Bed bugs…

One of the first control methods for bed bugs was to hang the foot of a stag at the foot of the bed. That probably didn’t work very well. One of the first exterminators for bed bugs was a company called Messrs. Tiffin and Son, known as “Bug destroyers to Her Majesty and the Royal Family.” They apparently only catered to the “upper class” in England. Bed bugs became a major problem after World War I. It is estimated that one-third of all the houses in Stockholm, Sweden were infested and that 4 million people dealt with bed bugs in London at that time. In Germany, over 700 pest control companies tried to eradicate them from that country. Unfortunately bed bug eradication methods were generally very expensive (as they are now) and almost always failed because of re-infestations. During the World War II era, DDT was used quite a bit but the insects developed a resistance to this toxic pesticide. They also built up resistances to other chemicals that were used against them such as benzene, dieldrin and hexachloride, all very toxic pesticides. Currently most exterminators use synthetic pyrethroids to control bed bugs although some have adopted a method using heat. Heat may kill any existing bugs, but it won’t prevent a re-infestation.

Is it possible to control bed bugs with non-toxic materials if even the dangerous products such as DDT didn’t work? Yes it is! All you need to start is a product called Greenbug For People (GFP). This is an absolutely safe product (unless you are a bed bug). Then you will need some food grade diatomaceous earth (DE). You can get DE at a feed store or buy Fossil Shell Flour. One good brand is Perma-Guard. Greenbug For People is available from www.greenbugallnatural.com.

The first step in controlling bed bugs is to completely inspect the room to determine the extent of the infestation. Place close attention to the sleeping areas. They can be hiding anywhere but they will stay as close to the food source as they can. Small crevices in solid structures, such as the joints in the bed’s headboard or between the wall and the base board are the bed bugs’ refuge of choice. Strip the bed so you can inspect the mattress and box spring. Examine the seams and buttons on the mattress as well as any labels. Bed bugs will hide in all of these areas. Stand the mattress on end if you have to and examine the box spring if there is one. Stand it up and look at the underside, especially along the edges. Also look behind pictures hanging on the wall, between and behind any books or magazines in close proximity to the bed and in any furniture nearby. You may have to turn some of the furniture over and examine the underside. Carefully check anything that is under the bed including storage boxes. If there is any litter under the bed, it should be removed. Also check for dried cast skins (exuviae) from the molting process and fecal matter.

Before you start the treatment, there are a few preparations you should do. Wash all the bedding in hot water (120 + degrees). This will kill any bed bugs in the bedding. Personal items such as stuffed animals, blankets, etc. should be vacuumed and placed in plastic bags for a couple of weeks. If you have a clock, phone, radio or other appliance near the bed, they should be opened and inspected as bed bugs will hide in those places as well. Thoroughly vacuum the entire room including inside closets and dresser drawers. If the infestation is severe, you will have to use a crack and crevice vacuum tool to suck the bugs out from along the edge of the carpet, from behind switch plates which you will have to remove, from all around the bed frame, inside the box spring and inside any furniture in the room. If you see any eggs on the mattress along the seams, you can remove these by picking them up with duct tape and discarding them or brushing them off with a stiff brush. After vacuuming the room or rooms, remove the bag from the vacuum and discard it right away.

Next, use a hair dryer to blow hot air in all the cracks and crevices and along the edge of the carpet and on the furniture to get any bed bugs the vacuuming missed. You want to get as many bed bugs as you can before the final treatment.

Now it is time to treat the bed. Use a flashlight and carefully examine the seams, buttons and any folds in the mattress along with the headboard and footboard if they are present. Check the box spring and frame as well. If you missed any bed bugs with the vacuum or hair dryer, they will be visible. Spray any bed bugs you see with the GFP as well as all cracks and crevices in the bed. Spray the underside of the box spring as well. If you don’t see any bed bugs, then spray along the seams and around the folds and all the other areas mentioned. Make sure to use plenty of solution so the sprayed surface is wet. Then put some DE in a duster such as a catsup container and puff DE on all the sprayed areas, including under the box spring. The GFP solution will kill any bed bugs in several hours and the DE will prevent any from hiding in these areas in the near future. You can also sprinkle fine powder body bath powder on the mattress and rub it into the fabric.

Now you have to treat all the furniture in the room including night stands, chairs, couches, dressers, etc. Make sure you carefully inspect all the wooden furniture and treat them as you treated the mattress, box spring and bed frame. If any of the furniture, such as bunk beds, have metal framing, treat inside the metal tubing with the GFP and DE.

Finally, you need to make your bed difficult for bed bugs to access. Tape up any tears in the box spring or mattress with duct tape or, better yet, enclose them in a zippered mattress cover used for dust mites. Put the legs of the bed in plastic food bowls or metal cans and coat the inside with Vaseline. Don’t let the bed touch any walls or let the bed covers touch the floor.

If you have a hotel or motel, the process is the same except for the bed legs in food containers and the Vaseline. If you have or had bed bugs in your establishment, then you should treat each room as it becomes vacant. Then you can retreat them every six months or as needed.

You can trap bed bugs by placing a heating pad on the floor with sticky traps around it or you can use duct tape, sticky side up. Put an Alka-Seltzer tablet on a damp sponge on a small plate on the heating pad. The Alka-Seltzer will attract any bed bugs in the area. You can cover an Alka-Seltzer tablet with peanut butter to kill rats and mice. You can catch mosquitoes and fleas by placing two Alka-Seltzer tablets in a bowl of soapy water. Used on a damp sponge they will attract bed bugs and kissing bugs. This is a medicine we take!

We have avian flu, human flu, swine flu, and now we have canine flu. Don’t be surprised if some enterprising people discover “bed bug flu.” Someone is going to go to bed and wake up with a cold and a few bed bug bites and the “bed bug flu” will be born and the news media will be running with it. The news will be scaring people out of staying in hotels and motels.