New PackTite Closet Bed Bug Heater Review

by on September 22, 2011

The new PackTite Closet Heater has finally arrived after months of speculation that a new larger model was in development. We had a chance to review the new PackTite Closet and wanted to share our thoughts.

The first generation PackTite launched in 2009 and was the first of it’s kind used to treat personal items such as suitcases, clothing, shoes and bags in a controlled heat box. Bed Bugs are effectively killed with sustained heat above 117 degrees fahrenheit making the PackTite as bed bug killing machine. This unit is of course still available today and has worked well over the years for frequent travelers, those treating an infestation, retailers (to treat returns) and just about anyone looking to treat items that may have been exposed or infested with bed bugs. Limitations to the first generation PackTite was only space, which limited it to travel size suitcases.

The new PackTite Closet is a considerable larger PackTite with several key new features that set the unit apart from its predecessor. One of the key differences is the heater, which installed outside the unit as opposed to inside. This increases the usable inside space and also fills the PackTite up sort of like bounce house further increasing the usable interior space. The PackTite Closet starts out at 18″ L. x 36″ W. x 34″ H., but then expands once the heater is turned on to 30″ L. x 40″ W. x 36″ H. The new heater is also more powerful reducing the time needed to heat up. Another key feature is the larger usable space allowing it to treat most sizes of suitcases. With the larger usable space, you can also treat more items using fewer cycles. This can be especially helpful when treating large amounts belongings in a short period of time.

One of the most interesting features to be offered on the new PackTite Closet is clothing rack allowing the user to hang up clothing as opposed to piling clothing on top of each other. This greatly reduces the treatment time as well as keeps clothing from becoming wrinkled. Those that have a lot of dry clean only clothing will certainly enjoy this!

To ensure that the temperature has reached the optimal killing point, the new PackTite Closet comes with multiple gauges. This helps make sure that each part of the PackTite has reached the correct temperature.

Overall the new PackTite Closet is a solid new addition to the PackTite family and is sure to be a success given the demand for personal item bed bug heaters. The price of the new PackTite Closet retails for between $669 – $799. We found it on one of our sponsors Bed Bug Supply for $669 with free shipping. Please use the following link: PackTite Closet

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Bed Bug Season Is Here, But Why?

by on July 26, 2011

Bed bug season has historically begun May 1st and ended around November 1st, but many people are confused why there is a season at all given bed bugs are a year round pest.

To better understand why there is a season one must better understand our own routine habits. The following two main points explain why there is a bed bugs season after all.

Temperature:

Although bed bugs can develop and reproduce at lower temperatures (less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit), they appear to reproduce faster and are more active when the room they occupy is warmer (75 degree Fahreheit +). During the winter months many people keep their thermostat below 70 degrees to save money. I’ve even spoken to a some people that keep their house at 60 degrees, which is a bit cold in my opinion!

In the summer months the oposite occurs and people keep their thermostats higher to save money, which makes it more likely to see bed bugs more active during the day and night. It also increases the speed in which a bed bug develops from a stage 1 instar to an adult bed bug. Although someone may have had bed bugs during the winter months, they may not notice the infestation until the warmer months when bed bugs become more active and obvious.

Busy Travel Months:

During bed bug season (the summer months) many families do their yearly traveling to see family, friends, theme parks, foreign countries, etc. This increase in travel and hotel stays increases the risk of bringing a bed bug hitchhiker home with you. Bed bug season peaks during August and September when families have returned home from their trips and are now beginning to notice bites, fecal matter and blood spots. It’s also two of the hottest months of the year.

Bed bugs appear to be here to stay. Taking the right prevention steps while you travel may help reduce the chances of bringing one home.

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Sos Bed Bug Forum Now Available

by on July 25, 2011

We invite our reader to ask questions and share info on our new SOS Bed Bug Forum. We will get back to you quickly and feel free to suggest other topics we can add to the forum.

