Daily Archives: March 29, 2018

Below are some links to items that Bedbuggers and/or pest management professionals have recommended to others on the site as useful tools for helping to get rid of bed bugs.

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Product Index

Books See miscellaneous other products carried by US Bed Bugs for David Cains book Bed Bug Beware), or Amazon.com for Paul Bellos book The Bed Bug Combat Manual.

Detecting and monitoring for bed bugs Bed Bug Blue Fecal Spot Detection kits and presumptive blood test kits Bed Bug Monitors (Passive and Interceptor/Pitfall/Barrier): ClimbUp Interceptors, Packtite Passive Monitors/BBAlert Passive Monitors, Bed Bug Barriers and Bed Bug Defenders Bed Bug Monitors (Active): The Bed Bug Beacon, Nightwatch

Dealing with bed bugs in your stuff Bed bug heaters, including Packtite SC, Packtite Closet, ZappBug and Thermalstrike Ziploc Bug Bags (XL, XXL) Nuvan prostrips and Hot Shot No Pest Strips (dichlorvos, DDVP) Cirkil/Proof (for Rag in a Bag method)

Encasements, bedding, and bed bug tents Protect-a-Bed AllerZip and other Encasements for mattresses, box springs, pillows, etc. See miscellaneous other products carried by US Bed Bugs for SofaSafe sofa encasements, BugZip travel products, and books Bed Bug Tents (for those who really want to try and avoid being bitten in bed)

Treatment for bed bugs Dry Vapor Steam Cleaners Diatomaceous earth (DE), CimeXa, and other dusts Do It Yourself treatment with pesticide sprays also see books by Paul Bello and David Cain under miscellaneous other products carried by US Bed Bugs

Travel See miscellaneous other products carried by US Bed Bugs (for GreenClean laundry bags, BugZip Drawer liners and luggage encasements).

You may also be wondering about: Where to shop in Canada? Recommended suppliers: US Bed Bugs and Bed Bug Supply. Other shops you may find useful? DoMyOwnPestControl.com

Detecting Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Blue Fecal Spot Detection kits and presumptive blood test kits can help determine if you have bed bugs. They can be used on suspected fecal stains to determine if blood is present.

Note that blood stains themselves dont confirm bed bugs, so you should avoid testing stains unless they look like bed bug fecal stains. Note also that some other pests (eg fleas) have digested blood in their feces, so again, its important to know something about what fecal stains from bed bugs look like. The FAQs should help with this.

Bed Bug Blue

Read the FAQ on Bed Bug Blue, which was designed to detect fecal stains from the maker of the Packtite.

You can purchase Bed Bug Blue in a consumer (9-test) kit for $28.95 or a professional (100-test) kit for $99.95 from US Bed Bugs; prices are comparable at Bed Bug Supply:

Presumptive Blood Testing Kits

These kits test for the presence of blood. You can buy them from Amazon:

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ClimbUp Interceptors

Detecting bed bugs and monitoring for bed bugs: passive and pitfall or Interceptor style bed bug monitors

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.

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Bed Bug Barrier

If you want an interceptor but ClimbUp Interceptors and BlackOut Detectors do not suit your bed frame, consider the Bed Bug Barrier. You can purchase the Bed Bug Barrier Passive Monitor Glue Trap from US Bed Bugs, and either style is currently $6.99 per barrier (or under $28 if your bed has four feet). We have not had a lot of feedback about this product.

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Packtite Passive Monitors/BBAlert Passive Monitors You can also purchase the passive bed bug monitor designed by David Cain at US Bed Bugs: Packtite Passive Bed Bug Monitor. Read more about the Packtite Passive Monitor (prior to 2013, was marketed in North America as the BBAlert Passive Monitor, under which name its still sold in Europe) in this FAQ on bed bug monitors.

You can also find a PDF with instructions for using the Packtite Passive on the US Bed Bugs website.

