Bed Bugs

[Dave Rampage]

Has anyone dealt with bed bugs? I have a college we do cleaning for that has bedbugs in one of their apartments. They are getting it exterminated. Then need it steam cleaned next week? Could this be a problem for me?

Dave

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Big problem, and getting worse Dave.

You shouldn't worry too much about bringing them back on your person, as they only come out to feed at night. Your cleaning won't contribute much to solving the problem, other than if it makes your customer feel better to have you clean any dead ones out of the carpet.

During the day they hide out in bed frames,between mattresses and box springs, and around the piping/cording of the mattress. They also will crawl inside of electric sockets, crevices in nightstands, etc.

The exterminator rarely will get them all in his first visit.

If it were my place, I'd throw out the bed, the furniture, the carpet, all the clothing and other items in the room, and then I'd give serious consideration to donating the house to the fire department to burn down.

I put all of my clothes and luggage into plastic bags and douse them with pesticide after each time I have to stay in a motel.

These vampires have taken some people YEARS to get rid of.

It can be that bad.

 

[The Great Oz]

Guys that use heat trailers are announcing fast and complete success killing them while furnishings stay in place.

They still need a cleaner to remove the cooked residue.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Bryan could you find out how hot and for how long it would need to be held at that killing temp.

Not that I think many will want to spend $2000.00 a day cooking their home, but you never know someone may ask if we can do it.

 

[joeynbgky]

Home depot has a spray for bed bugs and lice for the mattreses its Called good night bugs! Not sure if its any good. ITs a name brand commercial product

 

[Jim Pemberton]

The heat concept sounds terrific. It would solve the problem of access, but I'd like to hear more about it.

They are easily killed with most insecticides Joey. The problem is getting to the ........illegitimate offsprings. Their ability to hide is the key problem in getting rid of them.

 

[amazingcleansc]

I just ran into an infestation and did some research.. Heat is supposed to be the most comprehensive, thorough way to remove bed bugs.

I think hotels use oil fired space heaters to get rid of them. I have no idea how it works, but could a secondary function of a TES system be a bedbug cooker?

The lethal temp for bedbugs is supposed to be 110 degrees f.

The people that cook get the room to 130 for 4 hours or 140 for 2 hours.

I think the temp is that hot so it can get into all the cracks in the wall etc.

BTW, if you come into contact with bbs, throw everything you can in a dryer. A dry steam cleaner can handle other things ($29.99 at walgreens.

Travellers can put one of these in their garage if they are worried about bed bugs

http://paktight.com/

 

[steve frasier]

it is my understanding that the heat concept works, here is a link to some info
http://www.thermapure.com/bedbugs.php

I have been told they do it in California where pesticides are not used

I talked to the guys at TES about it but they had never heard of it

I have had to deal with it a couple of times at a local university. They threw out eveything(or bagged it up for a year) exterminator sprayed down the dorm room and I cleaned the carpet after the second treatment

have not had a problem in the same room since

 

[-JB-]

Thanks.

Now I'm all itchy n stuff.

Jerks!

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Sorry JB

Shall we move to how common lice are today?

 

[rwcarpet]

Sorry JB

Shall we move to how common lice are today?

Jim....do you think Steri-Fab would kill the bedbugs, if enough was sprayed down/saturated??



Just read an article on AOL news about Drs. saying that it is OK to leave kids in school with head lice! What the hell is wrong with this Dr? My 2 girls went through a bout with head lice about 20 years ago, and it ain't fun to fix. One was at Girl Scout Camp, and all the girls were sleeping with their heads together, so the lice migrated to other heads. It may take days or weeks to show up on children, unless you check their heads regularly. By then, they are really populated in the hair. Todays lice are becoming resistant to the treatments for the hair, and you have to remove ALL the nits to insure destruction of new nits (lice eggs).

Steri-Fab works great on lice infestations on everything but hair and bodies. (although, I think Marty once said he soaked down a mattress with Steri-Fab and layed down on it to try to eliminate either lice or scabies....) I wouldn't recommend that for children, though!