Sunday, December 14, 2008

Can Bed Bugs Be Stopped.

Can Bed Bugs be stopped? That is the question. It truly seems as if these bugs have a firm hold and are almost impossible to completely eliminate from a structure, short of fumigating the whole place. It almost seems like until they find the silver bullet, bedbug elimination will need to be renamed bedbug control. Has anyone ever had complete success with a bedbug treatment?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

It's time to prepare for a bedbug treatment

There are steps that must be taken to get some decent results from a bed bug treatment. The preparation can be detailed and take much time, but it is worth it in the end. Step one is get your clothing ready for laundry. Every piece of clothing in any drawers, any clothing or fabric stored in boxes or bags, curtains, blankets, sheets, bed skirts, bedding in general, pillow cases, furniture covers, towels, coats, anything fabric will need to be bagged, sealed, and brought to either the laundry mat or if you think your washer and dryer can handle it, then so be it. The clothing should go through a wash and then placed in a hot dryer for about 45 minutes. With the shear volume of clothing, it is almost worth the money to have a laundry mat handle it. Shoes that can not be put in dryer should be put in zip lock bags, sneakers should be placed in dryer for 45 minutes. If you have other clothing that can not be washed, then it should go through the dryer for 45 minutes, leather coats should be taken to the dry cleaner. The clothing that comes out of the dryer should be put in new bags and sealed, with the old bags tossed away outside. At this point any clutter under your beds and in closets should be placed in zip lock bags. Find a website that sells bulk bags in different sizes as you will need to place alot of things in zip lock bags. At this point all clutter is up off the ground, out of closets, and any loose items bagged. Now it is time to vacuum. Vacuum under furniture, beds, entire carpets, all over, thoroughly. Place some talc powder on the rug and vacuum up to hopefully coat any bedbugs in the vacuum. Now toss the bag in the trash outside of the home.Some theories state that taking up the rug and tossing is good. Some just say that taking the rug back away from the tack board is ok. I guess it will depend on the severity of the problem. This will give access to the pest control professional to treat in between the tack board and the wall. If you feel comfortable taking back the rug then do so, if not the pest control person may do it, either way, make sure it is done. Take pictures and anything hanging off the walls and turn around for treatment. Take drawers out of dressers and night stands. Make sure the drawers and the inside and underneath of these items are treated. If you have any cardboard boxes or paper bags used as storage, take everything out of these items and place in zip lock bags and throw away outside. Eventually these bags will need to be inspected or treated as the pest control person sees fit. Books should be zip lock bagged or tossed. Magazines zip lock bagged or tossed. All electronic items, especially from the bedroom, need to be zip lock bagged and sealed. Be sure you get a tight seal on these bags. If you have an attic or above the house crawl space, make sure the pest control professional treats and inspects this area, make sure vent covers are taken off and treated, make sure the pipe chase covers for bathrooms are removes and treated, make sure outlet and switch plate covers are removed and treated. Once the treatment is done, be sure the pest control person puts a box spring and mattress encasement on both the box spring and mattress. Do not skip this step. You may have to live out of bags for a while as the follow up treatment should be no more than 10 days out. Be sure that you factor in several follow ups. It is worth an inspection contract to be sure they are gone. They are not easy to get rid of. Don't be afraid to follow the pest control operator to make sure everything is getting done. Chances are you will be shelling out a thousand or more dollars for a proper treatment to be done, that's a lot of money and you have the right be sure it is being done the right way. The above may seem extreme, but it needs to be done.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Bedbug covers are cool

Mattress and box spring covers are both something I strongly recommend in bedbug control. First off they save your bedding, so you don't have to throw it away, and they eliminate all the many hiding places for bedbugs to get into on your bed. There is an industry standard that most pest control companies will recommend which is the Protect A Bed. This cover uses a special locking technique that makes sure the zipper is closed tightly so nothing can get in. So make sure you cover those beds and make sure you cover both the mattress AND the box spring.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Using a bedbug trap like the CDC 3000

When I think of the possibilities that a trap like the CDC 3000 or the NightWatch bedbug trap can have it gets a bug man excited. It eliminates the need for dogs to verify that bedbugs are there or to verify that a treatment worked. It also can act as a fantastic tool to put in the arsenal of treatment. The traps are expensive, this is true, but I think they can more than pay for themselves. I would place one of these traps under a bed or near it, and surround it by glue boards to expand the traps capacity to catch bedbugs. Now let's get a good bedbug targeted IGR and a new chemistry spray that kicks butt and we'll be in business.