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Bed Bug Beacons

Detecting bed bugs and monitoring for bed bugs:active bed bug monitors

Bed Bug Beacons are a relatively new product on the market, from the inventor of the Packtite. We have already had reports from users who caught bed bugs in this monitor after two weeks of use. Please note: active monitors like the Bed Bug Beacon are intended to help you confirm whether you have bed bugs. They are not a substitute for treatment. You can read more about the Bed Bug Beacon here. You can purchase the Bedbug Beacon CO2 Monitor at US Bed Bugs or Bed Bug Supply.

Nightwatch The Nightwatch is an active monitor which uses refillable CO2 tanks and replaceable lures. Its pricy to purchase (currently $299 at Bed Bug Supply as of 3/2015) and sometimes rented out by PCOs.

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Useful tools for dealing with bed bugs in your belongings

Bed Bug Heaters: Packtite SC and Packtite Closet are useful tools which allow you to kill bed bugs and bed bug eggs in items you may have around your home, including items which cant go in the dryer, such as delicate clothing, stuffed animals, shoes, books, paper, and so on.

The black Packtite Original, has now been replaced by the Packtite SC. It can be purchased for about $329 (as of 8/2016) from US Bed Bugs. It can only be shipped to the US as of 8/2016.

The green Packtite Closet, available in the US and Canada, is larger, contains a bar for hanging clothes, and is more powerful, meaning it can kill bed bugs in your stuff in less time. It costs about $669 US or $949 CA as of 2/2015.

You can order Packtite Closet shipped from US Bed Bugs or Bed Bug Supply to the US or Canada (shipping is free to the contiguous US):

Zappbug and Thermalstrike Other bed bug oven products are marketed by Thermalstrike and Zappbug.

ZappBug has three models (ZappBug Oven, ZappBug Oven 2, and the ZappBug Room (which, at $1495, is being marketed to treat belongings inside a room, much like the DIY protocols provided by the University of Florida). You can download a PDF of independent test data on the ZappBug Oven model here.

The ThermalStrike Expedition, new Thermalstrike Ranger, ZappBug, ZappBug 2, and ZappBug Room are all available from Bed Bug Supply.

You can buy all of these bed bug heaters/ovens at Bed Bug Supply:

Packtite, ThermalStrike and ZappBug heaters are also available at Amazon.com, but note that products shipped by Amazon may be returned. If you are concerned about possibly receiving a bed bug heating device which has been returned by someone with bed bugs, we recommend purchasing these items from Bed Bug Supply or US Bed Bugs, which do not take returns on such items.

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Some people find dissolvable laundry bags or ziplocs helpful.

Lots of people use large zipper bags to store clean clothing (because they can be opened and resealed again and again good for daily use. Ziploc Big Bags (Large, XL, XXL) from US Bed Bugsor Hefty Big Bags (with zipper) from Bed Bug Supply.

Dissolvable Bug Bags are somewhat pricy but they can seal your laundry and dissolve in the wash, which may make dealing with bed bug-infested laundry easier.

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Nuvan prostrips and Hot Shot No Pest Strips (dichlorvos, DDVP) This falls under the handle with care category, along with pesticides and dusts. DDVP strips are sold in North America under the names Nuvan Prostrips (except NY and CT in the US) and Hot Shot No Pest Strips (including NY and CT in the US). Experts tell us it is possible to treat items including electronics (which cant be heated in a Packtite, for example) by carefully sealing DDVP strips in an airtight manner along with the items to be treated inside bags (or possibly sealed bags inside stackable containers, to protect the bags).

DDVP is not intended to be used where people are present (hence the need for an airtight seal which is not disturbed), Follow all label instructions and exercise caution. Take special care when using this product around pets, children, and others who may disturb the sealed item.

P Bello is a pro in our forums who has offered answer questions about using these products in the past. You can also read threads on our forums which are tagged DDVP.

If you are outside of NY or CT, you can obtain Nuvan Prostrips from Bed Bug Supply or Do My Own Pest Control.

