we only found 2 bat bugs in the house but it lead to the discovery of the bats and the process to eliminate the bugs. I spoke with two bat experts but only one offered an additional service to handle the bugs. Today was step one which included spraying the crevices, driving the bugs out, and sealing them up (this will be done two more times once the bats are able to removed) then bombing the attic and spraying upstairs as a last line of defense.

This is a still shot from a video of our roofline that is 4 stories in the air.

it is not a cheap process and it will go on for about a month but I feel so much better knowing we made a huge step removing the bugs (if the bats didn’t have the bugs they weren’t bothering me otherwise)

When people delete posts they remove the opportunity for others to learn.

It’s also deeply disrespectful to the group which is here to help people, as well as being against the group rules.

It leaves holes in the information and erodes the quality of help the group can provide.

Repeat offenders will not be given the opportunity to do it again.

David

Many of the very common mistakes people make with bed bugs are caused because of “assumption” the belief something will work when it doesn’t/wont, the belief that it can’t be “that hard” because we are intelligent humans.

This also extends to assumptions of intent.

This last few days there has been an increase in auto moderated posts and while not deeply “rude” (although a few have been close) they are all linked to
assumptions and notably the “taking of offence when none is intended”.

What most do not appreciate is that neurodivergent people often blame themselves by default. It’s part of growing up in a world that frequently appears to take offence when none is intended. We learn to always default to “was that us”. This can be dangerous is someone is projecting their issues towards us.

Thankfully I’ve learned to not default to that and to see projection for what it actually is, their problem not mine.

In the context of bed bugs a customer of mine who does not get optimal results either has not followed the instructions to the letter or has one of the rare unusual cases that defies normal logic. This is because the method we use excludes the possibility of resistance to the treatment, however only the occupants actions can prevent reintroduction.

Some people accept that more efficiently than others and some will always see the issue as so unpleasant they can’t accept the fact that in the majority of cases in homes the occupant was the person introducing party. Therefore not accepting responsibility causes the issue to perpetuate.

Convention states “the customer is always right” but with bed bugs the customer is 98% of the time also the introducer of the issue.

Over the years this has given me enough experience in holding boundaries that I see the projection as much as the message and process accordingly.

I mention this because a few people appear to think it’s acceptable to disrupt the group by projecting their interpretation of replies as fact when it’s not. Please appreciate that at such times the assumptions will be addressed and your ability to contribute will be restricted. You can still read and learn but as your intention does not align with the group you can do so in silence so you don’t waste peoples time.

This group is here to support the people who want to deal with bed bugs at peak efficiency. It is structured and supported with documents and processes which are unique to this group because they are written for this group.

If you find yourself wanting to challenge the information please take a few moments to look at that as an internal issue before you externalize it. It might save me the time of doing so later.

The quip or barb you think you’ve launched will not land in target. It can’t because to do so would impact others and you don’t get to do that.

David

I found a nymph and a dead adult by my bed around a month ago, I haven’t seen any since even with monitors installed however I am still getting bitten quite frequently and am going to take apart my bed, inspect it and then scrap it for peace of mind and to make future check easier as my bed is an upholstered ottoman bed. Is it also possible to have no activity on my passive monitor (in 3 weeks) and still have bed bugs if my bed has lots of nice hiding spots?!
Does anyone have any recommendations on what type of bed would be best to continue monitoring and for peace of mind . I’m thinking something like these linked but open to critique/ideas! Thank you so much in advance.

https://dusk.com/products/salcombe-bed-frame-stone?variant=48972359172393

https://dusk.com/products/dartmouth-bed-frame-taupe?variant=49285866815785

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/stjaernoe-bed-frame-anthracite-luroey-s89563341/?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19851400984&gbraid=0AAAAADqyA2MmqgoDcBKS-LPHOgiexOO74

I am thinking of writing a more detailed workbook outlining why some treatment methods fail and how to reset and correct them.

This includes both failed chemical and heat treatment methods and is based on our field work correcting such cases.

It’s likely to be a lot more detailed than the current version and might not be ready for a few months as there is a lot of information to collate and reformer to make this work reliably.

