Bed bugs (1 Viewer)

[Maurile Tremblay]

Heat is by far the most effective treatment. Sprays really don't work all that well.

I can't bring my place up to 120 degrees.

There's a $1500 contraption, about the size of a closet, that lets you put your clothes and furniture in it in batches and heat it to 140 degrees. But that's a lot of dough, and it won't get the eggs hiding behind the electrical outlets or wherever.

Sprays generally don't work.

The diatomaceous earth, however, really is supposed to work. If it gets on them, it lacerates the waxy outer layer of their exoskeleton and they dehydrate and die. The catch is that they have to crawl through it to get it on themselves, so unlike heat, it won't kill eggs. You therefore can't just use it once and be done with it. You've got to have it spread around on the floor for a full year and a half (which is apparently how long it takes some of the eggs to hatch).

 

[johnnycakes]

Heat is by far the most effective treatment. Sprays really don't work all that well.

I can't bring my place up to 120 degrees.

There's a $1500 contraption, about the size of a closet, that lets you put your clothes and furniture in it in batches and heat it to 140 degrees. But that's a lot of dough, and it won't get the eggs hiding behind the electrical outlets or wherever.

Sprays generally don't work.

The diatomaceous earth, however, really is supposed to work. If it gets on them, it lacerates the waxy outer layer of their exoskeleton and they dehydrate and die. The catch is that they have to crawl through it to get it on themselves, so unlike heat, it won't kill eggs. You therefore can't just use it once and be done with it. You've got to have it spread around on the floor for a full year and a half (which is apparently how long it takes some of the eggs to hatch).

Bite your tongue, Maurile, you're a FBG!

Seriously... there's companies out there that come out with giant propane-fired heaters to turn your house into a sauna for a couple of hours. I am sure it is expensive... but after seeing what my Admin went through... she would have gladly forked over $1,500 or more for a one-time treatment that left no toxic residue that worked. Problem was, she was in a condo, which complicates matters. All it takes is one bad apple to spoil the whole barrel that way. But if you live in a single-family home in sunny southern California, at least you have the weather working for you... not like it's 10 degrees outside right now.

But yeah, give the cheaper fixes a try first... I can see giving it a try. But from what I have heard from others, the infestation is almost always a lot worse than what you suspect.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Heat is by far the most effective treatment. Sprays really don't work all that well.

The diatomaceous earth, however, really is supposed to work. You've got to have it spread around on the floor for a full year and a half.

You're going to live with dirt on your floor for 18 months?

 

[Rove!]

Thanks Liberals!

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I found two bugs last night in the adjacent room where I'm currently sleeping.

Then found two bugs this morning in my bedroom.

Then found an exterminator who does heat treatment. I'm going with that.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Heat is by far the most effective treatment. Sprays really don't work all that well.

I can't bring my place up to 120 degrees.

There's a $1500 contraption, about the size of a closet, that lets you put your clothes and furniture in it in batches and heat it to 140 degrees. But that's a lot of dough,

You're staff, so you should have several racks to spare. This doesn't sound like a diy job.

 

[top dog]

I found two bugs last night in the adjacent room where I'm currently sleeping.

Then found two bugs this morning in my bedroom.

Then found an exterminator who does heat treatment. I'm going with that.

Good luck!

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

The missing piece of the bed bug blend has finally been identified, and the reason it took so long is that it isn’t a smell. The last component is sensed by bed bugs only upon contact. Histamine, the same chemical produced by our white blood cells as part of the human immune response, acts as an ‘arrestant’ in combination with the other chemical blend. It makes the bed bugs stop walking and nestle in.

Once the Simon Fraser University research team added histamine to their traps, everything changed. Traps baited with their blend caught all types of bed bugs: nymphs and adults; males and females; and both fed and unfed bed bugs.

Now we have a quick, inexpensive way to monitor and find new infestations, one of the most difficult parts of preventing bed bugs. Because the trap attracts and catches bed bugs, it should help prevent new infestations by luring in any wayward bed bugs that traveled home with you on your suitcase.

It’s expected traps using this new blend might be on the market for purchase by consumers in late 2015.

 

[Fat Nick]

From our company communications department...

Dear XXXXXXX XXXX Colleagues,

It came to our attention this morning that a small number of bed bugs were discovered in isolated areas of our offices on the 3rd and 4th floors.

To resolve the issue, an exterminator is coming to the office this evening to conduct an investigation and begin treatment. Colleagues and contractors should aim to leave for the day by 5 pm. Please make sure that you take home your laptop and clear personal items from your workspace. We fully expect the office to be open for business as usual for the rest of this week, however, colleagues may choose to work from home with their manager’s approval until the issue is resolved. We will provide additional updates as necessary.

We realize that this process is inconvenient for colleagues and appreciate your cooperation to help us quickly resolve the issue. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach out to XXX XXXXX.

For more information and a list of FAQs from the CDC about bed bugs, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs

Regards,

XXXXXXX XXXX Global Operations Team

Great. People are in a flat out panic, and it's kind of funny...The buzz rivals when they announced the 20% lay-offs a few months ago.