In this episode, Jeff will discuss the concepts of carbon dioxide detectors for detecting bed bugs and some preliminary thoughts and findings he has on two devices that are currently available.  There are several devices currently available that are intended to detect concentrations of carbon dioxide and thus are being positioned as bed bug detectors.  Bed bugs, like many other organisms, release carbon dioxide when the breath and these devices can supposedly detect low level concentrations of CO2.  The concern with this concept is that many organisms can emit carbon dioxide and there are many other reason carbon dioxide can concentrate in an area and therefore we have serious concerns about having  a high-rate of false positives when using these devices.  In brief studies in our offices we demonstrated that two of these devices can in fact detect bed bugs but the devices did also detect carbon dioxide in other areas where bed bugs were not present (thus we confirmed our concern about false positives).  This being said, further testing needs to be conducted to confirm these findings and until these studies are conducted, we caution users to be cautious drawing conclusions from positive findings when using  these monitors.

In this video, Jeff will talk about a DNA test for bed bugs, what you should know and what the tests capabilities are.  A DNA test exists for bed bugs where you can swab (rub with a Q-tip or supplied swab) an area that you think may have bed bugs and if bed bugs are present and they have left any DNA behind, the swab will pick up that DNA and test positive for the presence of bed bug DNA.  This test IS NOT THE RIGHT TEST for you if you have had bed bugs in the past and you are trying to determine if they still exist or have made a comeback.  The DNA does not break down very fast and the test will most likely come back positive and bed bugs may not be present.  The DNA test can be an inexpensive way to provide you an idea whether or not you have bed bugs.  Please remember that a negative test result does not mean that you do not have bed bugs as bugs could be present and not have left DNA in the area you swabbed.  This test can also be used to test black spots and bugs that have been found to see if they are bed bugs.

In this episode Jeff will discuss a few easy steps you can take to help protect yourself from bed bugs in the office you work in. With the increase in bed bug infestations in residential homes, there has been an increase in bed bugs being reported in offices. In an office environment, someone is dealing with an infestation at home and bringing bed bugs into the office. The bugs walk off of their personal belongings or clothes and "infest" the work space. One step is to bring less personal items into the office which will decrease the chance bed bugs hitching a ride home with you. You can also seal your personal belongings in Ziploc bags or sealed Tupperware containers while working to protect those items from being infested. Lastly, you can launder your clothes in a hot wash and/or a hot dry cycle when you return home to kill any bed bugs or their eggs that may be on them. If you follow these few simple steps you should drastically reduce the chance that you take bed bugs home with you if they are found in your office.

In this episode Jeff will talk about how to avoid staying in a hotel room that is overly infested with bed bugs and how to avoid taking bed bugs home with you.  With bed bugs on the rise it is becoming more common to encounter bed bugs in hotels.  While a basic inspection of the headboard and box spring in the room may help you avoid staying in an overly infested room, it would be almost impossible to find a bed bug in a light infestation and therefore addressing your belongings when you return home is critical.  Simple steps such as bringing either dissolvable laundry bags or garbage bags to separate your clothes into launderable piles before you leave can reduce the chance that you introduce a bed bug into your home.  Also, knowing how to address your suitcase when you return is extremely important as bugs may have hitched a ride on the outside of the suitcase.  Follow these simple steps and you can drastically reduce the chance you take a bed bug home during your travels.

Related Topics:

PackTite Portable Heating Unit

BedBug Travel Protection

In this episode, Jeff will discuss mattress and box spring encasements and the roles they play when dealing with bed bug infestations. Bed encasements play a critical role when dealing with bed bug infestations. The intention of encasements are to lock bed bugs inside of the encasements in an effort to make beds easier to treat and limit the amount of pesticide being applied to mattresses. In addition, encasements are designed to keep bugs out of the bedding to protect your bedding and limit bed bugs to the outside of the encasements. This can ease future inspections of the bedding because the encasement make bed bugs much easier to see. When shopping for encasements it is important to ask for research that backs the companies claim that they are effective for bed bugs. There have been encasement companies that say they are good for use with bed bugs but the encasement zipper fails to keep bed bugs inside the encasement. Encasements are a great option when dealing with bed bugs from both a proactive (protecting the bedding and making inspections easier) and reactive (assisting with treatment) perspective.

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.

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.