Bed Bugs

[seekermeister]

I was somewhat annoyed when the apt. management slipped a notice under everyone's door, that they were going to have an exterminator doing bed bug inspections in a few days. However, after doing some reading on the subject, it appears that it is the wise thing to do.

Battling The Bedbug Epidemic | Cover Story | Chemical & Engineering News

I was told that the bugs were found in one apartment in the other building of the complex, so that is near enough to home for me. Still, considering what I read, I don't see a real solution to the problem if they are found. I recall a comment that the manager made on her last annual inspection of the apartment, when the subject first arose, about having to throw out all infected items, which could mean considerable financial hardship being imposed on the victims.

The article that I linked mentioned the fact that there are some non-tested products being marketed for the problem, which were termed "snake oil", yet I know in other matters that some less scientific methods do work. I'm curious if anyone has any personal knowledge along these lines?

I do not expect for the exterminator to find my apartment to be a problem, because if it were I would be the first to know, because I would be getting bitten, but there is more than one way to having the bite put on a person, and I want to be prepared for all comers...animal or human.

 

[karlsnooks]

EPA Registered Bed Bug Products | Pesticides | US EPA

I sure thought I had more links on this matter, since at one time I was concerned whether I'd been invaded. Turned out no. the bugs were a different type of mite which I did get rid of.

 

[Layback Bear]

Check this out.
How to get rid of bed bugs? - Yahoo! Answers

 

[seekermeister]

EPA Registered Bed Bug Products | Pesticides | US EPA

I sure thought I had more links on this matter, since at one time I was concerned whether I'd been invaded. Turned out no. the bugs were a different type of mite which I did get rid of.

From the article that I linked, I'm left with the impression that there is no effective chemical that is approved by the EPA. Therefore, I don't know that a search tool of that kind would be able to find an effective chemical.

 

[seekermeister]

Check this out.
How to get rid of bed bugs? - Yahoo! Answers

That product is based on cedar oil, which is mentioned in my linked article:

For instance, Jones explains, the agency maintains a list—the so-called 25b list—of chemicals “generally regarded as safe.” Many of these compounds are natural products, such as cedar oil, which has been touted as a “natural” solution to bedbug infestations.

“But there’s no efficacy data,” Jones says. “So you have all of this snake oil on the market. People are left to fend for themselves in trying to figure out what works. We have been telling EPA for years that this is a growing problem, but they’re just dragging their feet.”

Do you have any personal experience with it?

EDIT: In any case, it sounds a lot better than having to get a bunch of cats and training them to take a leak into bottles.