INDEX
• Intro: How to Lose your Esteem Quickly.

• - Wiki -: Cimex lectularius, and other Bed Bugs.

  U In General.
  U Infestation.
  U Appearance.
  U Temperature restrictions.
  U Feeding Habits.
  U Life Stages (5).
  U Detection.
  U Control, chemical.
  U Control, Predators.
  U Control, Plants.

• ENTFACT: Home & Health Pests -- Bed Bugs.

  H History.
  H Behavior.
  H Persistence.
  H Infection, Disease.
  H Symptoms of Bites.
  H Invasiveness, Spread.
  H Finding, Where they Hide.
  H Eradicating, Limiting.
  H Insecticides.
  H Groups At Risk

• Arboviruses: Disease transmission possibilities with ticks.
• - Symptoms of possible viral transfers.
• Eradication : chemicals, procedures, non-toxic.

• Bartonella: A tick borne disease.
• Disease : Symptoms of Bartonella infection.

• Personal: Experience is the Reality ...
  P Invasion.
  P Awareness.
  P Symptoms.
  P Entry Options.
  P Prevention.

Product Possibilities, NOT Recommendations.

Product: Intruders Oil, Immune Booster.

Product: Tape, Box Sealing, Cantech, Clear.

Product: Foam, Window & Door, Great Stuff.

Product: Bug Killer, Raid® Max House & Garden.

Product: Temperid SC Insecticide.

• Insight: Adverse health effects are possible & can be severe.
• Insight: Symprtoms of Arbovirus illness transfer.
• Insight: Hot water heating infrastructure can encourage infestation.
• Insight: Viruses can be experienced AFTER eradication.

• -Focus-: Monographs on Toxins and Enhancers.

Intro: How to Lose your Esteem Quickly. INDEX
Who you have been with and where you have been may become
Factors in how you think, communicate, sleep, and, survive.

The spread and presence of bedbugs involves so many potential factors that one must exercise Calm and Restraint if one is to be both Aware, Proactive, and, Preventive without becoming paranoid. One caution is to adopt an attitude of determining what are the better approaches and actions and then to do one's best with the resources one has (time, energy, money, ...) keeping in mind that what one does one day can be modified and increased or decreased for another day. If you think that you will avoid or eradicate these lifeforms in a short and defined time, reframe to the reality. The only short and defined timeframe solutions are the use of highly toxic chemicals (which will sabotage your own health), and, a total destruction of your personal environment (which is likely to prove quite costly, time consuming, and alarming to those around you).

Defining Factors which complicate the effectiveness of solutions.

• Bedbugs are small to tiny ... more places to hide; easier to change locations.
• Bedbugs are stealthy. You may not see any until they are epidemic.
• Bedbugs feed on blood; cleanliness is not a factor.
• Bedbugs have 5 life stages; some of which are nearly invisible.
• Bedbugs can "hibernate" for months after one feeding.

With the above discernment, it may be best to consider that if you want to control or eliminate their presence, it may be best to learn as much about them as possible, and then, limit your potential exposure to them, and, provide a degree of control over your personal spaces. I have lived in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. I have travelled across two-thirds of Canada, through half of the USA, visited one-third of Scotland, drove through eastern Australia, and toured both the South Island and the North Island of New Zealand over a 70 year period (1945 to 2017) ... and never saw or was exposed to bedbugs. Many of those voyages included stays in hotels, motels, tents, vehicles, hostels, and homes. Frequently, I travelled by car, truck, airplane, as well as bus and subway public transit. I was sometimes in the company of many other travellers, at airports, conferences, or resorts. Again, no bedbugs.

Pattern recognition is a part of the learning and adaptation of many animals including humans.
Some of us become more adept at the skill than others. A heightened ability may develop from one, several or many factors including these: Basic Personality, inherited genetic memories of traumas, personal experiences that we found disturbing. and, short-term exposures to high concentrations of usually, some form of insect. Personally, I've been exposed to common house flies, mosquitoes, Rocky Mountain ticks, cockroaches, and now, bedbugs. With each exposure and our attempts to decrease their potential health challenges to us, we develop an instant recognition of the image of the insect. Our minds instantly correlate what we glimpse with anything we have previously identified as "dangerous". The more fearful we are of the "danger", the faster and more general is the assumed meaning. In some cases, like with flies and mosquitoes, a "sound image" will be memorized. We may never develop great accuracy at swatting and killing mosquitoes or flies, but we are instantly alarmed when we detect their presence.

Positive Self-Esteem is a matter of Confidence gained from a combination of knowledge and experience.
Knowledge by itself may only bring us the negative confidence of Doubt in our ability to respond constructively and thus introduce both Fear and Anxiety. Experience, by itself, may only bring us to the negative confidence of Pride and Control in our ability to respond and thus introduce us to both Authoritarian short-sightedness, and, a projection of Judgement. The combination of knowledge and experience can enable us to integrate the benefits of both forms of discernment such that the outcome is one or a Relevant and constructive response to an ever changing reality. Relevancy can shelter us from Fear, Self-Deception, Loss, re-traumatization, and, anxiety.

Constructively responding to a bedbug presence will be a challenge.
A failure to respond rather than react can become a factor in inducing additional forms of defensiveness, denial, distraction, impatience, anger, abuse, and, ill health into our communication with and interactions concerning other people and ourselves. Life is better when we are coping.

Travelling.
Many people are starting to pack their clothes in sealed plastic bags when traveling to prevent contamination.
It is a good precaution to wash clothes that were in the suitcase in hot water and dry in a hot dryer when returning home.
Place the suitcase outside until it has been thoroughly inspected to ensure that no bugs are being transported into the home.

- Wiki -: Cimex lectularius, and other Bed Bugs. INDEX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_bug
by many contributors, August 18, 2017

Bed bugs are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood.
Cimex lectularius, the common bed bug, is the best known as it prefers to feed on human blood; other Cimex species specialize in other animals, e.g., bat bugs, such as Cimex pipistrelli (Europe), Cimex pilosellus (Western United States), and Cimex adjunctus (entire Eastern United States).

The name bed bug derives from the preferred habitat of Cimex lectularius: warm houses and especially near or inside beds and bedding or other sleep areas, or, in rest areas. Bed bugs are mainly active at night, but are not exclusively nocturnal. They usually feed on their hosts without being noticed.

A number of adverse health effects may result from bed bug bites, including skin rashes, viral infections, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms. Bed bugs are not known to transmit any pathogens as disease vectors. Certain signs and symptoms suggest the presence of bed bugs; finding the adult insects confirms the diagnosis.

Bed bug bites or cimicosis may lead to a range of skin manifestations from no visible effects to prominent blisters. Effects include skin rashes, viral infections, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms.

Bed bugs have been known as human parasites for thousands of years.
At a point in the early 1940s, they were mostly eradicated in the developed world, but have increased in prevalence since 1995, likely due to pesticide resistance, governmental bans on effective pesticides, and international travel. Because infestation of human habitats has begun to increase, bed bug bites and related conditions have been on the rise as well.

Infestation. INDEX
Diagnosis of an infestation involves both finding bed bugs and the occurrence of compatible symptoms.
Treatment involves the elimination of the insect (including its eggs) and taking measures to treat symptoms until they resolve.

Although bed bugs can be infected with at least 28 human pathogens, (few) studies have found that the insects are capable of transmitting any of these to humans. They have been found with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), but the significance of this is still unknown.

Investigations into potential transmission of HIV, MRSA, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis E have been few and have not shown consistently that bed bugs can spread these diseases. However, arboviruses (have been shown to) be transmissible.

Physical INDEX
Adult bed bugs are light brown to reddish-brown, flattened, oval-shaped, and have no hind wings.
The front wings are vestigial and reduced to pad-like structures.
Bed bugs have segmented abdomens with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance.
Adults grow to 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) wide.

Newly hatched nymphs are translucent, lighter in color, and become browner as they moult and reach maturity.
A bed bug nymph of any age that has just consumed a blood meal has a bright red, translucent abdomen, fading to brown over the next several hours, and to opaque black within two days as the insect digests its meal. (They will leave their excrement and sheddings in a refuse area more often than spread about.) Bed bugs may be mistaken for other insects, such as booklice, small cockroaches, or carpet beetles; however, when warm and active, their movements are more ant-like and, like most other true bugs, they emit a characteristic disagreeable odor when crushed.

Bed bugs use pheromones and kairomones to communicate regarding nesting locations, feeding, and reproduction.

The lifespan of bed bugs varies by species and is also dependent on feeding.

Bed bugs can survive a wide range of temperatures and atmospheric compositions.
Below 16.1 °C (61.0 °F), adults enter semihibernation and can survive longer; they can survive for at least five days at -10 °C (14 °F), but die after 15 minutes of exposure to -32 °C (-26 °F). Common commercial and residential freezers reach temperatures low enough to kill most life stages of bed bug, with 95% mortality after 3 days at -12 °C (10 °F).

They show high desiccation tolerance, surviving low humidity and a 35–40 °C range even with loss of one-third of body weight; earlier life stages are more susceptible to drying out than later ones.

The thermal death point for C. lectularius is 45 °C (113 °F); all stages of life are killed by 7 minutes of exposure to 46 °C (115 °F). Bed bugs apparently cannot survive high concentrations of carbon dioxide for very long; exposure to nearly pure nitrogen atmospheres, however, appears to have relatively little effect even after 72 hours.

Feeding Habits. INDEX
Bed bugs are obligatory hematophagous (bloodsucking) insects.
Most species feed on humans only when other prey are unavailable.
They obtain all the additional moisture they need from water vapor in the surrounding air.
Bed bugs are attracted to their hosts primarily by carbon dioxide, secondarily by warmth, and also by certain chemicals.
Bedbugs prefer exposed skin, preferably the face, neck, and arms of a sleeping person, but also the calves of the legs.

Bedbugs have mouth parts that saw through the skin, and inject saliva with anticoagulants and painkillers.
Sensitivity of humans varies from extreme allergic reaction to no reaction at all (about 20%).
The bite usually (may) produces a swelling with no red spot, but when many bugs feed on a small area, reddish spots may appear after the swelling subsides.

Although under certain cool conditions adult bed bugs can live for over a year without feeding, under typically warm conditions they try to feed at 5- to 10-day intervals, and adults can survive for about 5 months without food. Younger instars cannot survive nearly as long, though even the vulnerable newly hatched first instars can survive for weeks without taking a blood meal.

At the 57th annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America in 2009, newer generations of pesticide-resistant bed bugs in Virginia were reported to survive only 2 months without feeding.

DNA from human blood meals can be recovered from bed bugs for up to 90 days, which mean they can be used for forensic purposes in identifying on whom the bed bugs have fed. ..

Life stages INDEX
Bed bugs have 5 immature nymph life stages and a final sexually mature adult stage.
They shed their skins through ecdysis at each stage, discarding their outer exoskeleton, which is somewhat clear, empty exoskeletons of the bugs themselves. Bed bugs must molt 6 times before becoming fertile adults, and must consume at least one blood meal to complete each molt.

Each of the immature stages lasts about a week, depending on temperature and the availability of food, and the complete lifecycle can be completed in as little as 2 months (rather long compared to other ectoparasites). Fertilized females with enough food lay 3 eggs each day continually until the end of their lifespans (about nine months under warm conditions), possibly generating as many as 500 eggs in this time. Genetic analysis has shown that a single pregnant bed bug, possibly a single survivor of eradication, can be responsible for an entire infestation over a matter of weeks, rapidly producing generations of offspring. ...

Host searching
C. lectularius only feeds every 5 to 7 days, which suggests that it does not spend the majority of its life searching for a host.
When a bed bug is starved, it leaves its shelter and searches for a host. If it successfully feeds, it returns to its shelter. If it does not feed, it continues to search for a host. After searching -- regardless of whether or not it has eaten -- the bed bug returns to the shelter to aggregate before the photophase (period of light during a day-night cycle). Reis argues that two reasons explain why C. lectularius would return to its shelter and aggregate after feeding. One is to find a mate and the other is to find shelter to avoid getting smashed after eating. ...

Detection INDEX
Bed bugs can exist singly, but tend to congregate once established.
Though strictly parasitic, they spend only a tiny fraction of their lifecycles physically attached to hosts.
Once a bed bug finishes feeding, it relocates to a place close to a known host, commonly in or near beds or couches in clusters of adults, juveniles, and eggs -- which entomologists call harborage areas or simply harborages to which the insect returns after future feedings by following chemical trails. These places can vary greatly in format, including pieces of luggage, inside of vehicles, within furniture, amongst bedside clutter -- even inside electrical sockets and nearby laptop computers. Bed bugs may also nest near animals that have nested within a dwelling, such as bats, birds, or rodents. They are also capable of surviving on domestic cats and dogs, though humans are the preferred host of C. lectularius.

Bed bugs can also be detected by their characteristic smell of rotting raspberries.
Bed bug detection dogs are trained to pinpoint infestations, with a possible accuracy rate between 11% and 83%.
Homemade detectors have been developed.

Management INDEX
Eradication of bed bugs frequently requires a combination of non pesticide approaches and the occasional use of pesticides.