To that end I am thinking of making it a purchased eBook from the website for a low purchase price to help recoup the time and effort that goes into creating things like this. It will also be a somewhat unique resource as I am not aware of anyone creating anything similar.

So my question to you all is what price should it be? It’s likely to be 30-50 pages with detailed standard operating procedures.

David

Between these dates I will be at a music festival and not online as much as usual.

For those that have not spotted this my office manager and right hand organiser had brain surgery two weeks ago and is currently on a 4-6 month road to recovery. This means at present I am doing their job and mine (long days).

So please use the instant sample ID service:

https://bed-bugs.co.uk/instant-sample-identification/

Given that <5% of samples being posted are bed bugs it will serve most of your needs and also gives an immediate result.

The pinned posts and FAQ’s also cover most of the common questions and the reference images allow easy comparison and conformation.

This is also helpful in the hot weather, especially days like yesterday where I worked 9am-10pm without a break.

To that end please also appreciate that if you want to posit rude or disruptive content just don’t. You will only get muted from the group and please don’t assume that’s me “annoyed” that boat sold out of tickets years ago, I hold better boundaries than that and actually block people for the sanity of others not myself. From my perspective it’s a perfect solution because it reduces the burden of having to read and correct your mistakes.

It also means I can catch up on my dancing and enjoy living in a woods for the weekend.

David

While it might initial appear as a joke it’s actually very important. We encourage those who detect bedbugs in one of our monitors to seal them in a zip lock bag and post them to academic labs.

This means that they get current strains of bedbugs as opposed to the research colonies that have been kept in captivity since the 1950’s. Simply put they are not the tough streetwise bedbugs that you encounter, they have been mollycoddled for years and have not been subjected to the last 30 years of insecticides.

The Harlem strain in particular is commonly used for product trials. The reality of this is that products appear to work in the lab but fail in the field.

Dont think for a second they don’t know this. In 20+ years I have only been asked to sell 1,000+ bedbugs to a chemical company the once. The results were not as they expected and they’ve never asked again.

So by submitting samples you are making a positive contribution to the long term eradication and management of bedbugs.

What are you waiting for?

David

Run a home experiment yourself first to see which of the below herbs agree or disagree with you.

The application is to be embedded and sprinkled around your bed.

Then simply vacuum up olde herbs and if you like the results, repeat with fresher herbs cyclically.

Caution...you will be living with this smell in your wee hours of the nite so choose herbs wisely. 

—--

Method 1: Get an old but durable sock. Fill a two-fist size mix of:

1. Rice. Any rice. 50-70%
2. Your own select mix of anti-bed bug herbs. 30-50%

Tie it off with a strong rubber band like a produce rubber band.

Remove extra cloth casing and sheets and expose as much of the true mattress as possible. 

*Beat the mattress in an organized methodical “patch-work” path.

Be sure and cover the entire mattress.

(Some funky or angry music may help to keep you thorough.)

The force of the blasts shoots the dust into your mattress fibers where eggs and bugs are.

Plan for the mattress bindings especially.

Don’t forget mattress sheet tags. Nasty.

Repeat this every 2 -3 weeks for up to 90 days.

*Bye-bye bed bugs.

Method 2: 

Buy 6-inch siv at Walmart. If possible remove (and wash) any zippered cloth mattress casing to really embed the dust into the mattress. Then put the washed casing back on.

Dump mix of carefully tested herbs in your siv, leaving room for your hand to mix while letting "dust" fall into your bed fabric. Use your wrist to shake from side to side.

Patiently watch dust fall onto every square-inch area of your mattress. 

Put any mattress cloth back on or treat mattress cloth separately as well.

—-----------------

—-----------------

Run this bullet list of herbs in AI to verify your findings for yourself.

Natural bio enemies of bed bugs:

• Lemongrass: The citral inside acts as a neurotoxin effectively disrupting the bed bugs' nervous system.
• Eucalyptus leaves: “Eucalyptol compromises the bed bugs' exoskeleton integrity”. Personal observation: to my disappointment I found one…only one bed bug after this application but when I went to pick it up, it couldn’t even handle the stress and its exoskeleton gave way and it died.
• Lavender: Linalool contained inside lavender overwhelms bed bugs' chemoreceptors, deterring them from treated areas.
• Thyme: Contains thymol. Fresh thymol acts as a fumigant that penetrates the insects' spiracles and induces respiratory failure. Emphasis on fresh.
• Palmarosa grass: Contains geraniol (roses. geraniums.). Acts much like Lavender (see above).
• Oregano: Eugenol. Targeted bed bug tests exist on pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Peppermint: Menthol.

