Research and bed bugs – a frustrating exercise

My apartment block got it’s first case of bed bugs in 2007 and I knew nothing about the critters. But given that my favourite hobby was researching I took up my education on the topic with gusto. I soon learned that I had a big problem. My first foray into my education was google. I […]

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Bed bug behaviour and light/dark

My  bed bug experiment room is typically lit 100% of the time to enable my video camera to record activity. I realize that is not optimal but to this point my desire to observe behaviour has outweighed my wish for ideal conditions. I did purchase an IR illuminated camera quite a while ago but have […]

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Dumpster diving and pawn shops

I was walking along my inner city back alley and I noticed a man going through all the apartment block dumpsters – some of which I knew had uncontrolled bed bug problems. The man seemed to be very pleased with himself and he began a conversation with me. The man stated that it was amazing […]

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Field observations on heat sterilizing an infested stuffed chair

There have been a few lab experiments on how bed bugs react to heat. The experiments suggested the bugs would generally not venture far from the harbourage but would actually come out of the harbourage with foraging behaviour and when it became too hot they would return to the harbourage. This was good news for […]

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An experience with a very cluttered home and observations on bed bugs hiding in a block of wood

I was asked to help an elderly man with his bed bugs. The home was very cluttered and I had to walk sideways when walking in the hallways due to the stacks of clutter. Less than 20% of the baseboards were accessible. The elderly man hired a whole home heat treatment from a local exterminator […]

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Sometimes getting rid of the bugs means getting rid of the tenant

Harry Lehotsky was a Winnipeg inner city pastor/activist before he died of pancreatic cancer a few years ago. I admired and respected his work immensely. One of Harry’s duties was writing a column for the Winnipeg Sun. In one column he outlined his experience with one of his tenants who complained that there were bugs […]

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climb up interceptor surrounded by "trapper max" mouse glue boards

Co2 traps : do they work?

It is well documented that Co2 and heat attracts bed bugs but it is still unknown what, if any, other cues attract bed bugs. We have tried using dry ice inside a climb up interceptor and it did catch more bugs than a random interceptor but the results were not an overwhelming success. In other […]

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Do bed bugs fall deliberately?

  I occasionally hear tenants claim that a bed bug deliberately fell off the ceiling and landed on their isolated bed. I would agree with Robert Usinger that these reports are exaggerated and if something like that would happen it would be accidental.   As an experiment I covered a block of wood measuring 1.5 […]

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Bed bug behaviour in public areas

A few years ago Richard Cooper et al published an excellent article entitled “Bed Bugs In Office Buildings : The Ultimate challenge.” The authors stated, in regard to public spaces, that “bed bug numbers tend to be low, increasing by periodic reintroductions rather than through reproduction.” In my own experience I would agree with that […]

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What is the best method of washing infested laundry?

As an exterminator specializing in multi family I have noted that suites surrounding the laundry room are more prone to bed bug infestations than other suites. I have also noted a private home with a relatively small infestation and the owners complained they saw bugs coming out of the heating vents on the floor of […]

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