Mechanical approaches, such as vacuuming up the insects and heat-treating or wrapping mattresses, are effective.
A combination of heat and drying treatments is most effective. An hour at a temperature of 45 °C (113 °F) or over, or two hours at less than -17 °C (1 °F) kills them; a domestic clothes drier or steam kills bedbugs. Another study found 100% mortality rates for bed bugs exposed to temperatures greater than 50 °C (122 °F) for more than 2 minutes. Starving them is difficult as they can survive without eating for 100 to 300 days, depending on temperature. For public health reasons, individuals are encouraged to call a professional pest control service to eradicate bed bugs in a home, rather than attempting to do it themselves, particularly if they live in a multifamily building.

As of 2012, no truly effective pesticides were available.
Pesticides that have historically been found effective include pyrethroids, dichlorvos, and malathion.
Resistance to pesticides has increased significantly over time, and harm to health from their use is of concern.
The carbamate insecticide propoxur is highly toxic to bed bugs, but it has potential toxicity to children exposed to it, and the US Environmental Protection Agency has been reluctant to approve it for indoor use. More than one tourist has died from insecticide exposure for bedbugs in Thailand.

Boric acid, occasionally applied as a safe indoor insecticide, is not effective against bed bugs because they do not groom.
The fungus Beauveria bassiana is being researched as of 2012 for its ability to control bed bugs.
As bed bugs continue to adapt pesticide resistance, researchers have examined the insect's genome to see how its adaptations develop and to look for potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited in its growth and development phases.

Predators INDEX
Natural enemies of bed bugs include the

• masked hunter insect (also known as "masked bed bug hunter"),
• cockroaches,
• ants,
• spiders (particularly Thanatus flavidus),
• mites, and
• centipedes (particularly the house centipede Scutigera coleoptrata).

However, biological pest control is not considered practical for eliminating bed bugs from human dwellings. ...

Traditional methods of repelling and/or killing bed bugs include the use of plants, fungi, and insects (or their extracts), such as

• black pepper;
• black cohosh (Actaea racemosa);
• Pseudarthria hookeri;
• Laggera alata (Chinese yángmáo cao;
• Eucalyptus saligna oil;
• henna (Lawsonia inermis or camphire);
• "infused oil of Melolontha vulgaris" (presumably cockchafer);
• fly agaric (Amanita muscaria);
• Actaea spp. (e.g. black cohosh);
• tobacco;
• "heated oil of Terebinthina" (i.e. true turpentine);
• wild mint (Mentha arvensis);
• narrow-leaved pepperwort (Lepidium ruderale);
• Myrica spp. (e.g. bayberry);
• Robert geranium (Geranium robertianum);
• bugbane (Cimicifuga spp.);
• "herb and seeds of Cannabis";
• "opulus" berries (possibly maple or European cranberrybush);
• masked hunter bugs (Reduvius personatus), "
• and many others". ...

Bean leaves have been used historically to trap bedbugs in houses in Eastern Europe.
The trichomes (an elongate hair-like structure) on the bean leaves capture the insects by impaling the feet (tarsi) of the insects. The leaves are then destroyed.

ENTFACT: Home & Health Pests -- Bed Bugs. INDEX
http://entomology.ca.uky.edu/files/efpdf3/ef636.pdf
by Michael F. Potter, Extension Entomologist
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture
Prepared by Artur Weber & Adelina Domingos
May, 2012

Until fairly recently, most people (and even pest control professionals) had never seen a bed bug.
Bed bug infestations actually used to be very common in the United States before World War II. But with improvements in hygiene, and especially the widespread use of DDT during the 1940s and ‘50s, the bed bugs all but vanished. The pests persisted, however, in some areas of the world including parts of Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Over roughly the past decade, bed bugs have made a dramatic comeback in the U.S. They’re appearing increasingly in homes, apartments, hotels, health care facilities, dormitories, shelters, schools and public transportation. Other places where bed bugs sometimes occur include movie theaters, laundries, rental furniture, and office buildings. Immigration and international travel have contributed to the resurgence of bed bugs in the U.S. Changes in modern pest control practice, less effective insecticides, and, a decrease in societal vigilance, are other factors suspected for the recurrence.

Description and Habits INDEX
Bed bugs are small, brownish, flattened insects that feed solely on the blood of animals.
Although the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) prefers feeding on humans, it will also bite other warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, birds and rodents. It has done so since ancient times; bed bugs are mentioned in medieval European texts and classical Greek writings back to the time of Aristotle.

Adult bed bugs are about 3/16” long and reddish-brown, with oval-shaped, flattened bodies.
They are sometimes mistaken for ticks, cockroaches, carpet beetles or other household insects.
The immature bed bugs (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are smaller and lighter in color.
Bed bugs do not fly, and they don’t jump like fleas do, but they can crawl rapidly over floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces.

Adult females lay their eggs in secluded places, depositing 1, 2 or more eggs per day, potentially hundreds during their lifetime. The eggs are tiny (about the size of a dust spec), whitish and hard to see without magnification, especially on light-colored surfaces. When first laid, the eggs are sticky, causing them to adhere to surfaces. At room temperatures, bed bug eggs hatch in about a week. Newly emerged nymphs are straw-colored and no bigger than a pinhead.

As bed bugs grow they molt, shedding their skin five times before reaching maturity.
A blood meal is needed between each successive molt. Adult females also must feed in order to lay eggs.
Under favorable conditions (70-80°F), the bugs can mature fully in as little as a month, producing multiple generations per year. Cooler temperatures or limited access to blood prolong the development time.

Bed bugs are very resilient. INDEX
Nymphs and adults can persist months without feeding which is unusual for most insects.
The ability to survive without a blood meal is longer at cooler temperatures, potentially up to a year or longer at 55°F or less. In temperature-controlled buildings, a more typical duration is about 2 to 6 months. Consequently, it is usually impractical to leave buildings unoccupied in hopes of ‘starving out’ an infestation. When infested dwellings such as apartments are vacated, bed bugs often disperse to nearby units, or reduce their activity until the unit is reoccupied.

Bed bugs are active mainly at night.
During the daytime, they prefer to hide close to where people sleep.
Their flattened bodies enable them to fit into tiny crevices -- especially those associated with mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards. Bed bugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but do tend to congregate in habitual hiding places. Characteristically, these areas are marked by dark spotting and staining, which is the dried excrement of the bugs. Also present will be hatched and un-hatched eggs, the tannish shed skins of maturing nymphs, and the bugs themselves. Another possible sign are rusty or reddish smears on bed sheets or mattresses from crushed engorged bed bugs. Although it’s often stated that bed bugs have a telltale “buggy” odor, the smell is seldom evident except in extreme infestations and should not be relied upon for detection.

Bed bugs prefer to hide close to where they feed, but if necessary will crawl several feet to obtain a meal.
Initially the bugs tend to be situated around sleeping areas, i.e., beds, couches and recliners.
If infestations are allowed to persist, they also may disperse to other locations within the dwelling making elimination more difficult.

Bites and Health Concerns INDEX
Bed bugs usually bite people at night while they are sleeping. Hungry bed bugs may also feed during the daytime, especially if this is when the occupant normally sleeps. They feed by piercing the skin with an elongated beak through which they withdraw blood. Engorgement of the bed bug takes roughly three to 10 minutes, but because the bite is painless, the person seldom realizes they are being bitten. Bed bugs normally do not reside on people like head or body lice do; instead, immediately after feeding, bed bugs crawl to a secluded location to digest their meal.

A common concern with bed bugs is whether or not they transmit diseases.
Although bed bugs can harbor various pathogens, transmission to humans has not been proven and is considered unlikely.
Their medical significance is most commonly attributed to itching and inflammation from their bites.
Antihistamines and corticosteroids may be prescribed to reduce allergic reactions, and antiseptic or antibiotic ointments to prevent infection. Though not known to carry diseases, (though they can transfer viruses) bed bugs can substantially reduce quality of life by causing discomfort, sleeplessness, anxiety, and embarrassment. According to some health experts, the added stress from living with bed bugs can have a significant impact on the emotional health and well-being of certain individuals.

Conventional insect repellents, like those used to deter ticks and mosquitoes, do not appear to be as effective against bed bugs. Therefore, attempting to avoid being bitten by applying insect repellent at bedtime is not recommended. Sleeping with the lights on is also not likely to deter hungry bed bugs, as they will adjust their feeding cycle to the host’s sleeping patterns.

Symptoms after being bitten by bed bugs vary from person to person. INDEX
Many develop an itchy red welt within a day or so of the bite. Others have little or no reaction.
Sometimes the reaction is delayed days or even weeks after the actual bite occurs, which can make it difficult to determine where or when bites actually occurred. Studies conducted in bed bug-infested apartments suggest about 30 percent of people do not react even when bitten repeatedly over time, and there is still higher incidence of non-reactivity among the elderly.

Unlike flea bites, which occur mainly around the lower legs and ankles, bed bugs feed on any skin exposed while sleeping (face, neck, shoulders, back, arms, legs, etc.). The welts and itching are often wrongly attributed to other causes, such as mosquitoes. For these reasons, infestations may go a long time unnoticed, and can become quite large before being detected.

The likelihood of bed bugs increases if the affected individual has been traveling, or if they have acquired used beds or furnishings before symptoms started to appear. Bed bugs also are suspect if you wake up with itchy welts you did not have when you went to sleep. It’s important to recognize, however, that not all bite-like reactions are due to bed bugs. Confirmation requires finding and identifying the bed bugs, shed skins, fecal spots, etc., which often requires the help of a professional. (Other possible sources of irritation that may be mistaken for bed bugs are discussed in University of Kentucky entomology fact sheet ENT-58, Invisible Itches: Insect and Non-Insect Causes).

How Infestations Originate INDEX
It often seems that bed bugs arise from nowhere.
The bugs are efficient hitchhikers and are usually transported into dwellings on luggage, clothing, beds, furniture, and other items. This is a particular risk for hotels and apartments, where turnover of occupants is constant. Bed bugs are small and agile, escaping detection after crawling into suitcases, backpacks and belongings. Acquiring secondhand beds, couches, linens, and furniture is another way that the bugs are transported into buildings. Bed bugs also can be carried in on one’s clothing, shoes or wheelchair. Once bed bugs are introduced, they can crawl from room to room or floor to floor. They can also be transported throughout buildings on people and their belongings.

Unlike cockroaches and flies that feed on filth, there is often no relationship between bed bugs and cleanliness.
Since the bugs feed solely on blood, pristine dwellings can be as vulnerable to infestation as are places of squalor.
That said, poverty and privation can lead to increased risk of bed bug problems, as can the inability to hire a professional exterminator.

Some bed bug species are parasites of bats or birds, and may bite people if the wild hosts are no longer available.
Although similar in overall appearance, the species of bed bugs that normally feed on bats, swallows, chimney swifts, pigeons or other wild hosts can be differentiated from those that prefer humans. Entomologists and knowledgeable pest managers can make this determination. If bat bugs or bird bugs are present, roosting and nesting sites should be the primary focus, and the animals should be removed and excluded from the building.

Where They Hide INDEX
Bed bugs can live in almost any crevice or protected location.
The most common place to find them is the bed, in seams of blankets and sheets, or where people sleep.
This is especially true during the early stages of a problem. As infestations grow larger, the bugs tend to move beyond beds into other locations making control more difficult.

Bed bugs often hide in seams, folds and crevices of mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards.
A thorough inspection requires dismantling the bed so that upper and lower seams and surfaces can be examined.
Things to look for are the bugs themselves, shed skins of the nymphs (immature bed bugs), and the blackish or brownish fecal spots. The dark spots of dried bed bug excrement are often present along mattress seams or wherever the bugs have resided. Box springs afford many places for bed bugs to hide, especially along the upper seams and underneath, where the bottom edge of the box rests on the frame. If an underlying dust cover is present, it may have to be removed to gain access for inspection and possible treatment. Successful treatment of mattresses and box springs can be difficult, however, and infested ones may need to be discarded or encased in a protective cover.

Cracks and crevices of bed frames should also be examined, especially if the frame is wood.
(Bed bugs have an affinity for wood and fabric more so than metal or plastic.) Wooden support slats, if present, should be removed and examined since bed bugs often congregate where the ends rest on the frame. Screw holes, knots and other recesses are also common hiding places. Headboards secured to walls should be removed and inspected. In hotels, the area behind the headboard is often the first place that bed bugs become established. Bed bugs also frequently hide within items stored under beds.

Upholstered chairs, recliners and sofas are typically the next most likely area for bed bugs, and should be examined carefully along seams, skirts and folds of fabric. Sofas and recliners can be major bed bug hotspots, especially when used for sleeping. Like beds, they can be difficult to treat and sometimes may need to be discarded.

Nightstands and dressers may need to be emptied and examined inside and out, and tipped over to inspect the woodwork underneath. Oftentimes the bugs will be hiding in cracks, corners, and recesses. Other common bed bug hiding places include: along and under the edge of wall-to-wall carpeting, especially behind beds and sofas; cracks in wood molding; ceiling-wall junctures; behind wall-mounted pictures, mirrors, outlets and switch plates; under loose wallpaper; clothing and clutter within closets; and inside clocks, phones, televisions and smoke detectors.

Bed bugs tend to congregate, but it’s also common to find a single bug or some eggs here and there.
A thorough inspection and treatment may take up to several hours. Some companies use specially trained dogs to assist in finding small dispersed infestations, especially in such places as hotels, schools, libraries and office buildings. When properly trained, bed bug detection dogs can be quite effective. Relatively few companies are routinely using them, however, due to the expense of training and maintaining such animals. Reliability of some of the dogs is also being questioned as more enter the market.