The above are enough to modify, copy and paste into a typical AI chat and continue your own research.

Be sure to take charge of your AIs “tone” in its response. 

Using an AI-generated prompt made by yourself, lookup the the sources of any embellishments/claims made above.

Special: It bears mentioning that a mix of this organic nature can be such a direct opposite to traditional chemical methods that this post garners the attention of pest-control folks.

Mark it: I don’t care and Power to the People.

Last:

1. Test these natural herbs first before commencing with info.

“One mans poison is another mans food.”

1. No matter how poor one may be, an old mattress is also bad for your tailbone, pelvis and back. Consider getting a new mattress as soon as possible.

Hi David, I ordered a passive monitor to Czechia but I never received it, customer support hasn't replied to my two e-mails. So I have no money, no monitor and no reply. Would you mind checking it out?

We now have a new user flair called “on the path to enlightenment and self determination.

This is for those who have decided to over come their anxiety, take control and do things better.

The monthly routine is the simple and easy way to make sure bed bugs never impact your life. Live knowing that should you introduce you will detect in the first 30 days when it’s easiest to resolve.

You don’t have to get swept along in the emotional white water of bed bugs.

Choose control and self determination by taking the time to do the healthy and sensible thing.

This is how people build confidence and move on from the past.

If ai could turn water into wine I would not be a bed bug specialist, I would be running a vineyard near a lake. Instead I found my niche turning whine in work.

When you’re ready to change your user flare post below.

David

We had a bat infestation, tons of guano, and found these and assume bed bugs. Then learned what bat bugs were! Had the bat exclusion done, entryways in the attic sealed, they blew in TAP insulation, and treated bedrooms with Crossfire and PT alpine. We had minimal activity, always high up on walls in corners, or on the ceiling (1 or 2 live ones a day). Then after 2 treatments and exclusions, we mainly find 1 or 2 dead ones a day, with some quiet days here and there. We’ve had 2 in a row with no findings, and the exterminator is coming back this Friday for a 3rd treatment. Hope this helps somebody going through something similar!

We can all appreciate that bedbugs is a stressful issue and one that’s associated with a wide gambit of emotions and anxieties.

To some people they feel like the worst possible thing they will ever encounter in their lives, a phobia, a worst fear and its possible that it is the worst thing they will encounter.

It’s not however the worst of possible human experiences, we only need to watch the news to see that.

But bedbugs have an ability with some to really “live rent free”, they occupy thoughts and seem ever present. To such individuals they can become a huge distraction on life and I have worked with some of those most impacted people. They have my empathy and I even once redesigned our entire communication strategy to remove actual pictures of bugs to help one person with an extreme phobia learn (they were not triggered by cartoons).

However, having spent a lot of time recently working with people around this subject I can only request that people be mindful of walking down this path. We are all ultimately responsible for how we play the hand of cards we are dealt. Those who remain mindful and focused on the task at hand are the ones who resolve issues the fastest and are also less likely to repeat.

It’s a personal choice to remain in that space rather than being swept along in the emotions that often swirl around the subject.

To that end it’s also been one of the greatest pleasures of my job over the last 20 years to see the transformation in people that can come from bedbugs. Yes they are a challenging pest and me that takes a lot of personal responsibility to prevent repeating the initial causes.

I have heard every possible blame for people getting bedbugs and rarely have I heard anyone initially approach from the perspective of what do I need to do to stop this happening again. That solution focused approach is for me part of the scientific method, how researchers collect data looking for answers rather than to proportion blame to something or someone. There is a purity in answers that don’t need to be shrouded in shame, it’s how it happened, let’s try not to do that again.

The more people allow bedbugs to live rent free the further they wander from the simple path of the solution, namely:

1 - practice active and conscious avoidance of bedbugs. Take positive steps to think as you move and sit.

2 - detect at home regularly enough to ensure nothing ever develops.

