Bed Bug Central TV » Detection

The Bed Bug Beacon

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:38:47 +0000

In this episode, Jeff will discuss the Bed Bug Beacon which is an active bed bug monitor that releases carbon dioxide to attract bed bugs to it. The Bed Bug Beacon utilizes a powder and water mixture to create carbon dioxide which is known to be attractive to bed bugs. Manufacturer directions claim that the monitor will release at least 5 days of carbon dioxide. In preliminary tests, the Bed Bug Beacon has been shown to have the ability to collect bed bugs in a high level infestation (lots of bugs present) and in one apartment caught a similar number of bed bugs as the Nightwatch bed bug monitor. Additional tests need to be performed to determine how effective the monitor is for detecting low level bed bug infestations and how long the monitor releases carbon dioxide for. If this monitor is found to be effective in collecting low level bed bug infestations, it could pose challenges for other active bed bug monitors on the market due to the fact that it has a much lower price point. Stay tuned for more information…..

Bed Bugs in Schools

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:21:37 +0000

In this episode Jeff will talk about bed bugs being found in schools and the issues surrounding this topic. Unfortunately, bed bugs are being found in more and more schools and with bed bugs making the comeback that they are, this will probably be an occasional occurance moving forward. What happens is that a student has a problem with bed bugs at home and mistakenly transports a bug to the school on their backpack, personal belongings or clothes. The first thing to be aware of is that at this point it seems that bed bugs being found in schools is not a common occurance. In addition, there are really two different types of bed bug issues at schools: was one bug introduced and it does not turn into a reproducing infestation or is the problem more than one bug that is feeding and reproducing in the school. Obviously, if one bug was introduced and it was found and removed it is much less of a concern than if a reproducing infestation is found. Jeff will also discuss some steps parents can take to prevent bugs from being brought into their homes.

How to Inspect a Couch for Bed Bugs

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:58:56 +0000

In this episode Jeff will explain the areas on a couch you should inspect if you want to inspect your couch for bed bugs. As information spreads about bed bug infestations on the rise, more and more people want to inspect their homes for bed bugs. This episode will walk you through a couch inspection and the critical areas you should look if you want to inspect your couch for bed bugs. You should consider inspecting your couch as a couch is one of the first and most common areas for bed bugs to infest. Many people sleep on their couch and spend an excessive amount of time sitting on the couch and therefore, bed bugs prefer to be located on or in them. Please be aware that a visual inspection can be unreliable when trying to detect low level infestations of bed bugs. Therefore, if you perform an inspection and don't find any bed bugs, it does not necessarily mean you don't have bed bugs in your home. A knowledgeable professional should always be contacted if you think you may have bed bugs.

How to Inspect a Bed for Bed Bugs

admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:53:42 +0000

In this episode Jeff will explain the areas on a bed you should inspect if you want to inspect your bed for bed bugs. As information spreads about bed bug infestations on the rise, more and more people want to inspect their bed for bed bugs. This episode will walk you through a bed inspection and the critical areas you should look if you want to inspect your bed for bed bugs. Please be aware that a visual inspection can be unreliable when trying to detect low level infestations of bed bugs. Therefore, if you perform an inspection and don’t find any bed bugs, it does not necessarily mean you don’t have bed bugs in your home. A knowledgeable professional should always be contacted if you think you may have bed bugs.

Nightwatch Bed Bug Monitor

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:20:56 +0000

In this episode Jeff will talk about the Nightwatch bed bug monitor, how to set the monitor to trap for bugs, ideal situations to set the trap in and what to expect when setting the trap. The Nightwatch bed bug monitor is an active monitor that release attractants that are intended to attract hungry bed bugs. Always remember that not all bed bugs in a given infestation are going to be attracted to a monitor and therefore a zero-trap-catch does not necessarily mean that bed bugs are not present. This monitor is intended to be used to help evaluate if bed bugs are present in a given environment. Studies have been conducted that did show that this monitor can be effective for detecting low level bed bug infestations. Some ideal situations for this monitor are in situations where it does not compete with other hosts (ex. humans, although it has been shown to be effective for detecting bugs in the presence of humans) such as: offices, schools, vacant apartments or homes, pre-move-in inspections, etc…

Advisory – Dry Ice Bed Bug Trap Update

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:41:24 +0000

In this episode Jeff will recap some of the information discussed in the original episode about the DIY Bed Bug Dry Ice Trap and further discuss some potential hazards associated with some of the information being reported by the media. Since the concept of this trap was released by Rutgers University researcher Dr. Changlu Wang at an entomological conference in December, several media outlets have run stories about a “great DIY bed bug trap that is affordable to make and anybody can use it”. While some of this information is true, a few news stories have began to report this monitor as a control device that can eliminate bed bugs from your home for a very small amount of money. THIS DEVICE IS NOT A CONTROL TOOL AND THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE IT WILL NOT ELIMINATE YOUR BED BUG INFESTATION. The stories that discuss this as a control tool can be very misleading and again, this is to be used as a monitor to help you determine if you have a problem, not to control your problem. Also, there are a few concerns about pest control companies using this monitor which include the hazards associated with dry ice. Please tune it to this episode to make yourself aware of some of the concerns we have about the DIY bed bug dry ice monitor so that if you do decide to set it in your home, you can do so in a knowledgeable fashion.