Bed Bug Trap Available CDC 3000

Finally there is a bedbug trap that is available for sale called the CDC 3000 or the Cimex Detection Case 3000 manufactured by Cimex Science. Use as a follow up tool or an early warning monitor, the CDC 3000 works by mimicking the human body by emitting CO2, heat, and something that smells like body odor. Trapping bedbugs is in the here and now. This trap works in as little as an hour, luring bedbugs out of hiding and catching them. You can bug the CDC 3000 bedbug trap for around five hundred dollars.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Dusting for Bedbugs

One phase of treating for bedbugs should involve using a decent dust product to take care of areas such as the inside of switch plate covers and electric outlets. There are dust products that come in a can and leave a "dusty residual" to kill the bedbugs. Of course this bedbug dust protocol should be incorporated in with a total integrated bedbug control program that involves vacuuming, steam, a good residual bedbug chemical sprays, dusts, and one day...a good trap.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Community Bedbug Classes

Education will wind up being the key to limiting the spread of the bedbug problem that is plaguing many of our communities. A bedbug action plan should be developed with the help of the government and classes organized with a strong advertising plan to announce the classes. This, along with a public service announcement plan, could greatly increase the success of a bedbug elimination plan. People need to know what to look for to catch bedbug activity early. The public also should know how bedbugs spread from place to place and how to prevent this from happening as well. A wise man once said, " There is nothing to fear but fear itself" Knowledge is power and there is power in numbers.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Crevice III Phenothrin

Whitmire's new product called Crevice III Phenothrin is a new product in the fight against bedbugs. This product can be used as a crack and crevice to treat bedrooms for bed bugs as well as treatment to the mattress according to the label. Crevice III Phenothrin , from what I hear, has been kicking butt. You can buy it online I am sure at a DIY website, but as always, when dealing with bedbugs, it's best to hire a professional.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Bedbugs and public service message

I wonder if starting a public service program would help to raise awareness for the problem that is plaguing society. If folks knew what to look for, how bedbugs could be transported, how to avoid introducing them into your home, then maybe we would be able to help curve the increase alittle. Knowledge is power. It's how we will win this war.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Fumigate the bedbug on a truck

I am faced with a bed bug infestation in an apartment environment that is very severe. An example of the intensity is the fact that although not needing an inspection because they were clustered in the corners of the ceiling, a bedbug was also found in a matchbook. This brings one obstacle to mind. Clutter. I almost think the best way to treat an apartment or dorm room setting is to put on a full body tyvek suit, move everything out into a tractor trailer, fumigate the truck, while in the mean time treating the empty apartment unit. This would kill anything in the clutter and furniture, and also a thorough treatment in the unit will kill the ones inside. Next, put on you mattress and box spring covers, and place it all back. Follow up in ten days with another treatment. Good luck.

Friday, October 3, 2008

The best way to get rid of bedbugs

The best way to get rid of bedbugs is not to ever get them in the first place. Easier said than done. How horrible is it that a family on vacation can come home with memories that will last a life time and the way things seem to be going now, a problem that could last just as long. One big problem is resistance to the chemical formulations. A product like catalyst might work wonders on bedbugs, but it is not labeled for them and these days it's taboo to use organophosphates. What we need is a chemical that is formulated differently to break the cycle of resistance. The problem is it takes a million years to get a chemical to market for the pest control industry. In fact, most of the chemicals we use today are the leftovers of the agriculture industry. I believe that the new trap that is on it's way to being brought to market, the NightWatch, will help alot, but we need a home run. A growth regulator specific to the bedbug would be great. Now get to work...the first one to the finish line is a billionaire.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Bedbugs on the bus.

