canklecat

Yeah, bed bugs are unpleasant and difficult to get rid of. Just the thought of bloodsucking freaks puts off most people. And they smell bad, like stink bugs. The babies are almost invisible and the adults are almost paper thin before gorging, so they can sneak through the tiniest cracks. They can hitchhike everywhere unseen, which is why they bed bug population has exploded worldwide. And they're indifferent to hygiene and housekeeping practices. Bed bugs don't care how clean we are. They just want blood.

But believe it or not, roaches are worse in almost every way. Almost as resistant to surface applications of pesticides. They smell even worse to me, and I'm allergic to them. Roaches can carry disease, typically e-coli, salmonella, staph, pretty much anything that can be tracked around through contaminated areas.

Funny thing about bed bugs -- despite gorging on blood, they aren't known to transmit bloodborne pathogens. It isn't clear why. If they did transmit bloodborne diseases the entire global population would be in serious trouble -- they're more prolific than mosquitoes across a broader temperature range.

Living in an apartment complex, especially one built in the typical urban east coast and northern style, with doors facing long continuous common hallways, it's tough to stay bug-free for long.

The most effective treatment for bed bugs is amorphous silica gel, like Cimexa. It's just a desiccant, the same stuff in those little packets of beads in vitamins, electronics and other consumer products. It's milled to a fine powder like powdered sugar. It adheres to the waxy exoskeleton of bed bugs and dries them out within 72 hours. Virtually benign to humans and animals. Not even particularly effective on other insects unless the silica gel powder can stick to their exoskeletons. But for now nothing better exists to control bed bugs.

And Cimexa and other brands of amorphous silica gel powder is fairly easy and safe to apply -- a hand squeeze puffer. All it takes is a light dusting along baseboards, between hollow wall, floor and ceiling spaces, and seams under and behind upholstered furniture and beds.

With fabrics that can't be safely laundered or exposed to heat, apply the silica gel powder, let it work for a week or so, then brush and vacuum the excess.

Another effective method for delicate fabrics, electronics, etc., is dry ice. As it converts to carbon dioxide in an enclosed space it displaces oxygen and asphyxiates the bed bugs. A one or two pound block of dry ice in a large yard sized lawn/leaf bag, or a large trash can, tightly sealed, will treat everything that can be stuffed inside -- computers, TVs, appliances, delicate clothing and fabrics, artwork (because bed bugs will hide behind anything hanging on the wall in bedrooms), etc. There's a research paper on the NCBI/NIH site supporting this.

And, as I mentioned earlier, steam heat for stuff that can withstand that treatment. Labor intensive but very effective.

Skip the whole-building heat treatment. Incredibly expensive and has no residual effect. Unless combined with Cimexa the whole building heat treatment tends to herd the bed bugs to the coolest part of the structure, where they regroup and re-infest rapidly. Careful use of Cimexa will accomplish the same thing, more cost effectively, but will take a little longer - up to a month for a large multi-family residential building, dormitory, barracks, shelter, etc. But a significant impact will occur within 72 hours.

For bed bugs, don't waste time or money on pesticides, alcohol sprays, "CO2 traps" (professionally made or homemade), or substitute powders like diatomaceous earth or boric acid, or talcum powder, laundry softener sheets or any other hocus pocus or voodoo. They don't work.

Roaches are less sensitive to heat, and I can't see that the amorphous silica gel affects them at all. It doesn't adhere to their exoskeletons to cause dehydration.

However boric acid is very effective on roaches. And like Cimexa, it's relatively benign and safe around people and pets. The trick is getting the insects to walk through it or, better still, eat it. The trick? Mix boric acid with powdered sugar. They can't resist. Works on ants too. And it works for weeks or months. Powdered sugar includes an anti-caking ingredient, so it resists getting gooey on most surfaces. And it cleans up fairly easily, so it can be puffed liberally around kitchens and bathrooms, then the excess can be swept and mopped up after a few days.

And some baits and gels work very well. I've tried both the gels (they look like peanut butter in syringes) and, frankly, the commercially made bait traps work better. The gels from syringes dry too quickly, don't really attract adult cockroaches effectively, and needs to be reapplied more often. It's labor intensive.

But the same gels are mixed with food bait, safely tucked inside plastic housings. The type designed specifically for German cockroaches is made with smaller openings to exclude larger cockroaches and other bugs. These usually work within a week. Replace them every month or so until the infestation is gone. Seems more expensive than the gel syringes, but works better.

I've made my own baits mixing gel with dry cat foot -- roaches love cat food -- but, again, it's labor intensive and the ready made bait traps work well with much less effort.

The gels and baits work in an odd way. The kill on adult cockroaches is delayed a few days. This gives them time to revisit their nests and poop. Baby cockroaches eat the now-poisoned poop. Everybody dies.

Skip the pesticide sprays. Research shows it defeats the purpose of using boric acid and gel/baits. The roaches will avoid the surface pesticides, so they don't take the bait. It's like setting a trap for humans and labeling it "WATCH OUT!! TRAP!!!"

More info than you wanted to know, hmm? But useful for folks who live in apartment complexes, especially in urban areas.

FeltF2Tarmac

Gotta say that was educational canklecat, no experience with bed bugs knock on wood.

I generally try everything on before I wash it new. Then into a wash cycle and air dry prior too riding in them. I it doesn’t fit I wont buy it or online purchases before tags come off.

SquidPuppet

Thanks for all that. Seems like strategies have changed in recent times.

Dirt Farmer

Shorts only.

Oh, I rarely wash my apples first, too.

kcblair

Yes, everything, always.KB

Dave Cutter

The clothing is manufactured in factors and sold in stores with employees handing the materials.... day in and day out... for long periods of time with no known (measurable) reactions. Clothing is safe.

rachel120

I work with clothing. I see all sorts of people of varying hygiene trying on stuff. I see all sorts of clothing that has been taken home and later returned. There's stuff I don't touch without gloves that immediately are marked bio-hazard. The rest I just pretend it's pristine and hope that it's as good as it looks and try to be careful about where I'm grabbing (swimsuit bottoms are the perfect example).

I will never wear something, other than shoes, without a very thorough washing and I wish I could toss my new high heels in the washer. And new stuff does not sit around waiting for a load, it's walk in the door straight to the washing machine, double dose of soap and some vinegar. If you all have seen the stuff I've seen when it comes to clothes, you would be the same.

GoldenBoy12

I don't always wash them when its new. I guess Im just too excited to wear my new kit.

GoldenBoy12

ooooooh. Thank you for your info. I think I'll wash new clothes/cycling kits from now on.

Cyclist0108

I even pre-wash my socks.

I think they breathe less efficiently if I do not.

shelbyfv

Probably it's a consciousness thing. Once that light bulb turns on in your head, you wouldn't think of not washing. Fortunately, the rest of us aren't bothered by those whose bulb is dim.