Prescriptions and contacts etc upon return from travelling? Packtite?

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Prescriptions and contacts etc upon return from travelling? Packtite?

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SimoneFrank

junior member
Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 36

Posted 4 months ago
Mon Jun 29 2009 10:42:01
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What should one do about prescription bottles and sealed contacts etc upon returning from travel?

These things can't be "cooked" or chemicalized?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Also, the Paktites seem to be sold out many places.

We are trying to figure out what to do with the very things we brought back from a trip where I woke up with a killed bed bug on me. Can we spray a plastic suitcase we bought?

-Simone
buggyinsocal

oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130

Posted 4 months ago
Mon Jun 29 2009 10:59:39
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Don't overlook the importance and usefulness of careful inspection as part of the fight against bed bugs.

I'm assuming for the contacts that you're talking about disposable contacts still in their little individually sealed packets? Or are you talking about contacts in their cleaning cases? Either way, you're talking about plastic items (ditto on the Rxs).

Remember that if you've done your homework and read the FAQs here about what the bugs look like in all five stages and as eggs, you should be able to inspect small items like prescription bottles and contact lens cases or containers pretty easily. Many people choose to do those inspections in the bathroom, either over the sink or the tub so that any bugs/eggs that are found can be easily contained and/or killed.

If you do find any bugs, make sure to hold onto them. Many people here, myself included, used clear tape to attach the bugs to white card stock (i.e. an index card) or paper and then placed inside a ziplock bag. It's tempting to just kill them, but holding onto samples is a good idea--so long as you keep them contained--because some pest controllers require samples in order to treat.

You can spray a suitcase that you brought. 91% isopropyl alcohol will kill any live bugs at any stage of bugdom, but it will not kill the eggs. There is only one pesticide that kills any bed bug eggs, and even it doesn't reliably kill all the eggs.

The Packtite will kill the eggs on the suitcase.

If you don't trust your inspection skills, I would isolate the suitcase in plastic bag/bags until you can get a Packtite to treat it. The eggs are very small (see photos of eggs in FAQ), and if you're not sure that you've found all of them, the alcohol won't kill them. Keeping the plastic suitcase in a large ziplock will isolate any stragglers the alcohol didn't until you can get the packtite if you're worried.

(One word of caution: sometimes the 91% alcohol made certain plastics sticky when I used it on them, so if you use it on plastic items, use caution. Test it on a small surface before dousing the whole thing. And remember--it's highly flammable, so don't spray it near open flames like candles or pilot lights.)
SimoneFrank

junior member
Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 36

Posted 4 months ago
Tue Jun 30 2009 23:58:02
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Thanks!

I really don't trust my inspection skills at all! How can anyone see the eggs on an entire surface of a suitcase or inside where hte handle slides down etc? It just seems impossible.

THe suitcase is too big for the packtite :(

I sprayed the suitcase with Spraway Good Night, not alcohol, but I don't know if that got into all hte crevaces... and you are saying there might be eggs...so maybe we'll just throw away the suitcase...

-Simone
MyWorstFear

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Joined: Sep '08
Posts: 266

Posted 4 months ago
Wed Jul 1 2009 16:38:31
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Simone, I thought one of our suitcases was too big to fit into the Packtite, but it just makes it in there IF I first empty the suitcase of the items (I do this in the garage, and put the contents of the suitcase in a huge plastic garbage bag which I later Pactite). When the big suitcase is empty you might be able to fit it into the Packtite since once it's lighter you'll be better able to angle it inside. It's more time consuming but at least you would have the assurance that the suitcase was fully treated.