The bedbugs on the bus go up and down...up and down...up and down. A little play on the children's song that has an erie twist. We have to be aware that bedbugs can be picked up anywhere. Airplanes, movie theaters, schools, laundry mats, dry cleaners, and buses. Think about it, bedbugs love to travel in suit cases and where do the suitcases go when you are traveling? They go under the bus in the luggage compartment. This allows for bedbugs to transfer from suitcase to suitcase, so even if you were lucky enough to escape a hotel stay without getting bed bugs you still have the chance to catch them in transit. Be diligent!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Bed bug trap and hotels

The new NightWatch bed bug trap that should be hitting the market in November sounds like it will be the thing we've all been waiting for. While this bed bug trap promises to be an expensive investment, the peace of mind it can bring to a consumer is invaluable. The NightWatch bed bug trap will be able to tell someone if there are in fact bedbugs in a room or not. Right now the only tool we have to do this is the bedbug sniffing dog. NO doubt the NightWatch will be hard to keep on the shelves once it is brought to market. Fingers crossed.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

NightWatch Bedbug Trap


Will November 2008 be D day for bedbugs as Bio Sensory unveils it's revolutionary bedbug trap called NightWatch. Combining a 7-part kairomone lure, CO2, and heat, this bedbug trap promises to be a fantastic monitoring tool to tell you for sure if bedbugs are present, and also a great tool to tell you the progress of your treatments. In Bio Sensory's field tests the bed bug trap caught one thousand bedbugs in one night and over ten thousand bedbugs during the entire test. Very exciting news indeed!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Freezing Bedbugs with cryonite

There are many ways to kill bedbugs, or so it seems. You can vacuum them, spray them, fumigate them, heat them up and freeze them to death with cryonite. There is a treatment out there that uses a carbon dioxide snow to freeze the little punks. Some features include being able to treat electrical sockets and areas where moisture an not be because it is a dry freeze. You also do not have to evacuate the premises for this treatment. The draw back from what I understand is that cryonite has no residual, so you have to come in contact with the bedbug to kill the bedbug. I'd chalk this up as a tool to add to the tool chest and not a complete rid all process. Still a very interesting idea with lots of options.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Is heat and bedbugs the next big thing?

Companies like Therma Pure and others are promising big things for those who are suffering from bedbugs with a treatment that uses no chemicals. They are using heat to kill the little bedbugs and their eggs. It a process that can become very popular in cluttered places like apartments or dorm rooms who are experiencing a bedbug infestation. It is perfect because you can basically treat the area with little to no preparation. You have to remove easily melted objects like candles and the such, other than that it is a fry fest. This treatment is costly and finding the contractors to do it can be tougher than calling your local pest control guy, but it's worth the trouble.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Get bedbugs out of your dorm.

Get bedbugs out of my dorm, how's that for a statement easier said than done? So just how are people getting this result and killing bedbugs so as not to transport then back home when they visit mom or from dorm to dorm? The products that have been on the scene are the old standards like Phantom, Bedlam, and Sterifab, but what about the some more off the wall techniques like steam and heat? There are companies out there that heat the room up to a temperature that kills the bedbugs and eggs which is a process that the healthy for the environment. There is also a technique using steam which needs to be incorporated into a complete bedbug treatment, this won't stand alone as a treatment unto itself. The toolbox is starting to fill up finally with the right tools, we just have to start to to implement the techniques.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Bedbugs are here to stay

How frightening of a comment is that. Bed bugs are here to stay. For now I would venture to say that bedbugs are back, but here to stay, I don't know. If anything can be said for the pest control industry it is that we are a group of smart people who are full of ingenuity. My bet is that we will come up with a successful growth regulator for them or a powerful pheromone to trap them. We will succeed, no doubt, the question is when.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Bedbugs going to college.

It seems these days that bedbugs are going back to college so to speak with reports of these stealth critters infesting dorm rooms and the like. So what's a college student to do when faced with the bedbugs in the dorm? First thing's first. Report the problem immediately to the college, don't be embarrassed or scared, the faster this problems is revealed the easier it is to treat. Some questions have been asked about what products college students can get to spray in their dorm rooms for these bedbugs. I wouldn't recommend this, there is a product that you can get online called the Bedbug Luggage Spray by JT Eatons. This would be the perfect product to try to avoid transporting the bedbugs from college dorm room to your parent's home, and I stress try. Bedbugs are notorious hitch hikers and many times this is the cause of the problem in the first place. So when faced with the problem of bedbugs who have returned to college be sure to report and retreat!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Bed Bugs in Dorm Rooms

Back to school and the battle begins. Many students are going to find themselves up against the toughest obstacle to get over besides passing grades, and that is bedbugs in the dorm room! This pest will get into the minds of students as they move back to the dorms of colleges across the country unfortunately and the news articles will hit the newspapers and the stories will appear on the news stations and the government will do nothing but sit by and watch the crisis continue. This problem needs to have research with strong funding behind it to come up with a silver bullet in eliminating this problem from our civilized world. If a bedbug spread malaria or west Nile virus like the mosquito does then the government would be throwing all kinds of money at it. Instead the college students of the world and the apartment dwellers and the hotel travelers and the home owners all have to suffer. Is that a bed bug bite or a flea bite? That is the question, a question that is becoming ever more easier to answer in today's day and age.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Why are bed bugs so hard to kill?

