Leon Wieler
Library books and bed bugs
I have noted in my time exterminating bed bugs that bed bugs, or evidence thereof, is periodically found on books. The most likely books to be infested are those close to the bed such as Bibles or other books read in bed. If the suite is self treated with RAID (or similar products) any book […]
Bed bug harbourages and moisture retention strategies
In a previous video entitled “how long bed bugs live- some discrepancies” I noted that bed bugs do not live very long in my teflon pan arena compared to Usinger’s chart in Monograph of Cimicidae. Later I noted that the large number of bugs I had collected in a tobacco tin from a massive infestation […]
Bed bug traumatic insemination strategies
Whenever I get the opportunity to collect large samples of bed bugs for my experiments I always take advantage. 11 days ago I had a golden opportunity and I collected about 50 bugs off the bottom of a box spring. To facilitate the collection of the most number of bugs possible with the least amount […]
Evidence of bed bug near field vision
The research on bed bug vision has been very poor thus far. We do know that bed bugs prefer dark to light so there is a photo sensitive component to the bed bug. We also know that bed bugs prefer certain colors over other colors (ie they like red better than yellow). But the exact […]
Evidence that bed bugs sense noise/vibration
A family in their own 2.5 storey home brought bed bugs home and the entire infestation was originally limited to the kid’s bedroom on the second floor. When bed bugs were discovered they did not have enough money to address the problem so they abandoned the room and moved the entire family to the third […]
Using the house hold oven as a heat sterilizer
As a contractor specializing in heat sterilizing belongings I have found the most useful temperatures to be between 140f and 155f. Anything lower than 140f and there are risks of not attaining core temperatures of 122f in a reasonable amount of time and there is no room for error. At 158f and beyond the risks […]
You found one bug in a new infestation – is that the only one?
One of the most difficult aspects of bed bugs is their ability to climb into the deepest crevice to hide. As such declaring a suite bed bug free with a visual inspection is impossible. But once in a while a bed bug is discovered on the clothes of a person visiting an uninfested suite. Would […]
When you first discover bed bugs the most important word is STOP
Most people, when they find a bed bug, are quite perturbed and panic sets in. Panic is not conducive to good decisions and most of the remedial actions taken in a panic induced state do more harm than good. The following are common mistakes: 1. Pull the bed away from the wall to expose […]
Hide a beds and futons are bad etiquette
My post entitled “host cues and feeding patterns of bed bugs” experimented with starving bed bugs being manipulating by withholding and providing a host. It was found that bed bug behaviour is in many respects host driven. The bugs usually remained in their harbourage until host cues were added to the room. I have […]
How the exterminator knows a tenant has been spraying raid
All the landlords I assist have been informed about the dangers of spraying aerosol pyrethrin in multi family settings. As such the tenants have been informed that they are not to endanger the safety of their building with those products. Once in a while I am asked to address a suite for bed bugs and […]