Useful Stuff
Below are some links to items that Bedbuggers and/or PCOs have recommended to others on the site. If you shop via the links and banners below, you help to support the running of this website, at no additional cost to you. (Please read our advertising Disclosure Policy.)
Contents
- Encasements
- Packtite
- ClimbUp Interceptors (passive monitors)
- Miscellaneous other products carried by US Bed Bugs (GreenClean laundry bags, BugZip Drawer liners and luggage encasements, SofaSafe sofa encasements, David Cain’s book Bed Bug Beware).
- National Allergy (recommended for vacuums and washable cotton blankets).
- Products available from Amazon (including steamers, vacuums, contact killer sprays, DE, Ziploc XL and contractor bags, and other items). Be sure and read about return policies at Amazon and other merchants and how these may affect your experience.
Also:
Why do we recommend US Bed Bugs?
Encasements: The most important thing for many people is a good encasement to keep bed bugs that may be in the mattress and box springs (if any) from getting out to bite you (and keeping new bed bugs from taking shelter in or on the mattress itself). Click here to read about mattress encasements, shop for them, and receive special discounts for Bedbugger readers!
Packtite is a useful tool which allows you to kill bed bugs in items you may have around your home. Click here to read about the Packtite (TM), and how it can be used to get bed bugs out of your stuff.
You can also purchase Packtite direct from the manufacturer:
ClimbUp Insect Interceptors may be used to determine whether you have bed bugs (or continue to have bed bugs). You can read about ClimbUp Insect Interceptor passive bed bug monitors here.
We recommend shopping at US Bed Bugs. Why do we like them so much?
- US Bed Bugs does not take returns on bed bug items. Adam from US Bed Bugs said,
“We don’t resell any returns of bed bug products as new. We won’t take a PackTite back at all for any reason. Any defective PackTites go back to PackTite directly. Technically we can take unopened items back if pressed to do so (except for PackTites), but we usually charge a restocking fee and dispose of them. We won’t resell them even if they look unopened. We are pretty strict about having customers measure mattresses ahead of time to try and minimize returns of encasements. So really almost nothing comes back for us to dispose of.”
This is a very unusual policy, and it is a very good one where bed bug-related products are concerned. It assures you that items bought directly from this merchant should be bed bug-free. Many merchants cannot promise this.
- US Bed Bugs gives Bedbugger readers a special free shipping code. Shipping on products over $50 is normally free, but you also get free shipping even on smaller orders if you live in the US and use the coupon code on our banners. (They do ship to Canada, but the coupon code does not apply. They also ship to Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, US Military and other territories with a US ZIP code.
- Their shipping is fast. Orders made by 4 pm CST M-F ship the same day. The free shipping in US is FedEx Ground (2 days to NYC), though other options are available including USPS Priority and Express and FedEx Express.
- Their shipping is discreet. The plain brown box says “Samela, Inc./NorthShore” and does not mention bed bugs or pests!
- Since you may need more than one item, the one-stop shopping and the free shipping at US Bed Bugs can’t be beat. US Bed Bugs sells the above-mentioned Packtites, Protect-a-Bed Allerzip encasements, and ClimbUp Interceptors in sets of 4, 12, or 72, as well as Green Clean dissolvable laundry bags (sealed bag goes right in the washing machine), BugZip luggage encasements and drawer liners (read about them here and here), SofaSafe sofa encasements (be sure and read about them on the forums) and David Cain’s book Bed Bug Beware.
National Allergy is a great source for vacuums, all-cotton blankets (easy to wash and dry on hot) and other items. Shopping via the National Allergy link on the encasements page, below, or in the sidebars, gets you a discount on your purchases 7% discount on orders under $174.99, or 10% on orders over $175, if you shop via the link below. This link takes you to the vacuums section, but the coupon which loads is valid on your entire purchase.
Other products you may find useful are available from our Amazon store. We recommend you read the FAQs and forums first to determine which items are currently being recommended and how people are using them.
