly folded etc the sweater was put in would effect treatment time. I would recommend running the thermometer into the center mass of what you are heating and once it hits 120 give it another hour just to be sure. I love the different things you mentioned putting in the unit, who knew bed bugs could be into yoga?Eeeek! An HOUR??? Why oh why was I under the impression that 30 minutes at 120 degrees was enough? Have I been doing this wrong?
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mangycur
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Posted 8 months ago
Fri Mar 6 2009 20:17:17
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yeah, the instructions that come with the packtite say 1 hour at 120, I think for light things. Suitcases I do the full 4 hours
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mangycur
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Posted 8 months ago
Fri Mar 6 2009 20:23:27
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oh and thanks djames, about the 120 for an hour guideline. I think I was also splitting hairs on that list idea. I think bed bugs would be really into meditatation more than yoga--all the blankets and pillows and sitting still is right up their alley.
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your host
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Posted 7 months ago
Sun Mar 29 2009 19:44:14
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(If you want to comment on it, or have suggestions, please do so in the comments the faq itself, so I can make any required changes swiftly.)
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biteme
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Posted 7 months ago
Mon Mar 30 2009 9:14:30
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did you shampoo the cat scratch post then put in sauna cos I have an infared sauna and it never occured 2 me 2 use for bedbugs..Im still overrun 8 mo later
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Posted 7 months ago
Mon Mar 30 2009 12:56:19
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Hi biteme,
We're actually talking about the packtite (product in orange banner ad below).
My previous post links to a FAQ about it.
I don't think anyone here can make a recommendation about your sauna, though it may be useful, you'd want to think carefully about how you did it.
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surrounded
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Posted 4 months ago
Fri Jul 3 2009 17:48:14
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I am thinking of putting some vintage leather jackets in there, but soaking them in mink oil first. If I really work them over with oil, then bake them, it might protect the leather from drying out. I will try it on some old shoes first and see how that works....
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PleaseDefaceItems
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Posted 4 months ago
Tue Jul 7 2009 20:21:57
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When you run your Packtite, do you get lots of dead bugs at the bottom?
My infestation started a month ago. I run about a dozen clothes items on heavy rotation through the Packtite but so far nothing. Last night, I decided I was strong enough to deal with the rest of my ziplocked stuff and start heating it. Sure enough, my first set of clothes had an adult and I opted to kill it right away. But now I'm wondering about subsequent rounds of items. Will they walk around crazy and fall to the bottom? Will eggs stay attached to items even after they are dead?
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buggyinsocal
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Posted 4 months ago
Tue Jul 7 2009 20:42:15
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I don't have a Packtite.
Somewhere in the fora there's a video of a jar of bed bugs in the Packtite and what they do as the temps heat up, so if you really want to know what exactly the bugs do, you can find that and watch that.
I did have my apartment treated with thermal, and I can tell you that although the eggs were dead, they did not come off the curtains or sheets they were on--even after 4 hours at 140 degree temps. (They did come off in the washer and dryer, however.)
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Posted 4 months ago
Tue Jul 7 2009 22:43:40
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Eggs are very sticky, adults usually will be found dead in the center mass of whatever you are heating as it tends to be the last "cool" place for them to hide, although I have seen them at the bottom as well.
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Badwolf
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Posted 4 months ago
Tue Jul 7 2009 22:50:45
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djames - When treating books in the PackTite, do we need to put the books upright with some space between each book, or can they be placed on their sides, one on top of the other? I have a PackTite and plan to run hundreds of books through the unit in the coming weeks, so I'd like to make sure I do this the right way. Thanks.
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Aris
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Posted 4 months ago
Thu Jul 9 2009 19:55:38
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A question for other PackTite users:
I just received the PackTite today. It has a sweaty gym bag kind of smell. Is this normal?
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SimoneFrank
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Posted 4 months ago
Thu Jul 9 2009 20:22:03
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My packtite has a very bad smell NOW, but it didn' thave one new.
It smells bad now, becaues I baked a bunch of used shoes - mmm..baked foot sweat. ;)I love the packtite. We've had many many things come through unscathes - cameras, ipods, watches, shoes, physical therapy equipment.
One thing though: when we used it on tile, it ran a lot colder than on carpetting or hard wood.
(So if you are using it on tile, I might think about putting a rug under it, or running it longer than 4 hours and/or monitoring temps more carefully.)I also wondered about how long one would have to wait to put something that had been sprayed with 91% alcohol in there - when odes the flammability go down??
-Simone
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Aris
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Posted 4 months ago
Fri Jul 10 2009 15:24:11
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The other question I have is that the instructions describe a green light on the control unit, but I only see a red light on my unit.
