How about that CO2 bed bug trap

It's being called the bed bug trap with the pet food bowl, but Wan-Tien Tsai's simple bed bug monitor trap is all the rage. It's a easy as getting gallon water thermos with the flip up dispenser, a pet food bowl wrapped in cheese cloth on the outside, and some dry ice. The idea is simple enough, but should be used with extreme safety in mind and caution. God forbid a child picks up a dry ice cube and freezes his hand off, but this trap is something that can be cheaply put together and used in multiple locations to see what kind of activity is going on in the home. Bedbugs are distressing enough to make people try anything, but if used cautiously, it could be a cheap and useful tool.

What works for Bed Bugs

As we all know, bed bug infestations have reached pandemic proportions. I wonder out of all the people out there, who has had success with treatments or what is working for people out there with regards to being proactive. Sure kill treatments for bed bugs are non-existent. What are your thoughts?

Do you check you hotel room for bed bugs?

The first thing I do on vacation when I check into a hotel is inspect. The head board is the first place to look. Slide it up and off the wall as most of them are mounted this way and lay it forward to look on the back. I bring a flashlight with me these days. Then I take the fitted sheets off and look under them and in the seams and buttons, then around the floor legs and night stand. Bed bugs can be found on the luggage racks, and on the areas they give you to hang your cloths. Check in dresser drawers too. Now that you looked. Unpack and have fun, but if you see anything like a bed bug, go straight to the front desk and let them know. Be discreet as they will most likely work with you. They want to fight the battle as much as the rest of us.

Can I Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?

That is the question of the century. Will I ever be able to eliminate my home or apartment of bed bugs? My thought is that until they come out with a silver bullet, the short answer is no, at least not with any traditional treatments. If you have some deep pockets you can fumigate the home, or bring in a company that specialized in heat treatments, but the regular Joe is out of luck. The products are not working and the nature of the bed bug hiding deep inside of furniture and the structure makes it almost impossible to get product to these hiding places. There are home remedies and professional products, none of which are working as aggressively as needed. I am sure there are cases of elimination that could be found out there, but my guess is that the opposite is true. Hopefully the manufacturers and the epa are working on some products that will kill bed bugs once and for all. Until then people will be using do it your self products and home remedies and in superior products or treatment methods, making the problem worse. Again...the answer to your question is a resounding No.

Bed Bugs, Moving, and not "catching" bed bugs.

Planning on moving any time soon and worried about bedbugs infesting your stuff from a moving truck? Unfortunately there is no way to really verify that a moving truck is bed bug free. Chances are, the possibility that the truck moved a bed bug infested client at some point along the line is pretty high. Another thing to think about is when you hire a moving company they give you boxes and packing supplies. These are often times "used" or recycled boxes. So what is a bed bug conscience person to do? First thing to do is when you hire a moving company. Ask. The sales representative may take offense, but so what. Responsible moving companies should start to think about bed bug abating controls to assure clients are not affected by secondary infestation. The next thing to do is when they deliver your supplies, ask them to leave them outside and check them before you bring them inside. When you finally move and settle, it would be worth it to bring in a bed bug sniffing dog to do a walk through. If there has been a bed bug invasion, the dog will find it, and finding a problem earlier than later is found to offer greater success in elimination. Good luck with the move, and sorry to add one more stresser to one of the most stressful events in your life.

Bedbug heat treatment

It looks like heat is going to be the way to go with the treatment option for bed bugs as time goes on. The incredible labor intensive procedures for treating bedbugs the traditional crack and crevice way, and the uncertainty of any success, along with the noncompliance of the customer, leaves no doubt in my mind that we need an overall treatment. Heat is this overall treatment. There is very little disruption to the home, it takes a day, and kills the stages of the bedbug from egg to adult.

Don't bring bedbugs home with you

Bedbugs are easy to pick up during a vacation if you are not careful and use common sense. Before plopping your suitcase down on the floor or tossing it on the bed, leave them in the hallway and have a look around. Check drawers for bugs, bug pieces, or droppings. Take the bed spread off and look at the sheets. Are there any spots on the sheets? Any blood type smears? Take the sheets away and look at the mattress around the tufts and buttons. Live bugs? Look behind or take the head board off and look at the seams and the sunken screw button. Live bugs or blood spots? Being careful and having an eagle eye can help keep you and your family bug free.