Why does it seem almost impossible to get rid of bed bugs? For one thing they are stealth fighters. They use gorilla tactics. They are also very hardy pests. Unfortunately, many of the bed bugs infesting our homes and apartment buildings are resistant to the insecticides we have today. So we are experimenting with different products and combinations to try to get a modicum of relief. Bedbugs are resistant to synthetic pyrethroids, which most of our insecticides are. Some products like Phantom are not, and this is why it is one of the good guys. Alcohol based products like Sterifab is another good product for contact kill. Bedlam has also been known to work well. Most of these products are not available to the public unless bought through a pest control products website like epest supply or DIY pesticides, other than that, you have to hire a professional. Be careful how much money you spend on all the sensationalism that is being sold out there. You'll go broke trying to fight a survivor until the pest control industry comes up with a silver bullet, which they will, eventually.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Get rid of bed bugs

Eliminating bedbugs can be a tricky procedure. Bedbugs are hard to find let alone getting rid of them. Most times people don't know they have bedbugs until they start experiencing bites, even then they are not sure if the bites are bedbug bites or flea bites or some other kind of bite.
So some signs of a bedbug infestation would include bite marks on the body, blood spots on your sheets, actual bugs. The best place to inspect is behind the head board, the mattress, under the box spring.
Exterminating bedbugs is a job of precision. You must be thorough. Arm yourself with a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment. Bedlam has been proven to kill adults and eggs, and a product called Phantom. These are all professional products and you must use extreme caution and follow the label which is the law. You may also want to pick up a good dust like drione dust. The last product to buy would be enough mattress and box spring covers for all your beds. Protect A Bed is the best product out there to cover your bedding. Now let's begin.
Depending on the level of infestation will depend on how involved the treatment will be. If it is a bad one you will need to consider laundering all your clothing, emptying the drawers to give access for treatment. If you have carpets they will need to be pulled back to reveal the tack boards to treat this area. Treat from top to bottom, all furniture, first using the vacuum to get all visible adult bed bugs. Now treat the cracks and crevices of the room and furniture with a product labeled for this. Be sure to take the electric socket covers and light switch covers off. Dust these voids, using caution. Next take the bed apart and vacuum all live bugs. Take the dust cover of the bottom of the box spring. Treat the bed per the label of whatever product you use. Next let dry. Put the box spring cover on and then the mattress cover on.
Now repeat for each bedroom, then the rest of the house. You will need a friend to help. Some precautions to take would be to put on foot covers, and a tyvek suit. After the treatment be sure to vacuum up some dust and then toss the vacuum bag. This is very important. As you can see eliminating bed bugs is an all day or sometimes a two day process. This is why it is so expensive to hire a pest control company to do it, and it is why to be sure that if you do call in a pro that they don't charge you a small fee and say it should only take an hour or two. These companies have no idea how to help you. SO good luck and hopefully you will have success in eliminating your bedbug problem. Be sure to follow up with a treatment in about 10 days.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Bedbug Monitoring trap

As of now there is only one way I know of to determine if you have bedbugs or not. The use of a bedbug sniffing dog. Even using this method they recommend bringing in a second dog to verify the first one's findings. The human eye just can't beat the nose of a dog. One thing I found out about this week in a Bedbug seminar offered by PCT that I attended was the bedbug monitoring trap that will be coming down the pike soon. You place the device in a room for 24 hours and if there are bedbugs in that room they will be attracted to this device and trapped on a glue board. This is great news. It will let people who have mystery bites know for sure if they are bedbug bites of not, they will tell people who had their homes treated if the treatment worked or not, it will most of all give people piece of mind. Look for soon.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

