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New ways to control bed bugs

by JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

Bio | Email | Follow: @jeanenersen

KING5.com

Posted on May 15, 2010 at 6:09 PM

Updated Saturday, May 15 at 6:09 PM

They can be the size of a poppy seed, and they could be hiding in your bed, chair, or even your wall socket.

The National Pest Management Association has reported a 71 percent increase in bedbug infestations in the U.S. since 2001.

Dogs trained to track down bedbugs search a hotel room in one to two minutes.

"A lot of our dogs are rescue dogs," said Jose "Pepe" Peruyero, CEO of J&K Canine Academy.

"We want to, ideally, have a dog detect as few as one egg or one bedbug in a room," he said. 

The canine nose is just one weapon in the fight against the superbugs that are turning up in  more homes, hotels, nursing homes, even movie theaters.

"Bedbugs have evolved resistance to many of the insecticides that we're allowed to use to kill them," said Dr. Phil Koehler, an entomologist at the University of Florida.

Dr. Koehler and his team developed a pesticide-free system. It works like a bedbug oven.

"The idea is that it only takes about 113 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bedbugs," said Dr. Koehler.

He builds a styrofoam box around infested furniture, heats the enclosed area to about 140 degrees.

The entire process takes two to five hours, with no damage to furniture. In nine of 11 tests, the system killed 100 percent of the bedbugs. The cost of the entire re-usable system is $300.

Dr. Koehler says using oil-based space heaters eliminates the risk of fire. Standard ways to get rid of bedbugs involve replacing furniture or using pesticides.

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Comments: Displaying 1 - 4 of 4

silverton said on May 18, 2010 at 4:00 PM

The article completely fails to mention how they are getting here. They are coming from Asia. The increase in immigration, and Asian tourists is spreading them worldwide. I often wonder if the students who moved into the old Days Inn in downtown Seattle on 7th ave have them. That building was loaded with them.

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jamey said on May 17, 2010 at 12:09 PM

I heard geckos are a great way to get rid of (eat) cocroaches. I wonder if they can get (eat) bed bugs too.

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speakthetruth said on May 16, 2010 at 9:54 PM

The styrofoam box is designed to treat a piece of furniture. Maybe with several room heaters an entire room could be treated, but the inside wall space would probably not be hot enough for long enough to kill both bugs and eggs, unfortunately.

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jeffgrill said on May 16, 2010 at 4:53 PM

I'm the editor of the . For $300 this is a very cost effective way to get rid of bed bugs. The key to this system will be if it can treat an entire room or apartment for that price.

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