Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tools/ideas for fighting bed bugs
Moving with bed bugs
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buggedoutSD
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 2
Posted 7 months ago
Sat Jul 25 2009 5:08:19
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After 4 unsuccessful treatments with my PCO (they used Phantom and Suspend), I have decided to move out of my apartment.
-I dry cleaned and laundered all clothes.
-All shoes were placed in plastic storage bins. Tape was used to seal edges. Each box has more than 5 mothballs and will be placed in the sun for 10 days. Is it safe to use the mothballs on all shoes if I give it enough time to air out? And has anyone been unsuccessful in using mothballs on items placed in the sun for a few days? I am planning on using this method for all my books, papers, bags and purses.
-I dont want to take any risks with my equipment and infesting my new place. I have a couple of computers and professional camera equipment. Will the mothball method work if i dont place those items in the sun? Heat will definitely ruin the equipment and I cannot afford to replace it or seal it up for 18 months.
PCO said that he does not see any bugs or eggs on my bed frame but it just seems too risky to just move to my new place. Any recommendations on making sure bed frame is ok?
I appreciate any advice on this!
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Mothballs may damage some materials, but should be lethal for any remaining bed bugs.
Avoid prolonged exposure to the fumes.
Here is a link to a previous discussion about mothballs
http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/moth-balls-in-air-sealed-bags-as-treatment#post-33688The corrosive effects are dose / exposure related.... Shorter treatment times might be better for sensitive items... I remember reading an article that said mothballs could affect some plastic items like buttons ... I would speculate that solar heating of the contents might increase that effect, but I have no experience with using mothballs to decon shoes.
A NYC entomologist told me that a 48 hour treatment time will work on loosely packed items in a garbage bag. He did a series of experiments with field specimens ... others suggest four to five days.... Ten days in the sun may be overkill
Also keep in mind that the mothballs should ideally be placed at the top of the chamber since the fumes are heavier than air ... Mothballs can be placed in a sock & hung in place.
Good luck
Run a Google search on mothballs for more info on the materials that can be damaged
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buggedoutSD
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 2
Posted 7 months ago
Mon Jul 27 2009 20:26:22
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Thanks for all the info! I am going to store everything in plastic containers with mothballs and hopefully it will work. I can't seem to find any information on whether mothballs would be damaging to computers and camera equipment. Have there been any successful solutions to computer treatment?
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DrFrank
member
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 122
Posted 7 months ago
Tue Jul 28 2009 0:18:27
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The PackTite (or your oven, if it can keep a stable temperature between 130 and 160) are perfect for computers.
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lil_bit_obsessed
senior member
Joined: Dec '07
Posts: 495
Posted 7 months ago
Tue Jul 28 2009 0:21:55
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can you heat a computer to that temperature without damaging the circuits?
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spideyjg
oldtimer
Joined: Jul '08
Posts: 1,614
Posted 7 months ago
Tue Jul 28 2009 1:26:00
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lil_bit_obsessed - 1 hour ago »
can you heat a computer to that temperature without damaging the circuits?Some can, some can't. Typically electronics, unpowered, are safe to 120. Some components are only rated to 140 though.
The key is the makers maximum storage temp.
Jim
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DrFrank
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Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 122
Posted 7 months ago
Tue Jul 28 2009 2:48:18
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lil_bit_obsessed - 2 hours ago »
can you heat a computer to that temperature without damaging the circuits?Jim's right to suggest caution... but consider that the temperature inside a car parked in the sun in the summer in the southern US can get over 140F in less than an hour. People leave computers and laptops in parked cars all the time. You're definitely pushing the limits of the stress testing the QA departments do, but I've baked my electronics in my oven with no deleterious effects, so far. (I set my oven to 150F, and the oven thermometer keeps steady between roughly 140F and 155F.)
Definitely remove any batteries before you do your baking, though; they're the most sensitive to heat, and you really don't want to deal with an exploding battery.
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Adele
senior member
Joined: May '08
Posts: 634
Posted 7 months ago
Tue Jul 28 2009 11:30:21
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i heated my computer in the packtite and kept it at 140 for 30 minutes and it was fine - although I must caveat by saying I am NOT advocating doing this as I think the heat will damage some more sensitive electronics and I definitely would NOT do this for anything with an LCD display
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