The Future of Bed Bug Control

Bed bug control will soon be as regular and easy as treating for roaches or fleas I believe. This bug affects the multi-billion dollar a year tourist industry and hotel industry and they, along with the pest control industry, will not sit by and be out smarted by bedbugs. I think you will soon be seeing several bed bug monitoring traps come into market, bed bug pheromone traps, bedbug growth regulators like we have for fleas, and a more effective adulticide with a active that works by a different mode of action. We may be behind the eight ball with these critters, but don't count us out yet.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Bedbug Encasements

Bedbug encasement or mattress covers are one of the best ways to battle bedbugs at the source. The mattress cover will prevent bedbugs from entering the cracks and crevices on the mattress or the box spring where they hide and multiply, and the mattress cover will also trap any bedbugs that are already on the mattress or box spring. This encasement allows the homeowner a option other than throwing away their beds. It is much less expensive to buy a mattress cover on a website than it is to toss your bed. Be sure that when you order your mattress covers to get the right size and to buy one for the mattress and one for the box spring. It must zipper and be specific to bed bugs or dust mites. These can be bought on any mattress cover website or most DIY pest control products sites.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Bedbugs and buying a home

It is law that a home can not be sold without a termite inspection...along with termite inspections some real estate agents offer home inspections, radon inspections, mold inspections, home inspections, but why not bed bug inspections? How do you know if the family that is moving out did not or are not experiencing a bed bug infestation? This question is especially important when renting an apartment unit. Apartment complexes are notorious for bed bug problems and there is no way of knowing that the tenants that left were not experiencing a bed bug problem before they moved out. The excitement of your new place can be ruined overnight without looking into this. Literally. Why not ask for a bed bug inspection before you move in. The rental agent or the real estate agent might think you are nuts, but it is your right to know.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Bed Bug Evidence Photos




Do I have bedbugs?

The question of bed bugs or not comes up often and can drive people crazy. People get bumps that can be bed bug bites, flea bites, scabies, bird mites, poison ivy or plant rash, a viral infection. How can you determine if you have bed bugs?
Here is a good bed bug inspection to perform to help pin point the fact of having or not having bed bugs. Use a strong flashlight. You are looking for live bugs, bug casing or pieces, spots or many blood colored or brown spots clustered together, eggs.

  1. Take all the bedding, sheets, mattress covers off the bed and look for bugs running first.
  2. If none are found then look in the mattress buttons, pull back the tufts around the mattress, cover each inch. Inspect every nook and cranny.
  3. Flip mattress over and do the same.
  4. Take mattress off the bed and do the same for the box spring.
  5. Take the fabric cover off of the bottom of the box spring and look.
  6. Inspect the bed frame.
  7. Check the bedding, sheets, and blankets for blood spots.

You can see some pictures of this evidence in my post Bed Bug Evidence Photo

If nothing is found and you are still not convinced then the best way to put your mind at ease is to hire a bedbug sniffing dog to come in and inspect. Dogs can be trained to sniff for explosives, termites, mold, and now bed bugs. Happy hunting.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Kill Bed bugs dead with PuraCleenRX


Looking for a bed bug control product with some teeth? Q Based health care is offering a bed bug product with an actual guarantee to kill Bed Bugs Dead. The product is a bed bug spray called PuraCleenRX that works on the exoskeleton. As always you have to take all things into consideration when dealing with a bed bug problem, but this product sounds like something that would be worth putting in your bed bug arsenal. Happy hunting.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Bed Bug Seminar

My motto is, "education is king". It is very important to learn everything you can about your enemy, namely, the bed bug. Coming up in the next few months will be a very important seminar for pest control professionals with the topic being our favorite, bedbugs and their control. I have added the link to this bedbug seminar to look at.
http://www.bedbugseminars.com/hotel-info.html

Sunday, April 20, 2008

How not to transfer bedbugs in a move.

So you decided to move, but you are afraid that you will bring the bed bug problem with you to the new place. First thing to tackle is getting your entire house treated along with bedding and furniture. You have to also worry about smaller personal products. Several of your large pest control companies offer a fumigation chamber where they can load the contents of your house onto a truck or some other kind of chamber and fumigate it. This will penetrate and kill the bed bugs that are sneaking around in things like your bedside clock radio or a small table. Other companies offer the same kind of chamber except they use heat. I personally like the heat method better. Either way, you will have to treat the home and contents to be sure that you'll make a clean break from your problem. Good Luck.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Eaton's Kills Bedbugs spray