Related links:

Bed Bug Dry Ice Trap

ABC NY Original Story (NOT A CONTROL TOOL!)

Bed Bug Dry Ice Trap

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:11:49 +0000

In this episode Jeff will discuss the recent news on a simple and easy to make bed bug monitor created by Rutgers University to monitor for bed bugs. The Bed Bug Dry Ice Trap is an easy to create monitor for bed bugs that utilizes dry ice as the attractant that hungry bed bugs are attracted to. It is true that bed bugs are attracted to the monitor and this monitor can be the most effective that we currently have available to us, but there are some things you should be aware of if you do try to create this monitor on your own (do-it-yourself). Please also be aware that even though this monitor was shown to outcompete the commercially available monitors (CDC 3000 and Nightwatch), those devices were also very effective in detecting low level bed bug infestations. First, this monitor is not intended to be used by pest control companies as there are hazards associated with dry ice that may create liabilities for pest control companies setting this monitor in clients homes. Pest control companies should consider using the commercially manufactured devices (CDC 3000 and Nightwatch) that were found to also be effective for detecting bed bugs Also, please remember that a zero-trap-catch does not necessarily mean that you do not have bed bugs. These monitors are intended to attract hungry bed bugs to them and therefore not all bed bugs are attracted to these types of monitors. In order to create this monitor you will need: a dog bowl (that can be used similarly to a Climbup device), dry ice, a thermos to place dry ice in, talcum powder, tape or sandpaper and possibly a towel. Please watch this episode for some pointers on how to construct this device properly.

Related Topics:

Bed Bug Dry Ice Trap Article

Praxair’s Dry Ice Safe Handling Site

Bed Bug Central

Bed Bug TV Episode 20: Climbup Devices

Bed Bug Prevention

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:27:53 +0000

In this episode, Jeff will discuss what bed bug prevention truly means and steps you can take to hopefully prevent bed bugs from infesting your home and items you can consider purchasing that will help in their early detection and quick elimination. Bed bug prevention is a very interesting topic because there really is no true form of bed bug prevention. There isn’t one thing you can do to prevent bed bugs from infesting your home. “Preventing” bed bugs starts with educating yourself about what bed bugs look like, how to avoid bringing them into your home and the signs and symptoms of bed bugs so you can detect their presence in your home as early as possible. Also, you can consider purchasing such items as Protect-A-Bed encasements Climbup Insect Interceptors and the Packtite portable heating unit which could help you detect bed bugs presence as early as possible as well as assist in preventing bed bugs from entering your home and infesting your bed.

Related Links:

Bed Bug Central’s Bed Bugs 101

University of Kentucky’s Bed Bug Page

Protect-A-Bed Encasements

Bed Bug Central’s Travel Products

Bed Bug Central’s Home Products

Bed Bugs in Cars

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:28:25 +0000

In this episode, Jeff will explain how, although uncommon, bed bugs can infest your automobile and what to do if you suspect your automobile may have an issue. If you think your car is infested, you can first complete and inspection of the car but due to the large number of cracks and voids in a car, it may not yield any reliable results. Due to the complex nature of automobiles, the only true solution to the problem is to get your automobile fumigated by a licensed fumigation company. If this is done properly, is will be 100% effective on all stages of bed bugs.

Traveling Bed Bug Free

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:19:39 +0000

In this episode, Jeff will explain the appropriate steps to take to try to travel bed bug free. Regardless of what is explained in this episode, if you visit www.bedbugcentral.com you can download the Travel Lite or Travel Guide which are documents that explain how to travel bed bug free in greater detail. Everybody’s level of concern in regards to bed bugs is different when they travel. Depending on that level of concern will depend on the extent with which you inspect the room you are staying in. Beyond that, the basic steps that you should complete are on the trip home and when you arrive home. You should bag your suitcases when you are driving back to your home to try to avoid infesting your automobile. When arriving home you should unpack your suitcases outside of the home and separate your belongings into piles to be laundered which should be emptied directly into the washing machine. After that, you should address the non-launderables and suitcases with either Hot Shot No-pest strips or a Packtite portable heating unit. If these basic steps are taken it should minimize the chance that after traveling you infest your home with bed bugs.

Related Links:

Bed Bug Central

Protect-A-Bed

Episode 21: Packtite Portable Heating Unit

Episode 20: Climbup Insect Interceptor

Episode 5: Product Review: Hot Shot No Pest Strips

Episode 3: Mattress and Box Spring Encasements