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Top 10 Bed Bug States For The Month Of June 2011

by on July 24, 2011

Are you in the top 10 most infested bed bug states?

June 2011

  1. New York
  2. California
  3. New Jersey
  4. Ohio
  5. Pennsylvania
  6. Illinois
  7. Texas
  8. Maryland
  9. Virginia
  10. Florida

Click here to learn more

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Climbup Insect Interceptor Review

by on July 24, 2011

Climbup Insect Interceptors from Susan McKnight Inc. are an essential tool when monitoring or treating bed bugs. Climbup Interceptors are applied to the legs of your bed where they trap bed bugs as they attempt to climb up your bed legs to feed. Used in conjunction with certified bed bug proof bedding encasements, interceptors can be used to create a safe haven where you can sleep at night without being bitten.

It’s often a misconception that bed bugs only live inside your bed. Many bed bug prefer areas outside the mattress and box spring including behind pictures, between the carpeting and baseboards, inside furniture and walls. Once certified encasements have been applied and the bed frame has been completely steamed, it’s important to keep it that way. This is where the Climbup Intereceptors come into play. Unlike putting messy cups with oil under your legs, climbup interceptors can be applied easily and do a great job trapping bed bugs inside their patented perimeter well.

Climbup Interceptors work with a peace of tape (what we call a bed bug ladder), which comes pre-installed on the outer rim of the trap. This tape creates a surface bed bugs can easily hold onto as they climb up to the top of the outer rim. Once on top of outer wall, they fall inside the interior collection well, which is coated with pre-applied natural Talc powder making it too slippery for bed bugs to climb out. Once inside, they will remain there until you remove the interceptor from the leg and dump the bed bugs in your toilet. Interceptors use no insecticides and are completely people and pet friendly.

Treatment:

Climbup Insect Interceptors are very useful during a bed bug treatment as they help to cut off the life cycle of a bed bug. If a bed bug cannot feed, they cannot make it through their 5 stages of development. By isolating the sleeper from the bed bugs in the room or living area, bed bugs cannot feed and will simply be collected inside the interceptors as they attempt to enter the bed. It’s also nice to be able to sleep at night without needing to worry if a bed bugs will by crawling and feeding on your throughout the night.

Interceptors can also give you an indication of where they are coming from. Let’s say you are collecting more bed bugs on the head right hand side of the bed versus other areas of the bed legs. This may indicate they are coming from a night stand next to that interceptor. Knowing the directions can help you better inspect and treat those problem areas.

Prevention:

Bed bugs can spread from apartment to apartment or come home on your clothing or other personal items (bags, purses, suitcases, shoes, etc). I have had interceptors on my bed for over 2 years as a prevention measure in case we bring one home. Rather than allow a rogue bed bug the opportunity to climb into your bed where they can feed and multiply, there is a good chance they may just get stuck in the interceptors. They can also be used to monitor to see which rooms are infested as opposed to treating every room.

Monitoring:

Bed bugs are attracted to heat and CO2, which is how bed bugs find their next meal. Bed bugs are not attracted to the Climbup Interceptors directly, but do indirectly attract bed bugs on their way to their next meal (their CO2 heat source). To enter the bed, they must come into contact with the Interceptors where they are trapped, which allows the user to monitor and see bed bugs if present.

Climbup Insect Interceptors come in 3 different sizes (small, large and extra large), which can be used on all different leg sizes including those on sofas, chairs mattress and tables. We suggest measuring your legs first to see which one’s you need before purchasing. Measuring can also help you save money as the smaller ones are less expensive. Please see all 3 sizes and sizing information available at Bed Bug Supply. Climbup Insect Interceptors are a much needed tool during an infestation or for prevention.

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New Dry Vapor Vapamore Primo Review

by on July 22, 2011

The very popular Vapamore MR-100 is now discontinued with the new Vapamore Primo taking its place. We’ve had a chance to personally test the new machine and are very please with the performance.