JT Eaton's Kills Bed Bugs spray has come up with a sequel with it's product "Kills Bed Bugs 2". This follow up is a water based chemical that is more user friendly in that is won't stain as easily. The first Eaton's Bed Bug Spray was an oil based chemical that people complained about. The new product is water based with a 0.03% Deltamethrin that kills up to sixteen weeks. It can be used on bedding and other areas. As always be sure to read the label before use.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Electronic bedbug control

A good question came across my desk with regards to those sonic pest repellers and if they would work in the case of bed bugs. First of all...I think that they could be the worste thing to place out if you have a bed bug problem. A few reasons for my non-support of electroci bed bug control is the fact that if those devices did work, all they would do is drive the bed bugs either to another part of the house or apartment. This could also drive them deeper into hiding as they try to get away from the devices frequency. Seek and destroy is your best bet.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Bed bug bites.

I remember how the mention of fleas would drive people to scratch and squirm. Now the question is am I getting bitten by fleas or am I getting bitten by bed bugs? Bite marks are hard to identify either way often times. You can figure out your questions by a process of elimination to help in your determination. First question is. DO you have a dog or cat? Are your bites on your legs only or are they showing up on the torso and arms? If you have animals then the possibility of fleas bites are strong. If not then you may have bed bugs. If you have bites only on the ankles then they may be fleas. If they are across your chest and in a row then you may have bed bugs.
Did you travel and stay over night in a hotel lately? You may have brought home more than your luggage. Does any of your friends or colleagues have bed bugs? Maybe they passed them onto you. Does anyone at your child's school have them? Did you recently bring anything new or used into your home? These are all questions you can ask yourself to narrow down the possibilities. Good Luck.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Bed Bug Bites




Just like any kind of bite, bed bug bites are hard to really say for sure what they are. Some characteristics to look for would be a symmetrical line of bites as the bed bugs like to line up to feed. Some folks want to know if they have bed bug bites or flea bites. You can eliminate the possibility of fleas by a process of elimination. Are there dogs or cats present? Are the bites only on the legs. Do you see the fleas? Are you only getting bitten at night? Fleas will bite any time of day, and they are easy to detect because you usually feel the fleas biting you. I would recommend asking a doctor if you are not certain and also arrange for a pest controller to inspect the property.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Bedbugs in your cable box?

Is it possible to get bedbugs from a cable box? The short answer is yes. Think about it, if you have a cable box that is in a heavily infested home and they decide to cancel cable, they drop the box back off at the cable company. The cable company doesn't throw them away, they recycle them. We all know how hardy bed bugs are and even if they sit for months in that cable box on a shelf at the cable company and then brought into your home the next time you order cable, you now have bedbugs. Be sure to always check anything new that is brought into your house, new or used, from an outside source. The item may not have had bedbugs, but the truck it was delivered on may and now you do. See the trend. Be vigilant.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Best Bed Bug Spray

One thing that people want to know these days is what is the best bedbug spray to get rid of these bugs and and where can they buy the best bed bug spray? It is hard to say that any one spray is better than the other because a bed bug job should incorporate multiple disciplines. There are several bed bug sprays on the markets that could do the job for a quick knock down of bed bugs that are found, but a professional job is your best path to elimination. TO find these sprays you can look to specific websites that sell these bedbug control sprays or many of your do it yourself pest control websites will sell bed bug sprays. It really all depends on your situation and the severity of your infestation to determine what the best spray would be. I would keep the bed bug spray in your arsenal and call a professional to assist in elimination. Good Luck!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Bed bug luggage spray


A great product that is manufactured by the J T Eaton company is it's new JT Eaton Rest Easy Bed Bug Spray for Luggage. This water base 0.50% Permethrin with residual action keeps killing for four to six weeks! Travel is one way that people transport bed bugs back to their homes and this product is a great way to prevent this. Just spray the inside and outside of your bags and it will give you protection from hitch hiking bed bugs.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Bed Bug Mattress Covers

So what's the story with mattress covers? Good, bad, or indifferent? In my opinion I would have to say that if you presently are bed bug free then I would invest in mattress and box spring covers for the simple reason that if you happen to pick up bed bugs in your travels then it will save you some money with regards to treating the beds and possibly having to throw the bed away. If you have a bed bug problem then I would say to treat the box spring and mattress and then cover them in the cavers to keep the bed bugs in and new ones out. In general I think they are a good idea any which way you look at it. Of course if your bedding is in such bad shape that it has to be tossed then do so, but if you can save a grand by putting a hundred dollars worth of coverings on your bedding then do it. It is important to pick the right mattress covers. They should be specifically for bed bug control as all mattress covers are not created equally. Do your homework and choose wisely.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Bed bugs...Is it time to panic?