Controlling Infestations INDEX
Bed bugs are challenging to eradicate.
Since they can hide in so many places, inspections must be thorough and elimination is not always a certainty.
Whenever resources allow, it’s prudent to enlist the services of a professional. Experienced pest controllers know where to look for bed bugs, and have an assortment of tools at their disposal. Nonetheless, owners and occupants can assist the professional in several important ways. Affording access to all living areas is crucial, and excess clutter will need to be removed. Belongings strewn about rooms offer many places for the bugs to hide, and impede inspection and treatment. Since bed bugs can disperse throughout a building, it often will be necessary to inspect adjoining rooms and apartments as well.

Preparing for Treatment INDEX
Preparing for bed bug treatment is tedious yet important.
Very comprehensive preparation is necessary when infestations are heavy and the bugs are widely dispersed.
More limited prep may be adequate for light infestations since at these levels the bed bugs typically are more confined to sleeping areas (beds, sofas, and recliners). Pest control firms have their own policies, however, regarding preparation requirements which may also depend on the manner of treatment.

Some firms want beds stripped and furniture moved before they arrive, while other firms prefer to inspect first and perform these tasks themselves. Clutter and belongings on floors (especially beneath beds) must be removed since they impede treatment and afford additional places for bugs to hide. Bedding and garments normally will need to be laundered and/or hot dried (120°F minimum) since they cannot be treated with insecticides. An effective and efficient alternative to laundering is to simply place bedding, clothing, toys, shoes, backpacks, etc., in a clothes dryer set at medium-to-high heat for 10 to 20 minutes. This can be done in lieu of washing and will kill all bed bug life stages.

According to textile experts (Drycleaning & Laundry Institute, Laurel, MD), most garments designated as ‘dry-clean only’ (e.g., cotton, wool, silk, linen, rayon, nylon) will not be harmed provided they are dry before being placed in a clothes dryer at a moderate temperature setting. Dry cleaning procedures also kill bed bugs, but there is a risk of infesting the establishment when buggy items are tagged and sorted.

Items that cannot be placed in a washer or dryer can sometimes be de-infested by wrapping them in plastic and placing them outdoors in a hot, sunny location for at least a day (for example, on pavement or in a closed vehicle parked in the sun). Packing items loosely in garbage bags and elevating objects off the ground helps the heat permeate further, and will make it harder for bugs to find a cool place to hide. Monitoring with a thermometer is prudent to ensure that a temperature of at least 120°F is achieved wherever the bugs may be.

Bed bugs will also succumb to cold temperatures below 32°F, but the freezing temperatures must be maintained for a longer period (e.g., one to two weeks). Consequently, heating tends to be a better option throughout much of the country. Efforts to rid entire dwellings of bed bugs by raising or lowering the thermostat will be unsuccessful, although pest control firms are able to achieve lethal temperatures with supplemental heaters (see the subsequent section entitled "Heat Treatments" for more details).

Discarding or Encasement INDEX
Although most furnishings need not be discarded, in some cases this may be necessary.
This is especially true of heavily infested beds, sofas and recliners where bugs and eggs often reside in hard-to-reach places. Consequently, pest control firms may recommend such items be discarded, especially when in poor condition. When infested items are discarded, bagging or wrapping them prevents dislodgement of bugs en route to the trash. This is difficult for the average tenant to wrap a mattress and/or box spring and few items may be enclosed in such a manner. In addition, after/during pickup and dumping at the dump, any covering over these larger items is likely to become torn and left open.

Encasements for continued use of mattresses and box springs.
In the case of beds, a more economical option is to encase both the mattress and box spring in a protective cover like those used for allergy relief. Encasements specifically designed to help protect against bed bugs are available through retail or pest control firms. Higher quality ones tend to be more durable and comfortable to sleep on. Once the encasement is installed and zipped shut, any bugs which happen to be inside are entombed and eventually will die. Encasements also help protect newly purchased beds, and make it easier to spot and destroy any bugs residing on the outer surface during subsequent examination. Encasements will not, however, keep bed bugs from crawling onto a bed and biting a sleeping person.

Vacuuming, Steaming, Freezing INDEX
General housecleaning measures, (e.g. vacuuming floors and surfaces), seldom reach where bed bugs hide.
For this reason, repetitive vacuuming by occupants may not be worth the effort, especially compared to other important preparatory activities. Targeted vacuuming of bed bugs and infested harborages, however, can help remove some of the bugs before other treatment measures are undertaken. At the same time, if vacuum cleaner dust bags and containers are not to become reservoirs for captured eggs and bugs, they are best discarded or washed out after use. Bed bugs and especially the eggs can be difficult to dislodge. Optimum results will be achieved by moving and scraping the end of the suction wand along infested areas such as seams and fabric folds of beds and sofas, and the perimeter edge of wall-to-wall carpet. Bed bugs can survive the high speed trip down a vacuum, so it’s important to carefully dispose of the vacuum contents in a sealed trash bag afterwards.

One trick to make this disposal easier involves using the cut-off end of a nylon stocking (or a knee-high nylon stocking) and a rubber band. Insert the stocking (toe first) into the end of the vacuum suction wand/tube, leaving the opening of the stocking protruding out of the end of the suction wand. Then fold the stocking opening back over the end of the wand and use the rubber band to secure it there. When the vacuum is turned on and the bed bugs are sucked into the tube, they will be trapped in the stocking. Afterwards, carefully remove the rubber band and retrieve the bug-filled stocking. Then secure the end of the stocking with the rubber band and dispose of it.

Some pest control firms also employ commercial steamers or spot-freezing equipment to treat areas where bed bugs are found or suspected. Used correctly, they kill bugs and eggs on contact. Neither method, however, affords residual protection against bed bugs which may have been missed. Steaming and spot-freezing equipment also have limited ability to penetrate fabric, wood, and other materials where bed bugs often reside.

Heat Treatments
Some pest control firms utilize specialized heating equipment to de-infest furnishings, rooms, and entire dwellings.
The procedure involves heating up the infested item or area to temperatures lethal to bed bugs. Portable heaters and fans are used to gradually heat the air to about 120 - 130°F while monitoring with strategically placed sensors. By carefully controlling the temperature, bugs and eggs are killed wherever they may be without damaging household items. One might best consider if removing electronics, medications and supplements, and other temperature sensitive items would best be inspected separately and removed from the area to be heated.

Some preparation is still required (e.g. removal of heat-sensitive items such as aerosol cans, indoor plants and medications), but it is seldom necessary to bag, launder and/or hot dry bedding and clothing since these items will be heated along with other furnishings. Another advantage of heat treatment is that infestations can often be eliminated in one day, rather than over multiple days or weeks. Conversely, heat treatment alone has no lasting (residual) effect should bed bugs be reintroduced into the dwelling. Consequently, some companies recommend concurrently applying residual insecticides. To further minimize reintroduction, occupants are advised to take as few belongings as possible with them while the heat treatment is in progress. Cleanup after the heat treatment may present some difficulties as dead bugs and growth stages may not all be easily visible or accessible.

Heat treatments require specialized training and equipment, and may be more costly than conventional approaches relying principally on insecticides.

Insecticides INDEX
While the former methods are helpful, insecticides are widely used by most pest control companies.
A variety of EPA-registered materials are available formulated as liquids, dusts and aerosols. Baits used to control ants and cockroaches are ineffective in this case since bed bugs must bite and feed on blood. Professional-use insecticides such as Temprid®, Transport® and Phantom® tend to be more effective than bed bug sprays sold by retailers. Bleach, alcohol, cigarette lighters, etc. should NOT be used to control bed bugs. Besides being ineffective, such actions can result in fires and other dangerous outcomes.

Application entails treating all areas where the bugs are found or tend to hide or crawl.
This takes considerable effort and follow-ups are usually needed. Companies typically treat seams, folds and crevices of bed components, chairs and sofas, but usually will not spray the entire sleeping surface or seating area. They also do not spray bed sheets, blankets or clothing, which instead should be hot washed or heated in a dryer.

Fumigation using a penetrating gas is another way to de-infest dwellings or furnishings, but the procedure is only offered by certain companies. True fumigation is not the same as setting off a total release fogger or ‘bug bomb.’ (It should be noted that bug bombs are considered ineffective in the treatment of bed bugs, and can be quite dangerous if misused.) The fumigation process is technically complex and requires vacating the building for a period of days. The building is then sealed and injected with a lethal gas, usually sulfuryl fluoride. Because the entire building must be vacated, structural fumigation is logistically more challenging with multi-unit buildings such as apartments, than for single family homes. Bed bug fumigations tend to be more common in southern and western states, where the procedure is also used to control certain types of wood-dwelling termites.

Preventing Infestations
Considering how time-consuming and costly it can be to eradicate bed bugs, it’s prudent to take precautions and avoid infestations in the first place. Householders should be vigilant when acquiring used furnishings, especially beds and couches. Discarded items should be avoided, and secondhand articles should be examined closely before being brought into the home. Look carefully in the folds and seams of furniture for signs of bed bugs (see the previous section entitled "Description and Habits" for more details). There is no reason to stop shopping in consignment stores, yard sales, etc., but it would be prudent to run clothing and fabric items through the (hot) washer or (hot) dryer before storing them in the home. The risk of acquiring bed bugs from items purchased in antique stores would generally be insignificant.

Avoiding bed bugs is most challenging in hotels, apartment buildings, and other places where there are many people, high turnover and ongoing opportunities for introduction of the pests. Periodic, preventive inspection by tenants, housekeeping/maintenance staff, or pest control firms is the best way to detect infestations in their initial stages when they are easiest to control. Visual inspections can be supplemented by using various monitoring devices to capture and reveal bed bugs that may have been overlooked by occupants.

Additional Tips for At-Risk Groups INDEX

Business and Leisure Travelers
Checking beds for bed bugs was a common practice long ago, especially while traveling, and is best re-introduced and continued.
Travelers today should consider doing the same, preferably before unpacking. This would entail examining the bed sheets and seams of the mattress and perhaps box spring for signs of bed bugs, especially along the head (pillow end) of the bed. Experts also remove and check behind headboards since this is a frequent hiding place for bed bugs in hotels, particularly if they are padded. Headboards are heavy and cumbersome, however, and untrained persons should not attempt removal themselves.

Vigilant travelers may also want to elevate suitcases off the floor on a stand, tabletop or other hard surface rather than storing them on the floor or another bed. Hyper-vigilant travelers may further opt to keep belongings in sealed plastic pouches and their suitcase in a zippered tote — however each traveler must decide how cautious they wish to be.

While encountering bed bugs in hotels is possible, typically only a small number of rooms have problems.
If bed bugs are discovered, guests can request another room, preferably in another area of the building, since problems often extend to nearby units. There have been some instances since the year 2000 when complete hotels have had infestations. Should you experience itchy welts suggestive of bed bug bites during your stay, it would be prudent upon returning home to place all clothing directly into the washer and/or dryer, or, for clothing that has been well used over time, you may choose to discard it. Inspecting or vacuuming luggage upon arrival home is less useful since it’s hard to spot bed bugs inside a suitcase. The suitcase itself can either be treated or discarded.

Social Service and Emergency Workers
Caregivers, firefighters, and other service providers are sometimes required to enter and work in bed bug-infested dwellings.
In doing so, there is the potential to transport some bugs home or to the workplace. It should be noted that bed bugs do not fly, nor jump onto people/pets as fleas do. During the day, bed bugs usually remain hidden and immobile, becoming more active at night when seeking a host. Consequently, the chance of picking up bed bugs or their eggs by merely walking into an infested dwelling during the day is unlikely, but possible. The risk may increase while providing care but can be lessened by taking some precautions.

Bring in only what is needed, and avoid sitting or placing coats and other items on beds, floors and sofas where the bugs commonly reside. Essential items can be placed on a tabletop or other hard surface, preferably away from bedrooms and sleeping areas. Better to sit on a hard (non-upholstered) chair than on sofas and recliners. Also try to avoid leaning or brushing against beds and upholstered furniture. If such items are carried out of infested dwellings (e.g., by sanitation workers or firefighters), it’s best to wrap them in plastic or at least not hold them against your body during transport, unless you place a clean wrap between yourself and it. Emergency Medical (EMS) personnel may need to take additional precautions, such as removing a patient’s bed bug-infested shoes or clothing, or installing plastic sheeting before transporting them in the emergency vehicle.

As mentioned earlier, applying insect repellent at bedtime will probably not deter bed bugs from biting.
When working in severely infested dwellings, there may be some benefit to spraying tops and bottoms of shoes with DEET-based repellents. Those working in bed bug-infested environments may also want to hot wash or run clothing, etc. through a dryer upon returning home or to the office.

Schools and Daycares
Bed bugs are a growing problem in schools and daycares.
Typically they are introduced by students or staff living with an infestation at home.
Pinpointing where the bugs exist can be challenging in such environments since there are no beds or sleeping areas for the insects to congregate. (Similar challenges occur when bed bugs are found in offices, libraries and retail stores.) Usually only small numbers of bed bugs are spotted, often on a student’s clothing, backpack, chair or desk. While this does not necessarily confirm that the child’s residence also has bed bugs, the parents should be notified that the home should be inspected, preferably by a professional. Teachers, nurses, and staff should be educated about the bugs and what they look like. Bed bugs should also be considered if a student frequently has reddened itchy welts -- but keep in mind such reactions can be for reasons other than bed bugs.