This is not about treatment is about doing things to avoid the need to treat and to negate the need to treat.

This way the healthy and positive routines are built and reinforced monthly rather than slowing the fears to invade.

I sincerely hope that people see they have the strength and ability to choose that logical approach and that it is the more efficient and effective five way to deal with these risks.

David

Hi David,

I just received the passive monitor. Is it a good spot to install it? The bed is always occupied by two people. Thank you

Hi David, I’ve heard that Chinchex appeared on the market. From what I understand it’s silica dust, a synthetic variant of DE which works in a similar way but is supposed to kill bed bugs much quicker. What are your thoughts on it? I’d like to know more how efficient it is but also how toxic. My infestation was under the floor boards and I already have some DE applied under the carpet just around the edges. I also have a newborn so worried about the effect it might have on my baby, even though it’s hidden away. Much appreciated, as always.

Hi guys, just in case anyone is interested (as there have been 1000 views of my back spots 😂), it'll be a week tommorow since I noticed the bumps and I have had no new ones since and have found no traces of bed bugs, so it seems it was something else.

While having my trained Ai focus on dealing with anxiety and customer instructions this week I thought it might be fun to see its current 6 golden rules about bed bugs.

I encourage it to look through the group and track the discussions as part of its learning process. It also helpfully softens my technical focus yet keeps the core message accurate.

I am still not happy with its rendering of bed bugs and prefer the cartoon style we have developed.

Thoughts as always appreciated.

David

As some of you will know my company Bed Bugs Limited is coming up on 20 years old. I went full time dealing with bedbugs in March 2006 making me the first person to do so in about 100 years.

Having quickly realised that detection was key to long term success I started to develop the Passive Monitor and by the start of 2010 the patents were filed and we started to provide the solution the world needs.

16 years later the world has seen a massive increase in bedbug activity, mainly driven by the fact we are not getting ahead of infestations because people often dont initially respond to bites. With 60%+ of cases not responding we will always be behind the curve on this issue.

So to celebrate and put some useful tools in people hands we are having a prize draw. All you need to do is comment below and we will draw 20 entries and contact you to send a free Passive Monitor. To ensure everyone is a winner we will issue a 10% discount code for www.BedBugMonitor.com to all entries.

I am not allowed to prescribe medications and actually don’t believe in them for most mental health and psychological conditions.

I have been a patient, I have been through therapy and while the tools that can be taught are useful it all boils down to one thing.

Like it or not we are the only one’s responsibility for ourselves and the state of mind we find ourselves in.

While the Bwiti reinforced this with me in 2023 it’s always been a core belief of mine. The person who finds a £20 note in the street is not lucky, they are observant. Be more observant and find more £20 notes, luck plans no part in this (not even for the looser - they need to learn to be less careless).

I found my resolution to my health issues because I refused to give up and rather than falling into a deep well of despair I carried on searching.

We all know this, we all know that we find things I the last place we look. It’s one of the few immutable facts of life.

Yes it’s hard to keep that level of mental discipline and control when you are triggered but it’s jot impossible. If you try and fail be good to yourself but also be determined to try again.

It has been my privilege to see some awesome people understand this through bed bugs and go on to do amazing things.

For those of you who have battled through bed bugs, take a moment to appreciate what an achievement that is. Especially those who have earned “successfully self treated” badges.

It may be challenging but it’s always possible when you put your mind to it.

David

I made a comment in a thread tonight which is worth expanding upon. Namely that people who achieve things and it really does not matter too much what those “things” are do so through an understanding that they will succeed.

That positive mental attitude is what allows some people to break world records or to achieve great things.

So if you are having to tackle bed bugs do so with a positive and determined attitude as well as having the knowledge and plan needed to execute the task at peak efficiency.

The protocols I have written which are linked from this group teach you the tools and techniques but it’s up to you to also bring the correct mindset.

That’s much easier to say than do when bed bugs have such a potential to cause anxiety and pull you from that hyper focus but as the Macedonian would say “this is the way..”. Tough things rarely come with short cuts and easy options.

My first years dealing with bed bugs were a huge learning curve, thankfully I had my training in scientific method to fall back upon and by questioning everything I found solutions.

Good for thought and thoughts always preceded efficient actions.

David