The previous model, Vapamore MR-100, has been recommended for bed bug treatment for the last few years given it’s dry vapor classification, steam adjustment knob, large water capacity (50 minutes of operation worth) and affordable $299 price point. Compared with other steamer around this price, it’s a great value and offers every bit of what’s necessary to kill bed bugs on contact. The Vapamore MR-100 also had a lifetime warranty on the unit itself (not attachments). The new Primo also has a lifetime warranty.

The new Vapamore Primo is a very nice machine and offers a few more refined features that the previous MR-100 did not have. First the new Primo now has an Italian Chime Solenoid, which in most cases makes purging the line after each steam spray a thing of the past. With the previous MR-100, you had to hold the trigger between each steaming for several seconds to remove water that had developed when the steam cooled. This is true of most steamers below the $699 price point. This new feature makes treatments faster and reduces the amount of water and dry time significantly.

Another new feature is the self contained power cord, which allows you to pull it out and automatically real it back in by pressing on a rear machine button. This is a very nice feature when steaming several rooms and for storing the machine.

The last noticeable feature is the self contained attachment housing, which is a big improvement over the previous MR-100. The new Vapamore Primo offers plenty of room to easily store all the small attachments without any problem closing the cover.

In regards to steam temperature, the MR-100 and the Primo have the same 1500 watt boiler, which creates the same high 220 tip temperature needed to kill bed bugs effectively on contact.

We are very impressed with the new Primo by Vapamore and think it’s a very nice improvement over the already popular MR-100. The price also remains the same at $299. The new Primo can be found on sale with free 2-Day express shipping at Bed Bug Supply.

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Are We Really Winning The Battle Against Bed Bugs?

by on July 22, 2011

With bed bugs popping up just about everywhere including movie theaters, restaurants, universities and trains, it appears that the battle against bed bugs is long from over. Our daily habits seem to a real problem if we are to every get rid of these pests given insecticides such as DDT are banned from usage.

People leave their homes (or their mattress) to go to work where many take public transportation. This in itself can be an easy way to pick up a hitch hiker on the way to work. Once at work many people go to meetings or move around frequently improving the chances of bringing home bed bugs. During lunch one might find themselves at a local restaurant or lunch room where people frequently come and go yet again improving the chances of bringing one home. These routine patters continue throughout the day until your right back on your mattress where the day began.

Bed bugs have had the best chance of survival and spreading inside hotel mattresses, but now it’s not just the hotels, trains and buses that have become breading grounds for bed bugs. As the issues spreads, they are being found in places you would never think of including doctor waiting rooms, in a dentist chair or even a clothing store.

Another major issue is that only about 60% of the population show bite marks. Imagine an apartment where one person is being bitten 20-40 times per night without even knowing it. After a few months bed bugs begin to spread to the neighboring apartments where the occupants begin to notice bites and begin to treat. Although the occupants who notice the bites begin treating, they may be unsuccessful until the neighbor with no bite reactions finds physical traces of bed bugs, blood spots or fecal matter. Even if this person finds traces, they may wait or refuse to take action.

Treating bed bugs can cost government agencies, businesses, families and universities hundreds or thousands of dollars to treat and there is not guarantee that they won’t just pop up again in a week, month or year. The cost may become so high that some may be forced to stop treating due to lack of funds. This to will likely make the issue worse.

Until people work on the prevention side of bed bugs it will be difficult to fully defeat bed bugs. Products like SafeRest mattress and box spring encasements, climbup insect interceptors and packtite heaters are great tools and can dramatically reduce the chances of having a bed bug infestation.

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How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

by on March 3, 2011

For those looking to take advantage of their useful videos, 4-step protocol and illustrating, you can visit them at How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs.

Unfortunately there is no one product to eliminate an infestation. Using a powder or a spray on it’s own may knock down the infestation, but will likely not get rid of all the bed bugs. When treating for bed bugs you have to think like a bed bug. This included removing all the hiding places where they may reside including the mattress (mattress encasements), box springs (box spring encasements), baseboards (contact sprays and residuals), and furniture (bedlam residual) and so forth.