Bed bug incidents in schools are best handled by knowledgeable pest control firms.
Widespread insecticide treatment of classrooms, hallways, buses, etc. is unnecessary, ineffective and imprudent.
Effort instead should be spent checking chairs, desks, lockers, coat rooms, etc. in the vicinity of where the bugs were found, and treatment should be focused on those specific areas. Canine inspections can also be useful in finding small numbers of bed bugs in schools and other establishments where there are no beds.

Those Who Cannot Afford a Professional INDEX
Bed bug eradication is challenging and it’s prudent to hire a professional when resources allow.
However treatment can be expensive, often costing hundreds or thousands of dollars. Those who cannot afford this often must cope with the problem themselves. A useful step that anyone can take to combat bed bugs is to install bed encasements. Covering the mattress and box spring can help eliminate a substantial portion of the bed bug population -- especially if discovered early while most of the bugs are still confined to the bed area. Extra care should be taken when installing budget encasements since these can tear easily, especially on metal bed frames. Ideally both the mattress and box spring should be encased. If only one encasement is possible it’s often best to cover the box spring which is harder to subsequently inspect.

With practice and a flashlight, nonprofessionals can become proficient in finding and destroying bed bugs.
The process is made easier by reducing clutter, especially in bedrooms and sleeping areas. Bugs that are spotted can be removed with a vacuum (see previous discussion), or killed with over-the-counter insecticides labeled for such use. Most bed bug sprays intended for householders have little remaining effect after the spray has dried. Therefore it’s important to initially contact as many of the insects as possible with the spray droplets. Insecticide labels should be read carefully as some bed bug products should not be used on mattresses and seating areas. Some insecticides applied as powders or dusts (e.g., diatomaceous earth) will kill bed bugs although boric acid powder will not. However powders can be messy and difficult to apply, especially by nonprofessionals. Total release foggers (otherwise known as ‘bug bombs’) are ineffective against bed bugs and potentially dangerous when used incorrectly (see University of Kentucky entomology fact sheet Limitations of Home Insect Foggers).

Monitoring devices such as the previously mentioned ClimbUp® are useful for confirming the presence of bed bugs when a visual inspection cannot. When installed under bed legs, they also provide a barrier between floor and bed which can potentially reduce bites, especially when beds are pulled slightly away walls and encased.

The incidence of bed bugs in the United States and in many countries of the world has increased to the point where vigilance is a prudent practice. Some common sense tactics and taking modest precautions can go a long way towards helping avoid infestation.

Arboviruses: Disease transmission possibilities with ticks. INDEX
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16556
Last Editorial Review: 5/13/2016

LINK 2: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/827397
West Nile Virus, Arborviruses Still Source of Severe Illness
Veronica Hackethal, MD
June 26, 2014

LINK 3: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/arboviral/index.htm
Last Revised: November 29, 2017

LINK 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbovirus
last edited on 10 April 2018

Arbovirus: A class of viruses transmitted to humans by arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks.
The first two letters of the words arthropod' and borne, make up the 'arbo' that now designates this group of viruses as arthropod-borne.

The name arbovirus was coined in part by Dr. William C. Reeves (1916-2004) to connote the class of viruses carried by insects and responsible for diseases like malaria, dengue fever, encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), and West Nile (WNV).

The arboviruses were originally called 'arborviruses' but the spelling was changed, dropping the second 'r' because of the potential of mis-identification with trees. (Evidently, the older and more confusing name continues to be used in both recent and older studies and reports.)

The word tibovirus (TIck-BOrne virus) is sometimes used to more specifically describe viruses transmitted by ticks, a superorder within the arthropods. Arboviruses can affect both animals, including humans, and plants.

Infected mosquitoes and ticks pass arboviral diseases to humans through bites.
... Although most infections in humans do not cause symptoms, a sign of infection is a high fever.
Less commonly, arboviruses can enter the nervous system.

West Nile virus and other arboviruses continued to cause severe disease in the United States in 2013, with West Nile virus being the most common cause of neuroinvasive arboviral infection, according to surveillance results published by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 20 (2014) in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. ... The researchers note that testing and reporting to ArboNET may be incomplete, which could result in underestimation of true disease.

In 2013, 2605 cases of nationally notifiable arbovirus infections were reported (in the USA) to the CDC.
Alaska and Hawaii did not report any cases. West Nile virus remained the most commonly reported arbovirus (2469 cases), followed by La Crosse virus (85), Jamestown Canyon virus (22), Powassan virus (15), eastern equine encephalitis (8) (EEEV), unspecified California serogroup virus (5, infectious agent unknown), and St. Louis encephalitis virus (1) (SLEV).

More than 90% of arboviral infections occurred in April through September.
(No correlations were made, considered, or reported between any suspected or specific insect vectors as sources.)

West Nile virus remained the most common cause of neuroinvasive arboviral infections, but the incidence of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease was significantly lower in 2013 compared with in 2012, when a large outbreak occurred. Fifty-one percent (n = 1267) of reported West Nile virus cases were neuroinvasive, with the highest incidence among people aged 70 years or older. Nine percent (n = 111) of patients with neuroinvasive disease died.

West Nile virus cases peaked in early September, with the highest incidences in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Five percent (n=119) of patients died; their median age was 78 years.

La Crosse virus caused the highest number of neuroinvasive arboviral infections in children, with a median age of 7 years. Ninety-one percent of La Crosse Virus infections (n = 77) were neuroinvasive. Two patients (2%) died.

Symptoms of illness are usually mild and nonspecific, and can include
• headache,
• fever,
• fatigue,
• malaise,
• rash,
• muscle aches,
• runny nose
• violent cough
• swollen lymph nodes
  ... and less often ...
• flaccid paralysis,
• encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and
• meningitis.

Because the arboviral encephalitides are viral diseases, antibiotics are not an effective form of treatment and no effective antiviral drugs have yet been discovered (2018). Treatment is supportive, attempting to deal with problems such as swelling of the brain, loss of the automatic breathing activity of the brain and other treatable complications like bacterial pneumonia.

Afternote:
I did acquire a significant viral outbreak about 2 weeks following the last known bite I received.
The symptoms were strong for about 2 weeks following which they hung on for another 2 weeks.
I was best during this period of a month to discontinue the strong detoxing protocols I was undertaking at that time and patiently rest as much as possible.

Symptoms of possible viral transfers. INDEX
(Consider that as many as 92% of bites may not transfer any viral material, and,
viral material which is added to your fluids may not elicit an antigen response.)

LINK 1: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/arboviral/californiaserogroup.htm
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
1 West Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703
January 2018

LINK 2:http://www.floridahealth.gov/.../eastern-equine-encephalitis/index.html

LINK 3: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6020a3.htm
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), May 27, 2011 / 60(20);652-655

LINK 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Crosse_encephalitis
LINK 5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powassan_virus
LINK 6: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/
powassan-virus-spread-by-ticks-could-be-worse-than-lyme-disease/
LINK 7: http://www.vdci.net/vector-borne-diseases/
st-louis-encephalitis-education-and-mosquito-management-to-protect-public-health
LINK 8: http://www.westnile.ca.gov/wnv_faqs_basics.php

INDEX
• Virus: California serogroup
• Virus: Eastern equine encephalitis (EEEV),
• Virus: Jamestown Canyon (JCV),
• Virus: La Crosse (LACV),
• Virus: Powassan (POWV),
• Virus: St. Louis encephalitis (SLEV),
• Virus: West Nile (WNV),
• Virus: infectious agent unknown (UNKN)

As of mid-2018 there are few medical and health service providers who are aware that bedbugs MAY spread these infections. In addition, almost none of these persons have any familiarity with the symptoms of ANY of these illnesses. Because of the unavailability of a commercial test to detect these viruses, the infections may be unrecognized and under reported. Even if recognized, there is NO widespread and known effective treatment for any of these, save rest and fluids. Yet you may lose employment hours or perform such work in an unsafe or inefficient manner. Your children may create disturbances socially or at school when they find it difficult to cope with the symptoms, or, they may be kept home from school and miss their instruction. Some of these illnesses have only been discovered and named in the past few decades.

Some of these viruses may be vectored by being initially injected by mosquitoes into birds and smaller animals as well as humans, and then being transferred from human to human by way of a bedbug. A virus in the host human blood could be taken up by the bedbug and transferred to a surface blood droplet collecting and remaining on a secondary host when a bedbug is feeding anew, usually on another person or mammal. Potential instances of infection often go undiagnosed and untreated due to a lack of reporting, a rarity of available or known tests, and, due to an absence of vaccines.

Virus: California serogroup, Virus-Index
California serogroup viruses including California encephalitis, Keystone, La Crosse, Jamestown Canyon, snowshoe hare, and trivittatus are all recognized as mosquito-borne arboviral infections. The use of the bedbug vector is largely still in denial. In the USA, the original California Encephalitis virus was isolated and put alongside 15 other related viruses that are now categorized as the "California serogroup". From 1996 to 1998, approximately three times as many reported human cases of arboviral encephalitis were caused by California serogroup viruses than were reported for western equine encephalomyelitis viruses, St. Louis encephalitis, and eastern equine encephalomyelitis viruses combined.

Symptoms of illness.
• no apparent symptoms, (can mean that the person becomes a carrier)
• mild fever,
• chills,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• headache,
• lethargy,
• drowsiness,
• abdominal pain
  ... and less often ...
• encephalitis (swelling of the brain)
• lack of mental awareness,
• disorientation,
• Local motor abnormalities,
• paralysis,
• coma, and
• mengioencephelitis.

The incubation period of California encephalitis is usually 3 to 7 days.
An early symptoms phase of 1 to 4 days commonly precedes the onset of more serious symptoms.

Up to 20% of patients develop behavioral problems or recurrent seizures.
Recurrent unprovoked seizures occur even after the illness has passed develops in 20% of patients, especially those who had seizures during the acute illness. In patients with encephalitis, seizures (may) occur in 50% of children. Focal neurologic findings, like focal motor abnormalities and paralysis, irregular and abnormal reflexes (may) develop in 20% of children. 10% of patients (may) develop coma.

Virus: Eastern equine encephalitis (EEEV), Virus-Index
Commonly known as a mosquito-borne alphavirus.
This virus has four variations in the types in lineage. The most common to the human disease is Group 1 which is considered to be endemic in North American and the Caribbean while the other three lineages, Group IIA, IIB, and III are typically found in Central and Southern America causing principally equine illness.

Symptoms develop 3-10 days after the bite of an infected mosquito and begin with a sudden onset of fever, general muscle pains, and a headache of increasing severity. Symptoms can become more severe over 1-2 weeks and infected individuals will either recover or show onset of encephalitis characterized by seizures, vomiting and focal neurological deficits. Severe encephalitic cases often suffer from coma or death. People under the age of 15 or over 50 seem to be at greatest risk for severe disease. Approximately 30-45% of people with encephalitis caused by EEEV will die from the disease, making it one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases in the United States. Of those who recover, many will suffer lasting effects.

Symptoms of illness
• fever,
• general muscle pains,
• headache (increasing in severity),
• sensitivity to sound,
• irritability,
  ... and less often ...
• seizures,
• vomiting,
• neurological deficits,
• coma,
• death.

Virus: Jamestown Canyon, (JCV) Virus-Index
An orthobunyavirus of the California serogroup and one of a group of mosquito-borne or arthropod-borne viruses, also called arboviruses. The female mosquito lays eggs that carry the virus, and the offspring can transmit the virus to deer or ruminants and humans ... and then to bedbugs, and, possibly, other humans. It is also noted as a Bunyavirus within the California serogroup and as closely related to La Crosse encephalitis virus.

About 2 days to 2 weeks after the bite of an infected mosquito disease symptoms of a nonspecific summertime illness with sore throat, runny nose and cough, followed by fever, headache, nausea and vomiting can develop. Neuroinvasive disease occurs in two thirds of reported cases and is characterized by severe headache and neck stiffness as in meningitis or increasing lethargy and altered mental status up to coma as in meningoencephalitis.

Symptoms of illness
• sore throat,
• runny nose,
• cough,
• fever,
• headache,
• nausea,
• dizziness,
• left-sided numbness,
• tingling,
• vomiting,
  ... and less often ...
• severe frontal headache,
• neck stiffness,
• increasing lethargy,
• elevated blood pressure,
• altered mental status up to coma.

"For the patient, the delayed diagnosis resulted in unnecessary medical procedures, including a carotid Doppler ultrasound, plus several hours of travel, and lost work to seek additional medical evaluation from a specialist. Clinically, patient care might not have differed significantly; however, supportive care, including headache management and patient prognosis, would have been established more quickly. Treatment for JCV infection (seldom) includes supportive care and management of complications, such as relieving increased intracranial pressure. .... "

Virus: La Crosse, (LACV) Virus-Index
LAC virus is a zoonotic pathogen cycled between the daytime-biting treehole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus, and vertebrate amplifier hosts (chipmunks, tree squirrels) in deciduous forest habitats. The virus is maintained over the winter by transovarial transmission in mosquito eggs. If the female mosquito is infected, she may lay eggs that carry the virus, and the adults coming from those eggs may be able to transmit the virus to chipmunks and to humans. Many mammals, including primates and humans may be exposed to ticks ... which may spread them to others.

