Bed Bugs in Detroit and Other Cities

[jcole]

You know, my building just had a...preventative maintenance, lets call it for bed bugs. I was suprised that the orkin man removed all the outlet and light switch covers to look there as well. So...there's another spot.

Apparently, they spray some sort of powdered insecticide in the walls and the outlets are the ingress.

[Magnatomicflux]

yeah, he had something....didn't get a real good look at it. It was small and seemed like it was just squeezing a puff of air into the outlet. I wonder if that was this powder you speak of.

[Zacha341]

I dunno, having my place broken into it still pretty high up there... LOL!

Going on a trip this week, and I think the bed bug deal replaced the fear of my house getting robbed.

[JTistle1]

When looking for bed bug info online, it's best to check out a website for a university that has an entomologist on staff.
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef636.asp[/URL]
This website has more than enough info for the layperson.

[Big Dog]

The powder they sprayed is Diotomaceous Earth.

[lincoln8740]

The powder they sprayed is Diotomaceous Earth.

we have used that as well, not sure on the effectiveness but its better than nothing I guess!

[reddog289]

Well My house was the way it was when I left, And I checked and did not find any bedbugs where I stayed on my trip.Might not wait another 20 years before I take a whole weeks off for vacation.Bed Bugs and breakins not withstanding. And thanks to Lowell I did get up into the thumb area, Maybe only round it but my first time up that way.

[MaxDetroit]

Media-created mass hysteria.

This year's villain is the bed bug.

Last year we would all be dropping in our tracks as the swine flu spread across North America like the Plague.

Before that it was the bird flu "pandemic" that would surely be killing millions across the globe.

And here I am still alive and bed-bug free. It's a miracle, a frickin miracle!

[gazhekwe]

Even though I KNOW you are right, Max, and was thinking the same thing myself, I can't help but get the heeby-jeebies reading about bedbugs. Ick, ick and double ICK.

[DetroitDad]

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/24681838/detail.html

This is a few months old, but I haven't seen it posted here. Apparently the problem spread to higher-end luxury apartments.

We remained bed bug free in the Leland House Apartments, as did our friends and co-workers spread out across the greater downtown area. However, we did notice that the couches all disappeared from several lobbies, as did the carpets for several days in ours, at the height of the bed bug issue.

[detroittrader]

The company I work for sells Bedbug removal/prevention supplies to apartment complexes and other multi housing. I can tell you bedbugs are all over the Tri county area not just the "ghettohoods". Our top sellers are 99% alcohol, mattress covers and Tyvek suits. The alcohol kills them on contact when sprayed, the covers keep the bedbugs from jumping off the mattress when moving it to the dumpster and the maintainence personel use the Tyvek suits to keep the critters from attaching to their clothes.

I tell my friends to call me before renting so I can tell them if we sell bedbug supplies to the property.

[Big Dog]

Diotomaceous earth, will get rid of them in two weeks. Bedbug bellys are very soft. The DE is abrasive to their stomach and when they come in contact, it cuts their belly and injures them, and they will go to their nest and dehydrate in a couple of days. However, if they have laid eggs, the eggs will hatch within 2 weeks, so, leave the DE on everything for 3 to 4 weeks, or more, if you are still getting bites. The DE is not harmful to humans or pets. Get a small rose bush sprayer, make sure you spray your bed everywhere, floor,sheets, pillow cases, in between mattress and box springs. You are their food source. You will have to sacrifice a few bites as they come in contact with the DE. This is a good way to get rid of them, if your infestation is not real large. It does work, and you can do it yourself for cheap. When you stop getting bites, you are probably rid of them. This works.

[jiminnm]

Big Dog, everything I've read that wasn't written by someone with an interest in selling pesticides agrees with you. Just be sure that the DE is classified as "food grade" [[it's sometimes recommended for certain pet digestion problems).