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April 1, 2009
non-toxic BED BUG extermination?
I hate to admit it, but I think my wife is right: we have bed bugs. Can't say for sure, as we can't find the typical evidence of them, but I've gotten numerous bites at night, clustered next to one another, typically, and we can't figure out what else it could be. And given the bed bug "epidemic" here, seems likely... She's pregnant, though, so we're particularly wary of extermination. Just as wary of it growing into a full-blown infestation, though!
Does anyone have any experience with bed bugs?
And in particular, can anyone recommend a really good exterminator who can use non-toxic methods (I hear steam is what they do for homes with pregnant women and babies)?
And does anyone know how much I should expect it to cost??
Thanks much.
Comments
Be prepared to work really hard cleaning EVERYTHING in your apartment and perhaps throwing out your mattress and/or other upholstered furniture. Regardless of whether you've seen them in your closets or clothing, all clothes in the apartment must be specially washed. All cloth items, purses, bags, luggage, shoes, etc. must be cleaned, sprayed or thrown away. Anything with folds, creases, etc. must be treated or thrown away.
Anything in the kitchen where they could hide -- packages, bags, boxes, etc. must be thrown away. (I helped my uncle in Manhattan when he had bedbugs.) We even threw out some pictures on the walls because the bugs would get into the paper backing on the backs of the frames. The carpet was ripped up and replaced after treatment. Bedbugs are a major, major pain. Call 311 for more information. Good luck.
Posted by: cpchkp at April 1, 2009 9:13 PM
There's an ad on tv at the moment where they say they freeze them - no pesticides. AND they have a cute beagle that sniffs them out! Sadly, I cannot remember the name of the company, but they're out there.
Posted by: mshook at April 1, 2009 9:33 PM
We had a suspected bedbug infestation once... my daughter was getting clusters of bites, but it turned out to be something else fortunately! As I recall there is a LOT of information online that you can find. We had the beagle come in and do a sniff - I think the company we used was called Assured Environments, although there are a couple of different companies in NYC that offer "canine screening". These dogs are trained just like drug sniffing dogs - pretty amazing. It was 100% worth it for the peace of mind. So I'd do that first if I were you. At least then you'll know for sure whether you really have that problem, and you'll also get a sense of exactly where the infestation is concentrated.
Posted by: StuyMom at April 2, 2009 8:42 AM
There is a new product "Marobug" which will be introduced withing the next few weeks. Preliminary results are promising - kills bugs on contact. Dead in seconds. It contains botanical oils (Neem oil) and is all natural. To be sold initially on Amazon.com.
Posted by: Bianca67 at April 2, 2009 5:06 PM
buggy,
I think I have the same problem. We live on first floor of rowhouse (we moved in few months ago). And my son recently start complaining on scratchy inflomations.
The doctor explained to me that this is a some sort of insect bytes. The doctor also said, that sudently three other kids came with the same issues within a day from different parts of Brooklyn so he doubted that this are the bed bugs.
Did you get any progress on your issue. Maybe you can drop me email (eamnesia () yahoo , com)
thanks
Posted by: buggytoo at April 4, 2009 9:02 AM
StuyMom, can I ask what your issue ended up being?
No one here has gotten any bites in the last handful of days, so I'm really not sure what to think... I think I'll follow your advice about a canine screening...
Buggytoo, I'll let you know what happens!
Posted by: buggy at April 5, 2009 8:08 PM
Bed bugs are insideous, and it is very likely that there is no way to completely eliminate them without the use of chemicals. If you are dealing with a good exterminator, there are typically three that are used. The first is a excitant, which specifically draws bugs out of crevices where they hide *and can live in hibernation up to 18 months without feeding* so that they get exposed to the poisons being used. The second is a growth cycle regulator, which essentially renders the bugs sterile. Any time a single bug feeds, they can lay up to 100 eggs PER DAY for up to seven days. It is easy to get infested quickly. The growth cycle regulator also prevents current bugs from developing to the next stage (there are four stages of development, see: http://www.pest-control-management.com/articles/bed-bugs/bed-bug-life-cycle/). The last is a residue poison, that is usually mixed with water. Once bed bugs come out to find a host, they carry the poison on their legs, ingest it when the clean themselves, and then die once the poison is ingested. This allows for an ongoing process, as it is very rare (and no exterminator will guarantee) that the bugs can be eliminated in one - or even several - primary treatments.
I am not an exterminator, and you should consult an expert. But I have learned a lot through resolving this problem in my own home - and note - how clean you are does not make a difference. Unfortunately there is no "green" way to resolve this. Bed bugs are back precisely because DDT (and other things like karosene) are no longer legal to use. Chemicals are the only way to get rid of the problem, but most are very diluted and hence no real danger to pets or people.
If you need a recommendation for someone, respond and I can give you two good names.
Posted by: Brooklyn_Lou at April 6, 2009 1:10 PM
argh.
okay, brooklyn lou, i'd love your recommendations...
thanks much.
Posted by: buggy at April 7, 2009 5:06 PM
brooklyn lou:
could you please share your two recommendations for professional bed bug exterminators? much obliged.
mdneville930@yahoo.com
Posted by: mdnev at April 9, 2009 7:31 AM
Haven't used them, but this place seems to be the go-to non-toxic folks:
http://www.sternenvironmental.com/index.php
Posted by: brooklynblondie at May 5, 2009 2:49 PM
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