Back in 2007 I was experimenting with making my own bed bug pit fall traps. I glued a 4 inch round bowl into a small teflon baking pan and surrounded the outside of the teflon pan with tape so that the bugs would be able to climb to the top. I then filled the moat with mineral oil. When ever we used these tools we also incorporated the standard chemical treatments. We did succeed in getting rid of bugs using these traps but the traps themselves seldom, if ever, caught a bed bug. I never video taped the bugs with these dishes to see why they failed but I suspect the bug’s penchant for being repelled by slippery surfaces played a part.
When the “Climb Up Interceptor” (created by Mcknight) came onto the market I was probably one of the first customers as they were cheaper than what I could make. We have used in the neighbourhood of 50 cases of these devices (approx 7000 pieces) since that time. These devices do have some repellancy issues due to the bugs avoiding slippery pitfalls but they worked much better than my home made devices. Some of the Interceptors have been reused countless times in different suites and different buildings as they are quite durable. If the devices do fail it is because they were used on thick carpets which causes the bottoms to crack.
About a year ago or so I purchased 6 cases of a new look-a-like product called “Climb Up Defender” because they were slightly cheaper than Mcknight’s interceptor – and was I ever disappointed. It turns out that the defender is constructed with a thinner plastic and is easily broken. My landlord customers that got a case of these refused further deliveries. They insisted on going back to Mcknight’s interceptors.
If you intend to use the “Defender” in a single use setting, and only on hard floors, they might work adequately. But if you expect to reuse these devices make sure you get Mcknight’s interceptor.
UPDATE AUGUST 30, 2014
I recently began work with a new landlord who had been using the “defender” bed bug traps. While refreshing these traps (clean and repowder) I noted that the pitfall portion of the traps were quite rough compared to the “Interceptor.” I have noted in other experiments that bed bugs are very adept climbers with an ability to periodically climb teflon and glass so I fear that the inclusion of a rougher surface in the defender could facilitate a potential for escape. At the very minimum I recommend that the Defender be refreshed twice as often as the interceptor to prevent those escapes. From a practical perspective I no longer recommend anyone purchase the “Defender” even if they are cheaper. Not worth the hassle.