You can purchase Nuvan Prostrips from Amazon if you are not in NY or CT:

Those in NY or CT can obtain Hot Shot 5580 No Pest Strips from Amazon:

DDVP pest strips may also be found in hardware stores.

Cirkil/Proof (for Rag in a Bag Protocol)

The idea here is you use a Rag in a Bag the rag is treated with the product and kills bed bugs and eggs in the sealed bag. This method is not recommended currently by any pros on our site, as far as I know (primarily, it seems, because the product, made from Neem, does have a lingering odor). However, you can read Cirkils description of their Rag in a Bag protocol and watch Dini Millers webinar describing her experiments with it below.

Normally, Cirkil is sold only to pest pros and therefore in large quantities, but you can currently find smaller quantities of Cirkil on Amazon:

According to Cirkils website, Rag in a Bag can be done with Proof or Cirkil, both have the active ingredient 5.5% cold pressed neem. You can get Proof at ome big box stores like Walmart, and Amazon:

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Encasements

Encasements: Many pest management professionals recommend a good encasement to keep bed bugs locked into (or out of) the box springs.Their use on mattresses is commonly recommended in North America, though controversial for reasons explained in our FAQ on bed bug encasements.

You can purchase Protect-a-Bed AllerZip encasements from US Bed Bugs:

You can buy SafeRest encasements (and view their testing data) at Bed Bug Supply:

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Bed Bug Tents

If you are very sensitive to bites, you might consider using a bed bug tent to try and avoid them while sleeping.

Some forum users have used and recommended the SansBug Tent or Eco-keeper Bed Bug Tent, both in sizes to fit single people or more than one person.

We cannot vouch for these designs but as long as the design is secure, then the main risk factors for being bitten are (a) you track bed bugs into the unit, or (b) you lean against the outside and bed bugs bite through the mesh. You can see discussions of this type of product here.

You can buy EcoKeeper tents at Amazon:

MattressSafe (a company which makes mattress encasements) also has a bed bug tent product called NiteSafe. You can view it on their website.

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DIY Treatment:Steamers

Many people use dry vapor steam cleaners to kill bed bugs, either as part of a self-treatment plan, or to supplement the work of a pest management professional. (If youre supplementing a PMPs work, be sure and ask them when and where it is safe for you to steam; you do not want to clean away the pesticides they have laid down.) Dry vapor steamer rentals are rare.

An Italian steamer newly available in North America, the Armato 9000 Commercial Bed Bug Steamer, offers a tip temperature of 284F, 90-PSI steam pressure capability, a tank capacity of 1.1 gallons, and continuous fill which means you can keep working and topping up the water. This steamer retails for just under $1000 from Bed Bug Supply.

Bedbugger experts Franco Casini in Italy and David Cain in the UK have long used and praised the Cimex Eradicator, a Polti steamer designed to kill bed bugs. Its extremely hot and efficient at doing so. It became available in the US in 2015, and is state of the art, if pricy ($1495 as of this update).

Bed Bug Supply writes,

With a maximum tip temperature of 356 degrees Fahrenheit, this is easily the hottest steamer we have ever tested. There is also significantly less water vapor emitted by the Eradicator than by any other steamer weve seen, which means more heat penetration ability and less cleanup after the job is done.

Although it doesnt have continuous fill, the 2L capacity means you can steam for up to two hours without stopping.

Many Bedbuggers have used the Vapamore MR-100, which is an economical model at $299 with free shipping from Bed Bug Supply (with free 2-day express shipping) or US Bed Bugs (free ground shipping).

Pest Management Pro John Furman (aka KillerQueen in our forums) tells us he uses a continuous-fillVaporClean TR6, but he also recommends the TR5 for consumers (a less expensive model available for under $500). You can click here to view Vapor Clean TR Pro5 and Pro6 Steamers at USBedBugs.com.

You can read more about steaming techniques and models in our Steamer FAQ.

Excerpt from:
Useful Tools for fighting bed bugs - Bedbugger.com Bed ...