Symptoms of illness
• fever,
• headache,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• tiredness,
  ... and less often ...
• seizures,
• severe febrile illness,
• encephalitis (inflammation of the brain),
• meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord),
• long-term disability,
• coma, and,
• paralysis,
• death,
• La Crosse encephalitis (swelling of the brain).

No specific therapy is available at present for La Crosse encephalitis, and management is limited to alleviating the symptoms and balancing fluids and electrolyte levels.

Virus: Powassan, (POWV) Virus-Index
A flavivirus transmitted by ticks, found in North America and in the Russian Far East.
The Powassan virus is a genetic variation of the deer tick virus (DTV).
One type of Powassan virus (lineage 2 or “deer tick virus”) is carried by the blacklegged tick (deer tick), the same tick that spreads Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. Another type of Powassan virus (lineage 1) is carried by a similar tick species that usually feeds on woodchucks and squirrels instead of humans.

Symptoms of illness
• headache,
• fever,
• fatigue,
• occasional confusion,
• weakness,
• seizures,
• aphasia,
  ... and less often ...
• cranial nerve palsies,
• paresis and
• altered mental status,
• Encephalitis (swelling of the brain),
• Meningitis (swelling of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord),
• Powassan encephalitis is severe, and neurologic sequelae are common.

Powassan virus encephalitis is a challenge to diagnose because there are only a few laboratories that offer testing, the most effective being serologic testing. There are currently no medications or vaccines to treat or prevent the POWV.

People affected by Powassan virus generally first show symptoms 1 to 3 weeks after infection.
With severe Powassan illnesses the victims should be hospitalized, because the symptoms do worsen. If not treated, symptoms could extend to meningoencephalitis, which may include: seizures, aphasia, cranial nerve palsies, paresis and altered mental status. Currently (2018-04), the best ways to treat POWV illnesses include medications to reduce brain swelling, respiratory support and intravenous fluids. About 10% of POWV encephalitis cases are fatal and half the survivors have permanent symptoms that affect their brain.

CBS News April 9, 2015, 5:47 PM
... It spreads like Lyme disease, but doctors say it's even worse. Ticks in parts of the northeastern U.S. and around the Great Lakes have been found to carry a rare and potentially life-threatening virus. ...

(Dr. Daniel) Cameron is president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.
He said that if bitten by a Powassan-infected tick, you can get the virus within a matter of minutes, and while the symptoms are similar to Lyme disease, they are more severe. ... "You can get seizures, high fevers, stiff neck. It comes on so suddenly that it's the kind of thing people go to the emergency room for," he explained. ...

Virus: St. Louis encephalitis (SLEV), Virus-Index
St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a member of the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus and is related to Japanese encephalitis virus. Other medically important flaviviruses found in the Americas include West Nile virus and Powassan virus.

Symptoms of illness
• most persons have no symptoms,
  ... and less often ...
• fever, and . Severe neuroinvasive disease (often involving )
• headache,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• muscle aches,
• tiredness,
• dizziness,
• high fever,
• neck stiffness,
• disorientation,
• coma,
• tremors,
• spastic paralysis,
• death
• encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and
• meningitis.

SLEV is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Mosquitoes from the genus Culex contract the virus when feeding on infected birds, and then pass the virus to humans. Wild birds, such as sparrows, pigeons, blue jays, and robins, are the primary hosts of SLEV. Prior to the introduction of West Nile Virus in 1999, SLEV was the most important epidemic mosquito-borne viral disease in the U.S.A.

Virus: West Nile, Virus-Index
West Nile virus (WNV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes West Nile fever.
It is a member of the family Flaviviridae, specifically from the genus Flavivirus, which also contains the Zika virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus. The strain of the virus found in the United States was very closely related to a lineage 1 strain found in Israel in 1998. Since the first North American cases in 1999, the virus has been reported throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. There have been human cases and equine cases, and many birds are infected.

Symptoms of illness
• about 80% of infections yield no symptoms,
• fever,
• headache,
• body aches,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• swollen lymph glands,
• a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back
  --- and more severe ---
• high fever,
• headache,
• neck stiffness,
• stupor,
• disorientation,
• tremors,
• convulsions,
• muscle weakness,
• vision loss,
• numbness,
• paralysis
  ... and less often ...
• fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months,
• neurological effects may be permanent,
• encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and
• meningitis,
• coma,
• death.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease that was originally found in Africa.
It was first detected in the eastern United States in1999; since then the virus has spread across the continental United States and is well established in most states, including California. Most often, WNV is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes are WNV carriers ("vectors") that become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread WNV to humans and other animals when they bite. Bedbugs can sometimes spread WNV from human to human by way of their blood meals.

Virus: infectious agent unknown (UNKN) Virus-Index

Symptoms of illness
• headache,
• fever,
• fatigue,
• malaise,
• rash,
• muscle aches,
• runny nose
• violent cough
• swollen lymph nodes
  ... and less often ...
• flaccid paralysis,
• encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and
• meningitis.

Eradication: chemicals, procedures, non-toxic. INDEX
(Consider that there are many instance of bedbugs locally adapting to
whatever chemical insecticide has been used, thus becoming more resistant.) https://www.bedbugs.org/insecticide/

LINK 2: https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/pesticides-control-bed-bugs
LINK 3: https://citybugs.tamu.edu/2014/12/18/diy-bed-bug-control/
LINK 4: http://www.pestmall.com/bed-bug-insecticide/
LINK 5: https://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/
crawling-insects/bed-bug-control-products/bedbug-professional-insecticides

Caution: The use of strong chemicals, including insecticides, has been shown to encourage the development of hypersensitivity immune reactions in people, especially the young, older, and health disadvantaged.

Controlling Infestations as a Homeowner
There are things the homeowner can do to help control the infestation.

• Vacuum mattresses, walls, floors, carpets, drapes and clean with
  --- products like enzyme cleaners that contain peppermint and borax
• Caulk all cracks and openings around the house
• Wash all bed linens in hot water that is at least 120 degrees daily or weekly
• Move the bed away from the walls
• Put petroleum jelly, talc, duct tape or sticky tape around the bed and on the bed legs
• Vacuum and dust all drawers and electrical outlets with talcum powder
• Steam clean all infested mattresses and pillows.
  --- Completely take apart the bed and clean it and the room with the diluted enzyme cleaner.
  Use a wet vacuum with the enzyme cleaner to clean the floors.

• Clean with diluted Safe Solution enzyme cleaners and borax
• Re-glue any loose wallpaper
• Portable steam cleaners can be used, but the steam needs to touch all surfaces

Home remedies like kerosene oil, petroleum jelly and thyme will not kill these tough bugs.
They may not like the smell of thyme so it may keep them away from surfaces, but it will not kill the ones that are already in the home.

Isopropyl Alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, will kill them on contact.
Make a solution of one part rubbing alcohol with one part water in a spray bottle, and liberally spray all areas where they might be living. Let the areas dry naturally, and use less water on surfaces and areas that could be sensitive to water.

Intense Heat:
Professional pest management services often use intense heat to kill these insects.
A process called Thermal Remediation using Ambient Heat is when the home is heated to at least 140°F for at least two hours, or 130°F for three hours. The heat is effective in killing most adults along with their eggs. The lethal heat has to penetrate all areas of the home in order to be effective. Adversely, chilling the home to temperatures of 32°F or lower for several days will also an effective method. These methods can be very expensive, costing between $800 and $2,000 just for an apartment.

Home steamers do not get hot enough to be as effective as professional pest management services.
Steam is usually used with other methods of elimination, as there are some areas that the steam cannot penetrate.
This method can cost from $500 to $1,500 depending on the size of the dwelling.

Insect Growth Regulators are chemicals/hormones that work by disrupting and impeding the life cycle of eggs in the beginning development. If they cannot reach adulthood, then it cannot reproduce others. ... This can be used by the homeowners, but should be used with other means of elimination. This is more a control for new infestations.

Fumigation.
Indoor applications are used to treat bedbugs directly. They are usually aerosol sprays.
Where harborages are found, spray the applications in the air around where they have been spotted.
These aerosols can be used to treat clothing and stuffed animals.
Put the items in a plastic bag or closet, and spray the area and close it off for at least 20 minutes.
Insecticides use chemicals to kill these offending pests, and come in sprays, solids, powders or liquids.
It is the organic or inorganic substance that does the killing. Commonly used substances are:

• Deltamethrin includes the active ingredients such as cyfluthrin, cypermethrin or pyrethrum.
  They are biodegradable and will break down after a few days.

• Hydroprene is an insect growth regulator that does not directly kill the bugs but prevents them for reproducing. It is generally safe and can be used in most areas. It comes in liquid, solid or aerosol forms.

• Diatomaceous Earth is a type of algae that kills by sucking the moisture out of them which will cause them to dehydrate and die. ... It comes in powder or dust and has long-term effectiveness. It is not good, however, for immediately killing the bugs on contact.

Resistance to Chemicals.
Some of these bugs have developed resistance to products such as pyrethroid insecticides and are no longer affected by them. The newer products do take several days to work, but will be effective. The dust insecticides work by clinging to the cuticles and wearing away their protective wax covering. This poisons the bugs as they groom themselves. These dust products can work very well if they are placed in places that do not tend to get wet, such as under baseboards or in wall voids.

Pesticides.
EPA has registered more than 300 products for use against bed bugs.
Most of these can be used by consumers, but a few are registered for use only by specially trained professionals.
EPA evaluates data on the safety and the effectiveness of the products before approving them.

These 300 registered products fall into seven chemical classes of pesticides that are currently registered and widely used for bed bug control:
• pyrethrins,
• pyrethroids
• desiccants,
• biochemicals,
• pyrroles,
• neonicotinoids, and
• insect growth regulators.

There are a variety of treatments available to fight off bed bugs, however most are very costly and lack guarantees.
Bed bug insecticides are (a) solution for customers who are on a tight budget and looking for a cost effective solution to their bed bug dilemma. Insecticides contain different ovicides and larvicides that assist in eliminating the eggs and larvae of different pests including bed bugs.

There are different types of insecticides for different purposes namely systematic insecticides, contact insecticides, natural insecticides, organic and etc. ... Some insecticides are residuals which will help control your bed bug infestation for longer periods after initial application. Some are even designed to (eliminate) more than two hundred different types of common household insects including bed bugs. Masterline bifenthrin 7.9 is an example of a multi-purpose insecticide.

Before applying the insecticide, carefully read the safety precautions and label of the products.
It is recommended to evacuate children and pests out of the targeted room.
The high chemical makeup of some insecticides can be potentially harmful upon contact when the treatment is still fresh.
It is recommended to wear the proper safety gear such as rubber gloves, eye wear and respirators (paper mask for mouth is fine). Please allow the treated area(s) to dry. This may take anywhere up to 3 hours. Not until, then you can repopulate the room for full use.

DIY insecticides alone are not likely to rid your home of bed bugs, especially products that do not keep killing after they dry.
If you are reading this and thinking you’ve now found the solution to bed bugs at your home, think again. The authors of the study (at https://citybugs.tamu.edu/2014/...) emphasize that all spray exposures were done under ideal conditions. It is likely that results in the field, where bed bugs are usually protected in cracks and crevices of furniture and bedding, will not be as good. Also, professional products like Temprid® SC and others are designed to continue to kill for more than one day after spraying. Our plant-based residues in this test were not aged more than one day, and given the volatility of plant oils I would not expect them to last very long.

... ... a new study by Narinderpal Singh and others from Rutgers University has identified two low-toxicity products that are surprisingly effective against both bed bugs and their eggs. EcoRaider™ and Bed Bug Patrol™ are essential oil-based insecticides available over the counter and via the Internet. Both of these products were the most effective of 11 plant oil- or detergent-based insecticides tested. When sprayed directly on bed bugs in two trials, these products were the only ones that provided greater than 90% control of bed bug nymphs. EcoRaider™ caused 100 percent mortality after 10 days in two trials. Bed Bug Patrol™ caused 91-92 percent mortality after 10 days in two trials. Though these essential oil products were slower than the professional insecticide Temprid® SC, they provided equal control after 10 days.

The toughest life stage of bed bugs to kill is the egg stage.
In direct spray tests only EcoRaider™ caused high mortality (86%).
All other products, including the professional standards, provided less than 17% control.

Bartonella: A tick borne disease. INDEX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartonella

LINK 2: https://healthool.com/bartonella/

LINK 3: https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/co-infections/bartonella/

LINK 4: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/bartonella

LINK 5: https://rawlsmd.com/health-articles/understanding-bartonella

This is not (often considered to be) a medical condition but is bacteria that live inside your cells.
It is referred to as a gram-negative bacterium. This particular type of bacteria can not only infect humans but can also a wide variety of wild animals and mammals. There are different forms of bartonella such as Bartonella Henselae. It was first noted in 1990 and in 1992 it was described as a new species. It is a disease that has been affecting humans for thousands of years.

Some of the other species of bartonella include:

• A type found in Ecuador, Peru, and Surveys in the Andes Mountains carried by sand flies called B.bacilliformus.
• Human body lice found worldwide.
• European sheep tick.