In a world besieged by bed bugs it is no wonder there is a sense of panic falling over the good citizens of the United States. In the big cities especially there is a ever present possibility of contracting a bed bug infestation. Something as simple and enjoyable as going to the movies with your family can be enough to be exposed to bed bugs. Taking the bus to work or taking the train to the city? Watch out. How about getting a furniture delivery. This is a great service the furniture company provides where they take away your old furniture and bring your new in and set it up. How are you to know that the house from the day before wasn't infested with bedbugs and for this very reason they replaced their furniture. Now they are on the truck and could have already infested your furniture before it has even entered your house. Same thing and even more possible with mattress delivery services. Bed bugs can infest schools, hospitals, and hotels. If your child goes to school it is possible that by simply putting their school bags in their locker can be enough to pick up bed bugs. Going to dinner for your anniversary? Checking your coats at the coat check? Better hope that the coat that your coat is hung next to does not have an infestation at home! If they do then chances are good that it won't be just the two of you returning for a night cap that evening. Have a dentist appointment. Hopefully the person sitting in the waiting room chair before you wasn't infested, because you could be numb to the dentist's drill but you won't be numb to the pain of a bed bug infestation. It is easy to see that the possibility of picking up a bed bug infestation is a simple task these days. With the problem expanding at a rapid rate and the fact that there is no real positive treatment for them as of yet, I would have to predict that the problem will become worse before it gets better. The only way to even start to battle these parasites is to educate the public and get past the stigma of bed bugs as a dirty problem. Unite and defeat!

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Don't forget your vacuum in bed bug control!

With all the info out there about bed bugs and their control there is one thing that is overlooked! There is one thing that people neglect to think about and do when trying to get rid of bed bugs. They prep their houses for the treatment and hire a good pest control operator and after everything is said and done and every area from head to toe has been treated there is still a safe haven for these bugs to thrive! It's the vacuum cleaner! Using a vacuum cleaner in bed bug control is an important tool for pest control professionals, but after they leave the customer neglects to pay attention to their own vacuum cleaner. They forget that the months that preceded the treatment they had bed bugs. It is safe to say that they did some house cleaning during these times and the vacuum was involved. What they succeeded in doing was vacuuming up live bed bugs and possibly eggs. Now in the safety of the vacuum bag they can continue to live and be troubling to the poor folks that are battling the bed bugs. Here is how to attack it. Sprinkle some corn starch con the floor and vacuum it up. This will coat the breathing mechanism of the bug that might be hanging on outside the bag. Then take the bag out and throw it away outside. If you have a canister vacuum then empty in a trash bag slowly to avoid the dust from flying everywhere and clean out the canister with some bleach and spray down with a product like Steri-fab. If you have a hose attachment on any of these kind of vacuums then use the corn starch method throw the hose as well.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Bed bug detection with dogs

The most crucial point when dealing with bed bugs is their detection early on before they become a problem. The problem is that bedbugs are experts in hiding until they need a blood meal which is when they come out to feed and then at that point they go back to their hide out. If you think you might have bed bugs or if you simply want to put your mind at ease you have a resource. A bed bug detecting dog. Dogs have been successful in detecting termites, mold, bomb material, and now bed bugs. This inspection can be ordered from pest control companies that offer this service or by home inspection companies who offer this service.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Tell Me Your Bedbug Story


have an interesting bed bug story? Do you have a success story? A story to top all stories about how tough it is to get rid of bed bugs? A story of how or where you got them? Tell me your story in the comment section and get it off your chest.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

New bedbug book! Bed bugs beware!


It's fresh and it's new and it finally shipped! The new Bedbug Handbook: The Complete Guide To Bed Bugs and Their Control has hit the shelves and I have to say that it is worth the money! It is written by two of the hottest experts in the pest control business, Larry Pinto and Sandy Kraft, and it has the most up to date information about this topic you can find. If you are having a bed bug problem, I would recommend it if only to get a better grasp on what to expect from your situation and the best way to proceed getting rid of it. If you are a professional, your library should not be with out this book. I have to give it five stars out of five!