Keep in mind when using any insecticide that they should not be used on areas that come in contact with the skin. For example, spray between the carpeting and the baseboard, but not all over the floor. Bed bugs will hide in areas out of site normally, which will not include in the middle of your table, floor or top of your sofa. Treating just the potential hiding spots and adhering to the products MSDS and label will allow you to have better success. When treating a sofa treat below the sofa cushions, along the folds and below the sofa (basically areas where they will hide). We suggest Bedlam to treat sofas as it’s fabric safe and offers a great residual for 3-4 days (some say it lasts longer but we are not convinced).

Also keep in mind that bed bug eggs are difficult to treat, which is why 3 treatments should always be done. The first treatment kills the adult bed bugs, the second kills the newly born bed bugs that will hatch with 7-14 days of the first treatment and the third treatment is precautionary.

This article is very basic. For more details check out the following protocol How To Kill Bed Bugs

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Bed Bug Steamer PSI

by on January 28, 2011

A common question we continue to hear is about the PSI on a steamer for bed bugs. The PSI is measured not at the tip, but at the actual tank (where the water is held). Having a high PSI is a good thing as the higher the PSI or the tank pressure, the higher the steam temperature will be.

The next part of a steamer is at the tip where the steam comes out. Many people think that having a high PSI can be bad as it will just blow the bed bugs around, but this is just not true. Most higher end steamers have a steam control knob, which allows the user to adjust how much steam comes out. Even though the PSI in the tank is still high, the amount of steam can be limited. Limiting the amount of steam that comes out offers better control and stops the steamer from blowing the bugs around.

A final point to make is by lowering the steam that comes out, the tip temperature will not be impacted. The tip temperature may actually be higher if the pressure knob is turned down as the PSI will remain higher with less steam being emitted.

I hope this will help others as its a VERY common question that we hear.

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Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?

by on December 28, 2010

A popular question we get is “where do bed bugs come from.” Many people feel embarrassed having bed bugs as if their hygiene or cleanliness was the culprit of their infestation. This may be true with cockroaches, but not with bed bugs. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs have nothing to do with how clean a person is as their diet consists solely on their host’s blood. This means that leftover dinner plates left in the sink overnight will not attract or even interest a bed bug.

Bed bugs do like us however. They are attracted to pets and humans through the body heat and CO2 we naturally emit. These attractants are irresistible to bed bugs and are how they ultimately find their next blood meal. Bed bugs feed about every 5-7 days and do not normally remain on their host often seeking refuge in dark cracks where they can remain undisturbed until their next meal.

Now that we better understand what attracts bed bugs, let’s now discuss where they come from. Bed bugs have been documented for thousands of years and are nothing new. They were almost eradicated in the USA back in the 40′s and 50′s with the usage of DDT insecticide, but have slowly increased in numbers since the ban of DDT in the 1970′s. Bed bugs can be found in almost every part of the world with new cases having increased more than 500% over the past few years.

Bed bugs are often picked up during stays in hotels or cruise ships, which are also areas where people come and go often making exposure very high if one travels frequently. Other high turnover areas include hospitals, nursing homes, airplanes, buses, trains, movie theaters and even restaurants.

Bed bugs are picked up normally in a bag or suitcase left where bed bugs are present allowing a stowaway bed bug to easily crawl inside where they are difficult to notice. Once they arrive back at your home, they begin to feed and multiply leading to an infestation. Bed bugs often spread from room to room or apartment to apartment through cracks or openings in electrical outlets. This easy method of passage is what is causing major issues in hotels, condos, town-homes and apartment complexes across the country.

We never suggest changing your lifestyle because of bed bugs, but we do encourage travelers to be careful while traveling to reduce exposure to bed bugs. Items that can help include the PackTite Bed Bug Heater for bags and carry on suitcases, luggage liners, suitcase sprays, Climbup Insect Interceptors and mattress encasements.

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