• In California, 19.2% of the I. pacificus ticks that have been collected,
  there were 5 various species of the bartonella bacteria.

• Trench fever caused by the B.Quintana.

... there are about 24 identified species of this bacteria in which half of them are known to infect humans. In the United States, each year there approximately 20,000 cases of cat scratch disease, or fever, reported.

There are actually many species of bartonella that are widespread in all mammal populations (including whales and dolphins).
More than a dozen species have been isolated that can infect humans.

This type of bartonella is normally carried by cats which can cause endocarditis, cat-scratch disease, and other serious diseases in humans. The bartonella bacteria are carried by body lice, ticks, sand flies, mosquitoes, and fleas with ticks a cause of infection in some of the human cases of bartonellosis. It is also possible that intravenous drug users who are sharing the same needle could pass the bartonella bacteria to each other.

Bartonella are Gram-negative, or coccobacilli, facultative intracellular bacteria infect erythrocytes in mammals, leading to persistent bacteremia. Bartonella spp. are vasculotropic pathogens that invade and interact with endothelial cells, ultimately interfering with normal functions, including cell proliferation and apoptosis.

The currently accepted model explaining the infection cycle holds that the transmitting vectors are blood-sucking arthropods and the reservoir hosts are mammals. Immediately after infection, the bacteria colonize a primary niche, the endothelial cells. Every five days, some of the Bartonella bacteria in the endothelial cells are released into the blood stream, where they infect erythrocytes. The bacteria then invade a phagosomal membrane inside the erythrocytes, where they multiply until they reach a critical population density. At this point, they simply wait until they are taken up with the erythrocytes by a blood-sucking arthropod.

All current Bartonella species identified in canines are human pathogens.

Disease: Symptoms of Bartonella infection. INDEX
http://www.tiredoflyme.com/bartonella-symptoms.html (2017)

LINK 2: http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/b/bartonella/symptoms.htm (2015)

LINK 3: https://healthool.com/bartonella/ (2018)

LINK 4: https://www.envita.com/lyme-disease/bartonella-a-chronic
-lyme-disease-coinfection-is-more-causing-chronic-fatigue-problems

LINK 5: https://rawlsmd.com/health-articles/understanding-bartonella (2017)

LINK 6: http://whatislyme.com/bartonella/ (2011)

Symptoms:
• Fever,
• Fatigue,
• Headache,
• Brain fog,
• Striae red lines across the skin,
• Poor appetite,
• Joint and/or muscle pain,
• Swollen lymph glands,
• High temperature, sweats,
• Skin rash, acne,
• Enlarged liver,
• Eye infections,
• Unexplained/unproductive cough,
• Pain in the soles of the feet/bone pain,
• Gastritis,
• Lower abdominal pain,
• Severe mood swings,
• Pain in the eyes,
• Sore throat,
• Hallucinations,
• Blurred vision,
• a disturbance of depth perception,
• Pink eye,
• Retinal damage,
• Nodules or lumps under the skin,
• Seizures,
• Chest pain,
• Shortness of breath,
• Palpitations,
• Pelvic pain,
• Loose stools or constipation,
• Brain inflammation,
• Uveitis (eye inflammation),
• Endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves)
• Urinary tract infections,
• Kidney disease,
• Chemical sensitivities,
• Hemolysis with anemia,
• Splenomegaly (enlarged spleen),
• Infertility,
• Somnolence,
• Jaundice

Bartonella infections are remarkable in the wide range of symptoms they can produce.
The course of the diseases (acute or chronic) and the underlying pathologies are highly variable.

A lot of undeserved credit for having the most ubiquitously pernicious effect on the human body goes to the Lyme bacteria, but more of it should be given to bartonella, as it can easily surpass Lyme in terms of its debilitation. Yes, bartonella is technically a co-infection in relation to Lyme disease, but it's also a co-infection in relation to babesia or mycoplasma for that matter. The point is to remember that the prefix "co" is simply a reduced form of the latin prefix "com", meaning "with" or "together", and in no way suggestive of how harmful, crippling, and debilitating a pathogen can be.

Bartonellosis can present as a mild infection or produce serious symptoms that affect the whole body.
Additional manifestations may include:
• Bacillary angiomatosis and peliosis hepatitis
• Carrión's disease (includes both Oroya fever and verruga peruana)
• Cat scratch fever
• Erythema nodosum (inflammation of fat cells under the skin)
• Recurrent bacteremia (bacteria in the blood)
• Thrombocytopenic purpura (low blood platelets)
• Abnormal liver enzymes

Personal: Experience is the Reality on which research and academics deliver. INDEX
(My experiences from Winter, 2017 through Spring, 2018)
Apartment life in a southern Alberta, Canada city.

INDEX

• Invasion.
• Awareness.
• Symptoms.
• Entry Options.
• Prevention.
• Afterward.

Invasion. Personal
In mid-June, I moved from central southern British Columbia to the city of Lethbridge in the Canadian province of Alberta.
Take notice not to get over-focused on the location as it is more likely and relevant that locating to ANY city which has a significant immigrant population, and/or, significant importation of market items from other countries, and/or, some degree of tourist or visiting population (i.e. airport) will be susceptible to the inbound movement of bedbugs. I moved into an older building and a top floor apartment. Living in a single family house may offer some added protection with the possibility of less population movement. It would seem that resident turnover between apartment locations is more frequent today (2017-18) than between houses. Bedbugs spread most often by traveling with a host and adopting a new location whether the host remains or only visits.

After several months in my new location, devoid of any insect presence (the summer became hotter than normal for the location and may have provided a benefit of insect deterrence), I suddenly began to see cockroaches (see relevant monograph). These I had learned about and dealt with many decades earlier and had not encountered since. With my previous experience and successes, I quickly took non-chemical measures to eliminate the roaches, find that they were coming from other apartments, and limit their access to my own residence. Several more months of near insect freedom went by. I began to experience a few tiny red spots on my legs ... which at first suggested that they might be some part of an intense detoxing protocol I was following.

A drop of blood ended up on the bedding where I laid my head to sleep.
It was unusual, but again, not beyond the possibility that it might be somehow associated with the detoxing protocol.
Then, several more spots appeared on the bedding in both the head and calf areas. Then I saw a bedbug. Its shape and size reminded me immediately of the deer ticks I had encountered briefly in the Canmore, Alberta area more than 25 years earlier when I had been hiking solely and learning some rock climbing techniques. That brief exposure had resulted in my acquiring Rocky Mountain Fever (similar to Lyme Disease) which had given me significant symptoms for 14 months. Almost unrecognized in Canada today (2018), there was no medical diagnosis at that time and I was redirected to an intense series of physiotherapy treatments to remedy the constant joint and muscle pains. The physiotherapy treatments were of NO help and the medical personnel were quick to enter denial and suggest that the symptoms were either sourced psychologically or were a factor of early aging. I continued to do my best to enhance my health and fully recovered after about 14 months. Seeing what looked like a tick now, thus grew some significant concerns.

I determined that it would be best for me to thoroughly investigate the possibility of a developing infestation and its extent.
I removed ALL of the sheets. No insects. I went further. I upended the mattress and removed the fitted sheet-like cover from the box spring. The bottom edging was elasticized and throughout this edging there was an almost continuous stream of insect shedding and bugs of various sizes and growth stages. This, I found was shocking. I knew that there would be directions somewhere about laundering everything and cleaning with a strong detergent followed by the generous application of the strongest insecticide chemical available. I also, fortunately, knew that such chemicals ALWAYS diminished human immune system strength, added to the toxin levels in the liver and other organs, and often only resulted in the insects mutating into more resistant variants. I also was not going to risk contamination remaining on any linen even after a HOT wash. Most anything suspect would be permanently discarded in black garbage bags.

Into a black garbage bag went the box spring cover.
Then, I began inspecting everything in closer detail. A small cushion, pillow cases, a small wicker wastebasket, several sheet sets, and two standard bed pillows were immediately discarded. The wooden supports on which the box spring rested were quite contaminated, only on the side of the bed I slept on. These I thoroughly cleaned with an environmentally friendly cleaner. I closely inspected the ribbing around the edges of the mattress and box spring and found no evidence of contamination. I determined that I would relocate my sleeping area to the living room until I was certain that the bedroom was clear. I was living alone so this was an easy option. It was made easier by the fact that I had earlier used and brought with me foldable sectioned exercise mats which I had organized into a bed on the floor. I repeated that now. I closely checked the rest of the apartment to confirm that any evidence of bedbugs was only in the bed area of the bedroom. I also confirmed over the next few days, with my neighbor and with documents on the Internet, that the insects likely were bedbugs and not some other insect.

Awareness. Personal
Well now, in over 70 years I had never seen a bedbug, nor was personally aware of anyone who had.
I had also traveled extensively, though not so much since 2006, and media reports had noted bedbug problems worldwide since 2010. It seemed that bedbugs had, at times, become epidemic in highly dynamic population areas such as resorts, hotels, motels, and, transit services. Several key questions presented. Where did they come from? How could I find all of them? How could I safeguard my cleaned space from re-infestation? Was there a health danger from them? Answers to these questions would become clearer and more comprehensive as I devoted energy and resources to eliminating the present threats. More considerations would be brought to my attention by a neighbor. A considerable amount of detail would be found on the Internet. And, details significant for my own current location and personal experience would also contribute to a mosaic of wisdom.

Symptoms. Personal
I had first noticed a few pin-prick red spots on my lower legs.
Later, a few small blood droplets had appeared on the sheet where I laid my head.
Like my much earlier experience with deer ticks, I had never seen them, anywhere, or felt them on my skin.
My senses are keen so ordinarily if an insect had flown and alighted on me while asleep, I would have awakened. This would have been certain if the insect had bitten me, as a cockroach had, many decades previously when I was in a sound sleep. In addition, I would have expected an itch and a red welt to have arisen at the bite area. NONE of these ever occurred with me. I was never awakened. The few "bite" locations never became sore, itchy, or reddened. I never saw a bedbug until I had a full-scale invasion.

In speaking later with a neighbor, he shared that he had experienced his own bedbug problem some time earlier. He thought he had eradicated it. He was certain that the earlier cockroach problem had either originated or centered on the apartment across from me and then spread down the hall on that side to the nearby corner, into that apartment, then the next one around the corner, then into his, and, likely into mine. Several of those tenants had moved out when the landlord appeared unwilling to do anything about it. Then, it seems, the bedbug problem appeared ... which my neighbor was confident began in the apartment on the other side of him, likely during or after the roach epidemic. It was at that time, after several tenants had left, and about 2 or 3 weeks after I had seen my first roach, that the building owners had retained an insect eradication service. Perhaps the bedbugs had moved into my apartment from that of my neighbor. I had closed off, closely, all of the entry points into my apartment as part of my eradication and prevention efforts.

My neighbor noted with great certainty that if I had bedbugs, they would always leave a double-bite indication on the skin as if they had bitten twice, close together. In all of my exposure to bedbugs, I never experienced this indication ... only one spot per bite with none others closer than 4 inches at the worst of times. Unexpectedly, after eradicating all of the bedbugs from within the apartment ... most within 48 hours, I did find individuals entering from the apartment on the opposite side of mine, or, minimally from the hall or into the bathroom on a low frequency of once per 2 or 3 weeks. On one of these occasions, I discovered a small outbreak around a cushion in the living room, and, there went that cushion and several towels into the trash.

Even so, about 2 weeks after the living room discovery, I acquired a significant viral infection.
That ended any further detoxing efforts for at least 6 weeks. Rest and low nutritional intake helps the immune system cope.
For the first 2 weeks, beginning suddenly, I had the worst cough I had ever had, and I had experienced numerous kinds of cough ailments previously. This one began without warning and was violent, repetitive, and dry ... continuing until I was weak. Later, a quantity of mucous would suddenly appear in my throat and have to be immediately expelled. Erratically, I would experience short periods of high temperature with profuse sweating. These could even occur while I was sleeping such that I awoke soaked. After 2 weeks, all of these dramatic symptoms lessened, suddenly, by 80% or more with the cough hardly present. Throughout, I felt fatigued much of the time. Sometimes, my muscles and joints ached. Sometimes, I nearly had a headache (unusual for me).

I had not had any but the shortest social involvement since my move months earlier.
I had devoted much of my time to diagnosing, researching, testing, detoxing, and coping with a significant systemic illness which I narrowed down eventually to multiple Very High toxicity levels of 10 toxins and their combined longer-term destructive influences. Without having much contact with others, either in the building or in the city, there was little opportunity for me to have acquired a locally common contagious disease.

I had experienced many different viruses over my lifetime; this was the first and only that had this particular form of cough and the dynamic of the sudden flush of mucous into my throat. Either of these could immediately interrupt a conversation I might be having on the telephone. Again, fortunately, I was living alone. And, fortunately, I was retired on a small pension and was not forced out by occupational obligation or financial desperation. As I much later discovered, and note above, the virus I had was most likely contracted from a bedbug bite, remained symptomless for about 2 weeks, and then struck.

Entry Options. Personal
My exclusion arrangements with the earlier cockroach problem reduced many avenues open to bedbugs traveling in from adjacent apartments, or, from within walls or drains connected to apartments on other floors. Those efforts had included:

• Taping closed large through-the-wall holes for the plumbing pipes,
• Stoppering drains when not in use,
• Intruders Oil, Immune Booster, spray, used liberally,
• Using cardboard inserts to reduce door air leakages when closed,
• Placing a draft-stop at the base of the entry door when closed,
• Not inviting others in for any reason.