If you’re purchasing items from Amazon which are also available from US Bed Bugs, we strongly suggest you purchase items directly from the merchant instead (see notes about why we love US Bed Bugs above). Items from US Bed Bugs/North Shore Care (or any other merchant) which are “fulfilled by Amazon” are shipped by Amazon, not the merchant, and due to Amazon’s policies, may have been returned by another customer. If the item is sealed in plastic, this is probably not a problem. However, you may prefer to shop directly with a company like US Bed Bugs that does not accept returns on bed bug-related products. If you shop directly with other merchants, you should research their policy on returns. Be aware that any merchants’ items listed as “fulfilled by Amazon” may have been returned.
- Killing bed bugs (contact killers such as Kleen Free; Steri-Fab; and mechanical killers like DE)
- Vacuums and steamers (especially PCO-recommended dry vapor steamers
- Storage and disposal (L, XL, XXL ziploc bags, contractor bags, mattress bags, cable ties, etc.)
- Detecting bed bugs (ClimbUp Insect Interceptors, flea traps to rule out fleas, flashlights, black lights, glue traps, handwarmers, etc.)
- Isolating the bed (but remember to shop for encasements here)
- Protecting the bed (ClimbUp Insect Interceptors; sheets; but remember to shop for encasements here)
- Relief from bites and itching (recommended by readers)
- Miscellaneous (including shoe holder for dryer)
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To fill holes around pipes and such, I purchased “Good Stuff” by Dow. It fills, seals and insulates large gaps around plumbing and HVAC. It’s great! 16oz. can for about $5.50 at Home Depot in the plumbing aisle.
For gaps around heat pipes and radiators you can purchase heat resistant silicone caulking. For those in NYC, I purchased mine at Grand Metro Hardware on Broadway and 96th.
That Dap / Alex Plus caulk I recommended seemed fine at first, but now, about 3-4 months after applying it, it is cracking and shrinking really badly. Maybe there is a higher quality caulk out there that would be better.
Thanks Blue_Ox, I crossed out the recommendation above for that product.
I think Hefty is a better brand than Ziploc. The large Ziploc’s you have to press your fingers together to close and when letting the air out, the ziploc becomes undone. Hefty bags are zippered and easier to close and open. If you are careful enough, then the bags can be used a lotta times. Even thought the Hefty’s have handles, I don’t use them because I find that the bags wear out and break. I carry the bags from the bottom to give them support.
Just a suggestion from experience.
Added flea traps for people who need to rule out fleas.
Thanks for the usefull information!!
My grandmother’s journals from the Depression era yielded this advice on ridding oneself of bedbugs.
” Horrid bedbugs! For these, burn sulfur in the presence of water. in every room. On no account should any living thing, man or animal be present for the entire day. Upon return what cannot be washed and all food stuffs not sealed in crockery or tins must be washed or burnt or buried according to kind. ”
There is no formula or recipe, so to speak, but perhaps someone out there can find it for us. I’m certain the result is a toxic, likely acidic cloud that kills the bugs and is none too good for anything else either.
I have no idea of the legality or environmental impact of her advice and IN NO WAY do I advocate or even suggest anyone try this. I merely put it forth as an interesting look at how such infestations were handled before the modern era and in the hope that a qualified pest control person may be able to apply the knowledge in a safe and modern method.
Editor’s note: READERS, DO NOT TRY THIS. It is dangerous and you could harm yourself or others, and could be legally liable. Bed bugs can be treated safely and effectively in a number of ways, and I suggest working with qualified professionals who can solve your problem more quickly, more safely, more effectively in most cases.
Note to L. mcCormack, thanks for sharing the story. We have heard of this before, and it is interesting as you state, but there is no reason for people (including professionals) to implement something dangerous like this with much more effective methods available.
I know that you warn people against it, but I also know that desperate people will try almost anything (having heard some horrific things already–including some with tragic consequences), and I implore readers not to experiment with this.
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