insecticide info wanted

[TwinkleToes]

We have found bedbugs in corners of 2 of our bed frames - no idea where they came from but even after blitzing both rooms with bedbug killer spray, throwing away the mattress and ripping up the carpets, we still seem to be getting bitten. Apparently there is an epidemic in London - yuk!! https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/aug/19/bedbugs-heatwave-sparks-plage-pest-infestation

Our flat has so many places they could hide as it is open plan with lots of exposed brick and wooden beams.... Has anyone else had a similar problem and if so did you manage to get rid of them?

[Pugwash]

When I was working for social services we had to deal with several cases of bedbugs. Contact was via Environmental services (check that they may only cover council properties but could possibly recommend contractors). The resident would need to move out of their home for a minimum of a day whilst the property was sprayed. All washable fabrics needed a 60 degree wash.

[TwinkleToes]

I've had a very helpful PM from someone who managed to get rid of their infestation - details below in case anyone else needs it. They said:-

"Hi, there,

I had a fight with bed bugs this summer too & won (although it was a very stressful time dealing with them!)

Key points when dealing with them I'd say:

- They tend to stay with 1-2m radius from where you are staying at night i.e. bed so you can focus you treatment area

- their feeding window is around 2-5am + dark, so any treatments you do I'd recommend doing them at night, as this is when they are active, chemicals are more likely to reach them directly and have better effect

- do not move things from one area (room) to another, I'd say, even when they are clean, leave them in the same room, so you know if your methods are working

Methods

- Wash all the fabrics in the highest temperature possible

- Spray area with the bedbug killer

- Spray area with highest concentration alcohol you can get (this helps to dry out their shells and larva)

- Clean the affected hard surfaces with alcohol solution

- Hoover the affected area at least 2 times a day (night even better) - change the bag or wash the hoover after each use!)

To sum up, basically you're trying to make sure the chemicals reach them directly, and their bodies & larva dry out & then hoover like mad!

I used 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and put it in a plant spray bottle.

I'm slightly sceptical about bedbug 'experts' and think they are likely to say that you will not be able to get rid of them yourself.

From my research I found that there isn't a product that would prevent them from coming out or multiplying, so the only way to kill them is using spray or alcohol + direct contact, hence, i think, night hunts and obsessive hoovering worked.

It's all about knowing reproducing/feeding habits and trying to tackle it that way.

I've slept in the living room for 3 days and applied extreme cleanliness in the affected area!

It is quite horrible and stigmatised, but they are actually not as bad as mosquitos for example (which move around more and have potential to carry diseases).

But yes, it's very annoying having them disturb your sleep (I've even developed an allergic reaction to the bites).

Good luck! "

[Pugwash]

It is also helpful to wear those disposable shoe protectors and to change them for each room to prevent transferring bugs from one place to another.

One housing block I worked with, used to do home visits to prospective tenants to check their furniture as they had difficulties in getting rid of bedbugs in their block of flats. Infestation was originally traced back to a tenant who had moved in some months ago with some very old furniture in poor state.

[temi]

Get some diatomaceous earth. and spread it round the bed. this stuff actually breaks through the oils on their protective shells kills them. its a slow process and you have to be patient but it helped me get rid of them and they havent been back since. and its non toxic, which is great.

[Tosca]

I would echo what Temi says about diomataceous earth, which you can buy in bulk from the internet. It isn't at all harmful to humans (though you might want to be cautious with anyone who has asthma.) You then need a plastic puffer bottle - the sort used by chefs to drizzle sauce. Keep it close by the bed, and check all the other beds in the house. Sprinkle it between the spaces in the bed frame and around the edges of the mattress. It's awful, at first, but once you've got rid of the mattress and the pillows, you will learn to become an expert, able to spot the telltale signs on bedding and on the bedframes. Wash everything at 60 degrees or freeze it. You may have to get rid of the frame if it's too badly marked, but, rest assured that they will be drawn towards body heat, and the thin trickle of diomataceous earth around the mattress and frame will kill them all. You might also want to sprinkle it around the skirting boards.