Am I supposed to see a green light to tell that it is operating correctly, or does the instruction booklet simply need to be updated to reflect a different model of control unit being used? -
Aris
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Posted 3 months ago
Sat Jul 11 2009 14:34:16
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I asked NorthShoreCare (USbedbugs.com), who sold me the PackTite, about the smell and about the color of the light, and they referred my question to djames.
His response:
"The smell from the bag is from a treatment for the liner that helps make the surface slick so bed bugs cannot climb on it. This odor should dissipate after a few uses. We have a new timer that has an orange light instead of the green one you see."The smell stank up my place for a couple of days, but it does seem to be wearing off.
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plzdontbitemyface
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Posted 3 months ago
Sat Jul 11 2009 20:16:22
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I have a question about the thermometer.
Do you keep the probe in the items the entire time with the reader sticking out? Or do you open it up periodically and put the probe in, check it, then take the probe out? If you leave the probe in the whole time, can't a bb crawl up the cord? It doesn't have that metal strip like the power cord.
Thanks to everyone! You keep me sane :)
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Aris
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Posted 3 months ago
Sat Jul 25 2009 2:48:45
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DeathToBBs - 4 months ago »
how is the packtite on electricity bill? Is it like running an air conditioner?According to readings from my Killowatt electricity usage meter, the PackTite burns approximately 535 - 540 watts while it's running. (For frame of reference, consider the energy used by a common household incandescent lamp at 60 watts - 150 watts; laptop computer 45 watts; microwave oven 1400 watts; desktop computer plus 17" LCD monitor 150 - 250 watts; refrigerator 60 watts average; electric water heater 3800 watts; electric oven 4400 watts; medium to large window-unit air conditioner 900 - 1450 watts -- these are all gross estimates.)
You can calculate the cost per unit of time of energy usage by checking your electric bill for (or asking your electricity provider to tell you) the cost they charge you per kilowatt-hour.
For example, if the electric company charges $0.11/kilowatt-hour and you use the PackTite (running at 540 watts = 0.540 kilowatts) for a total of 8 hours, the cost would be:
(0.540 kilowatts x 8 hours = 4.32 kilowatt-hours) x $0.11/kilowatt-hour
equals $0.48.In other words, at a typical sort of cost for electricity usage (11 cents per kilowatt-hour), you can run the PackTite for 8 hours for about 50 cents. (Assuming I didn't make any calculation errors.)
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bugged58
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Posted 2 months ago
Sat Aug 15 2009 22:08:11
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Adele - 6 months ago » ...when I pulled out my big heavy winter boots and put them on I was bitten right away and I knew they were still infested. i put them along with the other shoes in the closet into the packtite for treatment and again let it run a couple of hours at 135F then let the unit cool down. This may have been enough for the other shoes which I do not know if they were infested or not but they were lighter and smaller - but when I put the boots on and wore them - I was still bitten. now these boots were bit and had heavy leather and were thickly insulated. so I put them in the unit alone and let the unit run the full length of time and get very hot. I pulled the boots out the next day after they had cooled down and I had no trouble with them at all. This was over 6 weeks ago and I have had no trouble with them since...
I found your post very encouraging--because it showed that having a bed bug in your winter boots did not mean that you had bed bugs in other places where you live. I had thermal treatment in 3/09 & it seemed to have been successful. However, since that time I had been bitten a few times & later saw some dark spots on my pillowcase that looked like bed bug fecal spots. I came across one bug which I squished before I could identify it (I wanted to make sure that it did not get away!). However, no bites & no new suspicious spots anywhere for last 2-3 weeks. Today I stripped my bed & checked everywhere--no signs of bed bugs. I had also put out some glue traps at the recommendation of the PCO who did my thermal treatment--nothing in them either. The info that I quoted from your post gave me some re-assurance that even if I did have a bed bug, it does not necessarily mean that there are any more bed bugs in my place. I was thinking that maybe I had one bed bug or, if more than one, they were all males or all females, so no new bed bugs were being produced. I will continue to watch & will put out more glue traps. I am also considering using DE as a preventive measure.
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jkim
newbite
Joined: Apr '09
Posts: 14
Posted 2 months ago
Fri Aug 28 2009 15:22:35
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I just purchased a packtite through this site! I am moving on Monday 8/31, so I want to get everything heated and "sanitized"before I move into my new BB free home. I noticed the instructions say I must not let anything touch the heating unit. does that mean I have even less room to place stuff on the steel rack besides the 2 inch off limits side ends? A bit confused because the heating unit is adjacent to the rack and it is inevitable to have my stuff touching the unit if I place something on the rack. does this make sense to anybody?
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