As I considered HOW the bedbugs could have entered the apartment, I remembered that I had purchased 2 sets of second hand sheets at a huge local Value Village store. It could have been any second hand store so the name of the organization is real and accurate though the possibility is not applicable to all stores of that name or type, or all of the time. I had never HOT washed clothing and linens that I had obtained from such stores previously before wearing or using them but I knew that doing so had been sometimes advised. Several weeks is a common "infestation" period for bedbugs to grow and spread from a pre-adult stage. I had bought the sheets, brought them home, kept them in the purchase bag for a week or more, and then, put a dark brown set on the bed. It was within 2 weeks after that when the bedbug presence became alarmingly present. It may have been co-incidental, yet my prayers indicated not.

Dark solid colours and patterned materials present the worst background to display in an obvious fashion insect refuse.
Such a presence tends to display as medium to dark brown and be perceived more like a stain or collection of dark dust than the dot-like or spot-like marks of small junior adults. Also, it is likely not a common custom to intricately inspect the hems and borders of newly purchased linens and clothing before using them. If such is missed, it is almost certain that THESE blood sustained insects will sense the presence of a warm blooded animal, likely by keen smell. One meal can sustain them for a week, easily, during which time them may lay hundreds of eggs. It was clearly effective to discard the sheets and other linens even though some may have only been marginally contaminated. Here, "marginally" is all that is required to start an infestation.

Heating in the building I moved into is supplied by hot water being piped through the building.
Within each apartment, along long stretches of wall, the pipe has radiating fins attached to expel the heat out and the whole delicate pipe and fins mechanism is housed behind a metal cover with openings at the floor and near the top. This front shroud protects the fins from being bumped and damaged and assists in creating a convection movement of air to more widely circulate the air through the room. A wall mounted thermostat usually connects to a valve which meters how much of the recirculating hot water is allowed to flow through a specific apartment. Even older styles of these hydronic units have water flowing through large free-standing radiators and their heat flow may be simply regulated by the turn of a tap near the top of each radiator. The significant issue here is that the pipe enters your apartment from another apartment, and, exits into yet another apartment.

My neighbor had suggested at some point that I check these through-the-wall pipe passages to ensure they were secure/blocked. I did my best with access made more difficult by the protective metal shrouds over the pipe and fins NOT being removable. Usually these are easily removable for cleaning and possible maintenance. The ones in my apartment were practically cemented on ... likely the result of multiple coats of paint over them sealing the joins between the metal parts. Removing them presented a possibility of breaking something, so, I left them intact. Initially, I well endowed them with the Intruder's Oil Spray. Later, a small bedbug would wander up on the living room wall from the hole passage for the heating pipe that passed through the wall in that corner on a frequency of once every 3 or 4 weeks. Eventually, I made enough space to closely peer through the ventilation space in the top of the radiator and survey the through-the-wall hole that the pipe used to enter the next apartment. It proved to have been roughly made with as much open space as the size of the 1 inch pipe!. I used a bread knife to apply spackle, a putty-like filler, around the pipe. That ended the entrance from the apartment on that side, at least through the previously oversized hole left for the pipe.

When considering entry points for bedbugs, it is always worth reminding oneself that young and small insects can be about the size of the head of a pin. Cockroaches are much larger, even as young, and can be barricaded against by much larger holes, cracks, and spaces. With bedbugs, we are down to the finest openings. I never at any time was able to detect bedbugs entering the apartment through the through-the-wall hole for the heating pipe ... even though it was larger than the diameter of a pencil before I spackled it. It was likely 5 or 6 months since I had closed the through-the-wall holes around the plumbing pipes with tape, when I discovered that some of the thick tape was drying out and curling away from the wall. I was drawn to this discovery by finding one or two tiny bedbugs coming every several weeks through these areas along the smallest cracks opened up by the drying tape... most often only from under the sink in the bathroom ... a wall shared with a neighbour. I removed some of the tape and used a lighter weight, more flexible, and longer lasting tape to resecure these areas as well as refresh all others (below toilet, under kitchen sink).

Coming through the plumbing drains was one of the most unexpected and difficult to confirm entry points for bedbugs. Only once, did I find a bedbug in the bathroom sink, having recently struggled through a small opening I had left in the drain pop-up. Once, I found an adult in the toilet tank water. I had permanently left the top off the tank as the toilet had been replaced at some point previously and the top did not fit properly. The toilet tank was now too close to the wall for the tank top to fit over it properly and the front of the cover binded with the trip lever every so often such that the in-tank stopper did not reseat and the water continued to flow after flushing. Then, one would have to remove the lid and adjust the mechanism so that the stopper would fall normally, and the tank would fill to the point where the water flow would be stopped. So, I could see into the tank at all times.

At first, the presence of the tick/bedbug suggested the possibility that it might have fallen in from the bathroom vent located directly over the toilet. Bathroom vent ducting often connects many apartments in a building to the same branch. This possibility was reinforced by the later appearance of an adult bedbug in the toilet bowl. I usually left the toilet seat cover up. I positioned a clear plastic hammock of tape under the vent, yet never caught anything. A second adult appeared in the bowl some days later. They were coming up through the toilet drain! If population pressure is too much elsewhere, there will be a relocation desperation that pushes any lifeform to consider new territory. Consider that plumbing waste pipes are never full, partly because air space is required to allow the fluids to move more easily through the pipe. Dry pathways become a reality, and, plumbing drains connect each resident in an apartment building with each other as well as with everyone on that sewer branch. The individuals had made it through the plumbing but drowned in the lakes in the tank and the bowl.

Prevention. Personal
Putting together all that I have learned, both from experience and from commonly shared articles, I have a number of strategies and tactics. Yet the overall consideration, if one is not to live in paranoia, is to recognize that independent of how well you prepare against a bedbug infestation, there is no way of guaranteed security. It is best to know what to do when and if an infestation happens, and, to do one's best to minimize such as happening. ALL of these precautions must be integrated with what type of structure one is living in, what dynamics of population movement one's neighborhood has, what size and ages are the members of your household, how socially participative is your lifestyle, what your financial resources are, and, how much is the issue important to you and those near you.

Strategies - Behaviors.


• Monitor areas where you spend a lot of inactivity: bedrooms and living-media rooms.

• Detached housing is more secure than apartments and attached residences.

• Inspect all enroute travel rooms & bedding before registration (hotels, etc.)

• Use light solid color linens, towels, and clothing to ease contamination detection.

• Acknowledge that insects can learn quickly; they will try not to be seen.

• Recognize that different insect species have different needs and weaknesses.

• Avoid having parties and get-togethers at home; rent a party room.

• Never assume that you will never be exposed to these "social" insects.

Tactics - Particulars.


• Keep ALL drains closed when not in use.

• HOT wash any newly purchased linens.

• Discard any contaminated fabrics and linens.

• Use strong herbal scents or incense occasionally.

• Avoid the use of strong anti-life anti-health chemicals.

• Close tightly all through-the-wall plumbing openings.

• Resist wearing clothing socially more than once between washings.

• Share this info with relatives, neighbors, others.

Afterward. Personal
Just when I had initially finished this monograph, I had a surprise!
After at least 3 months with no bedbugs seen or detected in the bedroom, and without me sleeping there for at least the first 6 weeks of that duration, I noticed a red spot or two on my calves, and, with greater inspection, several red spots on my scalp. Next, I found a tiny bedbug, the size of the head of a pin, almost clear or white in color, near where I had laid my head to sleep. On closer inspection around the upper edge of the sheets, I found 1 blood spot near the upper outer corner of each sheet. This discovery demanded a look further. Looking over the back edge of the mattress, I found 2 adult bedbugs, which I quickly and carefully captured with clear packaging tape. There, along a 6 inch rounded area of the center end of the mattress was a patch of bedbug sheddings and excrement. I did not see and could not distinguish the presence of any eggs, other development stages, or other bedbugs of any size within or near this patch.

I had no intention of entertaining a residue of bedbugs or their development stages after this second clean-away.
The sheets went into a black garbage bag and I very closely inspected any other linens nearby.
I removed the mattress to the hall until I could either obtain assistance to transfer it to the dumpster downstairs, or, gained enough energy from my current very weak health to pull/drag it downstairs and out. I very closely examined every inch of the box spring, bed frame channels, and head board and foot board part of the bed for any sign of insect fouling or presence. I was prepared to discard these items if necessary. To my surprise and appreciation, I found not-a-mark on the box spring or head or foot-of-bed pieces. I did find a little dark discoloration along the one side of the bed frame rail on which the box spring rested when in place. It had originally being VERY soiled, on that one side and one edge, and I had thoroughly cleaned it at that earlier time to look as much clean as new. These were small and several spots which displayed NO signs of recontamination or spread. These I greatly soaked and rewiped with a strong, highly aromatic (most insects are sense sensitive) ecologically friendly cleaner and left to dry.

I had upturned the box spring on its side while I inspected and cleaned the bed frame and the carpet below the bed.
I had earlier and originally cleaned, sprayed, and dusted the carpet below the bed to reduce any possible future insect problems. Again, carefully inspecting every inch of the box spring with a bright light, I could find no evidence of contamination. As an additional precaution, I sprayed the highly aromatic cleaner over the whispy fiberglas material which enclosed the bottom, and, liberally sprayed the "Intruder's Oil" over the top. After several days of drying and sitting awaiting a possible appearance of more bedbugs, no indications appeared. I placed the box spring back in position and added several exercise mats to form my new and possibly temporary mattress surface.

A neighbour had complained to the landlord after seeing that I was discarding my mattress.
That is a little like a neighbour complaining that you must have a garbage problem because they saw you taking out the garbage!
FOUR days after I discarded my mattress, after the weekend, a service agent had arrived, with little notice. He had refused to remove his shoes at the door or cover them. I had no wish for others to contaminate my apartment with eggs they had picked up either from the hallway or the contaminated apartment of a neighbour. Tracking those in could lead to a repopulation of bedbugs anytime during the following 12 MONTHS ... as they have been known to hibernate that long. Populating a new area is relatively slow as the 5 stages from egg to adult require one blood meal each and durations between stages are known to range between days and weeks. Once the adult stage has been reached, eggs can be laid after every blood meal, frequency of blood meals escalates, and, more batches of eggs also multiply. In general, a small and quiet start leads to a seemingly sudden epidemic. It was my choice NOT to have him enter and potentially make everything WORSE. It was his choice NOT to enter.

Two more days later, 6 days from my find-and-remove efforts, a professional pest treatment serviceperson, ARVIND, arrived from the landlord to inspect and possibly treat any problems I had. In the interim I had sent 2 e-mails to the maintenance department noting some of my efforts, stating that workers with potentially contaminated footwear would not be welcome, indicating that I would not be pleased with unwarranted spraying of very toxic-to-humans chemicals ... especially since I was making significant efforts to recover from a long-term multiple HIGH toxicity challenge to my health, and, defining the somewhat-to-me obvious fact that if I had bedbugs, it was likely that some of my neighbours (beside, above, below) would have also. Most of my efforts over the previous 6 months had been to block insects from entering from other apartments by way of the plumbing installation holes in the walls on either side of me. If a neighbour could focus a pesticide effort on my apartment, I must have an equal right, choice, and reponsibility to focus a pesticide effort on their apartments.

I invited ARVIND in, who arrived with protective bootties over his shoes.
I showed him the areas I had determined were the invasion weak spots and noted what I had done to block them off.
He could see that I had removed my mattress, and, additionally spackled the baseboard in the bedroom.
I suggested that we upend the box spring again and closely inspect it, even though I expected to find nothing following my intensive look almost a week earlier. We did that. To my surprise, he found 2 small adult bedbugs almost immediately. ARVIND looked further and pointed out some small indications of sheddings. On a close look around the bottoms of the bed posts, I found a half dozen or less skin sheddings near one of them. He also found indications of sheddings between one of the mounting joints of the bed frame.

I reflected/prayed for 10 seconds or less and then decided: The box spring and bed frame would be discarded, immediately.
There was no easy way of determining if eggs had been deposited anywhere else amongst the materials and joints, they could take a long time to appear, the BEST bedbug pesticides are laboratory rated at an effectiveness of only 80%. ARVIND supported that spraying might be good enough and that the box spring could be covered with an enclosure. The enclosure would cost over $50 and would be subject to tears which would negate its benefit. I request, and he gave, his assistance in carrying the box spring out to the dumpster immediately. I removed the other items after he left.

ARVIND noted that the apartment would be most safe if vacated totally for at least 6 hours after even a partial spray.
We negotiated a best time for both of us for him to arrive the next morning at 8:15 am. He came then. He sprayed. We locked up. I went and ran as many errands as I could and found places to rest and spend time elsewhere, including the local library. I was continuing to be extremely WEAK from the influence of the virus (non-contagious) which I had recently acquired, possibly from a bedbug. I set up a temporary bed in the living room, which I had done previously, and planned to sleep there for at least the next week to both allow the chemicals to more thoroughly clear, and allow any straggler bedbugs to present. During that time, I spackled another and more tiny baseboard crack in the bedroom, and obtained a can of spray wall foam to more fully block the smaller pipe through-the-wall opeings ... which I had previously taped closed.

