IMHO, the DDT issue is a red herring being promoted by persons with an anti-environmentalist axe to grind; I frequently see it accompanied by blaming Rachel Carson for “decades of weaker pesticides killing untold millions of African malaria sufferers,” ignoring the fact that DDT is still used for malarial control in Africa. That emotional appeal in defiance of the facts is, IMHO, little better than “Birther” doubts about Obama or “Truther” assertions that “the fact that steel doesn’t melt” disproves the WTC bombings.
Every time there’s an insect infestation story of any kind, eventually someone will trot out the DDT myth (and like as not, rail against Carson and environmentalism in general). But the truth is, anyone who takes out the garbage (as opposed to just living in it) is an environmentalist at heart; some just haven’t generalized their behavior to the rest of the world yet.
I’m not sure reading this whether you are pro or con-DDT. For the record, I am a big proponent for the use of DDT in the right situation (i.e. malaria control which, as you said, it can still be used for). If DDT was effective against the emergent bedbug strains, I would be all for labeling it for this purpose as well. However, the data indicate that for whatever reason, DDT is ineffective against these new bedbug infestations.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that - ants that invade households don’t generally bite.
Yes, non-chemical techniques such as DE can work. The main problem is that insecticides (when they work) generally have a rapid “knock-down” effect that is immediately visible. These other techniques (such as DE) are much slower - they take days or weeks to work. People want to see dead bugs NOW, not in 2 weeks.
If I had an infestation, and I had an unattached home, I wouldn’t bother with sprays, DE or anything else - I would immediately go to the nuclear option and Vikane fumigate the structure, as well as my car. Vikane is sulfuryl fluoride gas, originally used for termite fumigation, but its now been labeled for bedbug control. Vikane kills EVERYTHING by the mechanism of fluoride poisoning - bugs, termites, molds, and you if you breath it. Studies have shown that it is 100% effective at eliminating a bedbug infestation if used properly.
But in an attached or multi-unit structure it can’t be used unless the entire structure is tented and fumigated. STill, for many apartment buildings that battle infestations that move between units for years on end, it might be more cost-effective in the long run to do this. I was amazed when I learned how large a building could be and still be tented.
In an attached unit, you can try thermal treatment (it can be done on an unattached building as well). Thermal treatment is when using propane heaters the entire structure, down to the studs, is heated to about 140 degrees F. This kills all bugs, and most other things as well. If done properly, it is very effective as well, but the heat has top get to everything, including closets etc… The operator needs to know what they are doing.
Stupid media sensations. I’ve had the same bedframe and the same mattress for six years and I’ve never had an issue. Now bedbugs are in the news and I’ve had four bites during the night over the last couple of days.
Generally anti-DDT due to its danger as a persistent environmental menace.
To bring up another angle, I have read recently that old-fashioned anti-bedbug protocols that would help us have been abandoned and largely forgotten; among them regular exposure of bed linens and mattresses to hours of brilliant sunlight (for the UV). Is sunlight in fact effective (in massive doses) and would it be helpful to revive this and other anti-bedbug protocols (such as you recommend with the dryer) generally?
Yes, this has been a significant issue in New York City in recent years. Not that one person makes an epidemic but we do have a friend who has suffered repeated infestations lately. She keeps getting her place cleaned and they keep coming back. I’m sure it sucks. More recently one of the bigger movie theaters in Times Square has had to shut down for bedbug extermination. That’s happened to them twice, I think. The usual media panic could be a factor that makes this seem like a bigger deal than it is, but I think this has been a problem here for long enough that there is something to it.
UV might help, and sunlight is probably pretty good at scattering nocturnal bugs out of your linens, but the dryer will work just as well. But remember - we live in a different environment now.
Back in the day, people used to re-stuff mattresses. Wall-to-wall carpeting wasn’t common - people had wood floors with area rugs. People sprayed and wiped everything down with kerosine. Homes were smaller. Central heating didn’t exist. And, mostly, people simply lived with it.
Most of these things are not good control options today.
Sure, but then you have to get snakes to get rid of the geckos, then mongeese to get rid of the snakes, then eagles, and pretty soon your room is covered in dead animals, birdshit, and decoy tails.
Holy cow – people (presumably, in homes with with fireplaces and gas lighting) sprayed everything with kerosene? It’s a wonder anyone survived to pass this down to us!
Yep. Still used in many parts of the world. Cheap and effective, if you can get past the smell.
Also, this won’t help if the infestation gets BAD - no way to get this into the walls etc… it was used to wipe down the beds and furniture, and other surfaces.
Speaking of walls, that reminds me of another difference. Walls and construction used to generally be more solid - plaster, not the studs and drywall of today that give bugs places to hide in.
Sure, but then the bedbugs bring in their tiny Coleman camp stoves and pretty soon they’re making coffee and hot cocoa with marshmallows and of course they offer you some and you take it because yum, hot cocoa, and then they start telling ghost stories and of course you listen in because who doesn’t love a good ghost story and before you know it the sun is almost up and you realize you have to be at work in three hours and you haven’t slept yet and THAT’S why I hate bedbugs!
We thought we had them in 2009 after we started getting bitten following a vacation trip. The exterminators brought in bedbug-sniffing dogs to see if they could track down the infestation. Turns out we’d actually brought home bird mites that had colonized the hamster cages. That was much easier to treat.
And last spring we had the entire building tented for termites. So we’re definitely clean … for the moment.
FYI: If you’re searching for pictures of bed bug bites, and you decide that’s not what bit you, DON’T SEARCH ON SPIDER BITES!!! OMFG, horror movies aren’t as graphic.
Same sort of thing happened to me. Never in my life had I been happier to realize my cat had fleas.
And yes, they’re back and better than ever. I have a serious problem going to movie theaters in New York, and when I travel I NEVER unpack and spray all my bags when I get back in. Better paranoid than infested, I guess. Though I seriously have friends moving from place to place in Manhattan who just assume they’ll get bedbugs, eventually. They’ve just accepted it.
I promise you that Chicago has plenty of bedbugs too. They’re in all the major cities now. I used to love traveling but nowadays I worry too much about getting infested to enjoy hotel life anymore.