Where had they come from?
Given the long duration growth cycle of bedbugs, it is possible that in my first extensive and intensive cleanup I may have missed one or several eggs or larvae and that after a duration, with the anti-insect scents reducing in strength, and with me back in the environment ... they may have come to life. Or, it is possible that my neighbor on this side, or my neighbor below, were experiencing a presence of bedbugs and those bugs had made their way through the wall to new horizons and opportunities. I had earlier done my best to close off the bedroom heating-plumbing pipe through-the-wall opening to stop such incursions. I re-inspected this and there was a slight possibility of a tiny access hole or crack. In addition, it now became blatantly obvious that the baseboard near that corner now presented a definite possible problem. The baseboard on the other side of the apartment in the similar location had also warped out by about 1/16th of an inch for a length along the wall of about 2-1/2 feet from the corner. In that Living Room corner I had earlier caught ONE tiny bedbug wandering in and up the wall, perhaps dazed by the strong scent I had sprayed in the corner. Using spackle filler to close up that opening had stopped any further entries. Now, I did the same kind of repair in the bedroom corner as a protection and precaution.

These reoccurrences both in the Living Room corner and in the Bedroom highlighted two features of bedbugs.
First, they would carefully occupy and nest in an area close to their nearest host and set aside some refuse area for moulting dead skins and excrement. Secondly, if I ever found any actually on me when I was awake it may have been one of the times when I woke up, got up, and went into the bathroom. Some insects, we now know this about botflies, have a dynamic such that they use a local anaesthetic such that you never feel their bite or puncture. Secondly, they inject an antibiotic such that the host never gets an infection from the bug's disruption of the skin. Thirdly, I am NOT a sound sleeper, yet, I have never been awoken by a bedbug bite. There is some way in which they can defeat our skin sensations. It is a benefit for them, in this way, not to have sticky pads on their feet, like flies and cockroaches ... as these we do detect easily. It is also why boracic acid powder is not a deterrent or eradicator for bedbugs. And third, they do not simply spread widely around an environment, unless, they are allowed to remain, feed, and multiply for some time unrestrained, or, they have multiple hosts resting in different locations in the same close surrounding. These hosts may be adults, children ... even pets.

Product: Intruders Oil, Immune Booster. INDEX
www.bellspringoils.com/essential-oil-sprays.html?id=#u49833-5
(Obtained locally from a Save-on-Foods, Pharmacy section)
Ca $14.29 plus tax -- 120 ml

Intruders Oil spray has a rich and spicy aroma.

There is a historical background about how this blend was created.
During the Bubonic Plague in the middle ages, thieves intruded into the homes of victims of the plague and protected themselves from infection by applying the concoction of essential oils in which our “Intruders Oil” was formulated.

Ingredients:
• distilled water,
• propylene glycol,
• clove essential oil,
• lemon essential oil,
• cinnamon essential oil,
• eucalyptus essential oil,
• rosemary essential oil.

Content: Propylene glycol -- Basics. INDEX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol

Propylene glycol is also used in various edible items such as coffee-based drinks, liquid sweeteners, ice cream, whipped dairy products and soda.

Vaporizers used for delivery of pharmaceuticals or personal-care products often include propylene glycol among the ingredients.

Propylene glycol is used as a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable and topical formulations, such as for diazepam and lorazepam which are insoluble in water. Certain formulations of artificial tears, such as Systane, use proplyene glycol as an ingredient.

Safety in humans

Oral administration
The acute oral toxicity of propylene glycol is very low, and large quantities are required to cause perceptible health damage in humans; propylene glycol is metabolized in the human body into pyruvic acid (a normal part of the glucose-metabolism process, readily converted to energy), acetic acid (handled by ethanol-metabolism), lactic acid (a normal acid generally abundant during digestion), and propionaldehyde (a potentially hazardous substance).

Serious toxicity generally occurs at plasma concentrations over 4 g/L, which requires extremely high intake over a relatively short period of time, or when used as a vehicle for drugs or vitamins given intravenously or orally. It would be nearly impossible to reach toxic levels by consuming foods or supplements, which contain at most 1 g/kg of PG, except for alcoholic beverages in the US which are allowed 5 percent = 50g/kg. Cases of propylene glycol poisoning are usually related to either inappropriate intravenous administration or accidental ingestion of large quantities by children. ...

Skin, eye and inhalation contact
Prolonged contact with propylene glycol is essentially non-irritating to the skin.
Undiluted propylene glycol is minimally irritating to the eye, producing slight transient conjunctivitis; the eye recovers after the exposure is removed. Exposure to mists may cause eye irritation, as well as upper respiratory tract irritation. Inhalation of propylene glycol vapors appears to present no significant hazard in ordinary applications. However, limited human experience indicates that inhalation of propylene glycol mists could be irritating to some individuals. It is therefore recommended that propylene glycol not be used in applications where inhalation exposure or human eye contact with the spray mists of these materials is likely, such as simulated fogs for theatrical productions, or antifreeze solutions for emergency eye wash stations.

Propylene glycol does not cause sensitization, and it shows no evidence of being a carcinogen or of being genotoxic.

Product: Tape, Box Sealing, Cantech, Clear, 1.9 in x 50 m, 4-pk , INDEX
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/cantech-box-sealing-tape-clear-1-9-in-x-50-m-4-pk-0676117p.html
Reg $4.99, Spec $3.99, plus $  tax
Product #067-6117-0 --- May 10, 2018

• USPS/UPS approved
• Economical design
• Clear tape is 1.6 mm thick
• Tape dimensions: 1.9" x 50 m (4.8 cm x 164')
• Pack contains 4 rolls of tape

It is likely that one may be able to purchse single roles from a Dollarstore or DollarTree location or similar discount shop for $1.00 + tax.

Product: Foam, Window & Door, Great Stuff, 340-g. , INDEX
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/great-stuff-window-door-foam-340-g-0642619p.html
Reg $6.99, Spec $x.xx, plus $  tax
Product #064-2619-6 --- May 10, 2018

Great Stuff Window and Door Foam is a low-pressure polyurethane insulating foam sealant,
specially formulated to apply around windows and doors in your home

• Expands to fill gaps without bowing or bending the frame
• Offers greater insulation value than chinked fiberglass or caulk
• Forms a durable, airtight and water-resistant seal that can help lower energy bills
• Expands and contracts to allow for various weather conditions
• Fills an average of four to six residential windows
  ----- (36" x 60", a 3/8" gap, 1" deep) with a single 12 oz (340 g) can
• Repels and deflects water
• Soft and pliable so you can easily shape the foam and fill the gap
• Dries tack-free in 10-15 minute
• Ready to trim within 60 minutes
• Features all-direction dispensing to get in those hard to reach areas
• Flexible after it cures
• Yellow-coloured so you can see it
• Can be painted, sanded and stained
• Size: 340 g (12 oz)

Similar products are available in building supply and hardware stores.

This product is typically a one-use container as it expands and solidifies as soon as it contacts air.
Sometimes, this and similar products, can be dispersed from their containers on multiple occasions IF you turn the container upside down and spray out propellant gas only for a few seconds when you are finished. IF this will work, exposed foam will be blown out of the delivery tube and leave the tube empty and accessible to a re-introduction of new material at a later time and location. The containers are large and expensive if only utilized to plug one or two smaller holes.

At a minimum, have all of the holes you wish to close/plug open - uncovered and prepared for action before you begin.
Also, plumbing pipe through-the-wall holes may be both quite larger than the pipe itself, and, may have no wall filling or space packing. Blowing foam into one of these can result in much foam falling down and in to the wall space. You could even expell the whole can of material and NOT close the hole, simply push a large part of material into an intra-wall space.

IF the space is vacant and large, it may be prudent to stuff dry material into the wall to provide a backing against which the foam can rest while it expands and dries into a firm blockage.

Product: Bug Killer, Raid® Max House & Garden, 500-g , INDEX
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/raid-max-house-garden-bug-killer-500-g-0593565p.html
Reg $11.99, Spec $x.xx, plus $  tax
Product #059-3565-0 --- May 10, 2018

• flying insects: flies, mosquitoes, wasps, biting midges, and flying moths

• crawling insects: cockroaches, spiders, crickets, ants, carpet beetles, centipedes, silverfish, bedbugs, and fleas

• garden pests: exposed thrips, leafhoppers, spotted mites, lacebugs, aphids, caterpillars, climbing cutworms, and Japanese beetles

• For indoor and outdoor use
• Size: 500 g (17.6 oz)

Effective chemicals are toxic and if used inside housing or near animals or humans.
To avoid health difficulties, avoid inhaling any of the spray, and, leave the treated area for between 1 and 6 hours.

Many other sprays and powder are marketed.
Tests (2018) indicate that the best effectiveness against bedbugs and other ticks is 80% with a market average of 17%.
Most are also reported as losing their effectiveness as they dry, and, of not being effective unless applied DIRECTLY to the bug.

Product: Temperid SC Insecticide. INDEX
https://www.backedbybayer.com/~/media/
BackedByBayer/msds/en/Temprid_SC_Insecticide.ashx,
Material Data Safety Sheet (MDS) - 2017-01-12
LINK 2: http://larasmallman.com/temprid-reviews-for-killing-bed-bugs-and-fleas/
LINK 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide#Health_effects -- 2018-05-10
LINK 4: https://www.bedbugsupply.com/temprid-sc-bed-bug-spray.html
12410 NW 39th Street, Coral Springs, FL 33065 --- (866) 238-9868

Composition:

Hazardous Component Name: Imidacloprid
Concentration % by weight : 21.0% 

Hazardous Component Name: Beta-Cyfluthrin
Concentration % by weight : 10.5% 
It is a repellent insecticide ... 
The insect actually walks over the barrier and gets the insecticide on its tiny microscopic hairs on its body

Hazardous Component Name: Naphthalene and alkyl naphthalene sulphonic acids 
Concentration % by weight : 2.5%

Hazardous Component Name: formaldehyde condensate, sodium salt
Concentration % by weight : ?

Toxicity:
Imidacloprid did not cause specific target organ toxicity in experimental animal studies.
The toxic effects of Beta-Cyfluthrin are related to transient hyperactivity typical for pyrethroid neurotoxicity.
Pyrethroid insecticides were developed as a synthetic version of the naturally occurring pesticide pyrethrin,
which is found in chrysanthemums. They have been modified to increase their stability in the environment.
Some synthetic pyrethroids are toxic to the nervous system.
Residual Action: 8 - 12 weeks.

Some of the hazards from the spray can include serious side effects if it contacts the eye, gets on your skin and especially if it is swallowed or inhaled. In humans Temprid can cause eye irritation as well as sickness and nausea if ingested. The problem with most pesticides is no one knows how much or how it can affect a person’s central nervous system. Some people use pesticides and have no problems, and others are not so lucky. It is estimated that millions are negatively affected by pesticides and insecticides every year.

More severe effects include

• affecting the nervous system,
• mimicking hormones causing reproductive problems,
• causing cancer,
• birth defects, and
• fetal death.

A 2007 systematic review found that "most studies on non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia showed positive associations with pesticide exposure"

There is substantial evidence of associations between organophosphate insecticide exposures and neurobehavioral alterations.

Description:
Temprid is a professional level insecticide available for home use in most US States (except New York and Connecticut) for covering baseboards, molding, crevices and even insect dens directly. Temprid features potent and effective chemical ingredients which can help to stop bed bugs and a variety of different pests which include:

Ants, Boxelder Bugs, Carpenter Ants, Carpet Beetles, Dermestids, Earwigs, Elm Leaf Beetles, Fire ants, Fleas, Fruit Flies, Moths, Mosquitoes, Pill Bugs, Scorpions, Silverfish, Wasps, Springtails, Ticks, .... Temprid should never leach into water supplies as it’s extremely harmful to fish and wildlife. Temprid also kills plants and vegetation.

Many professionals utilize Temprid but they do so under extremely controlled conditions and with full respirator equipment to protect their health. The chemicals inside also make it difficult to get Temprid in certain states, New York and Connecticut have actually banned the use of this pesticide and you can even get it shipped into the states if you were interested in using it.

It’s also important to note that it can take some time as bedbugs are capable of laying at least five eggs per day, even with the insecticide working in and around your bedroom it may take a full life cycle of 20-30 days to completely eliminate bedbugs.

The secret to Temprid’s success is in its dual-action formula.
Combining beta-cyfluthrin with imidacloprid gives Temprid quick knockdown power as well as long-lasting residual effect.
A single application of Temprid can control bed bugs (as well as tons of other pests) for up to six months.

Unlike many heavy-duty bed bug sprays, Temprid is labeled for use on carpet and upholstered furniture.
It has low odor, doesn’t stain, and the residue leaves a clean surface when it evaporates.

Temprid SC is a liquid concentrate product; mix 0.27 fl oz (8 milliliters) of Temprid SC with a gallon of water in a spray tank, and you're ready to go. For indoor use, spray in cracks and crevices along baseboards, floor coverings, carpets, furniture, and hanging picture frames. Temprid works especially well as a perimeter control for many pests - spraying outside of your home, especially around the foundations, will help ward off over 50 types of pests.

Many bed bug strains have grown resistant to synthetic pyrethroids, which have been in use for many years.
Temprid SC's dual-action formula is effective against all strains of bed bugs, even killing eggs and newly-hatched nymphs.

INDEX