Comments on: Thrifty Living Risk Factors 101: How to Be a Safe Saver During the Nation’s Bed Bug Epidemic

By: JJ

JJ — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:55:05 +0000

What bed buggers are buying is something called a packtite. It is a portable heating device that is used to treat unwashable items. It uses a heater that gets items up to the target temp for killing all life stages of the bed bug, 120f.
If you are like me, it’s worth the extra time and effort to go the extra mile in taking precaution or even if treating something like clothing. Keep things in the dryer for an hour or longer if you are unsure. Dryer temps vary so I recommend picking up a cheap little meat thermometer for a couple bucks. Get your laundry running pretty good until you think it has reached it’s hottest temp, place the thermometer way into the center of the clothing (last place to heat up) close the door asap and wait a couple minutes. Don’t wait too long as the temps may start to drop by then. If your dryer is getting up to 120 keep your stuff in there at that temp for at least an hour. IF hotter even better but I still go for over an hour with risky stuff.

By: EL

EL — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:45:52 +0000

I have a patient who picked up some sort of invisible mite
from a garment she bought in a thrift store and wore without
washing it. She has been suffering from crawling sensation
on hair pubic area and body for a year, she tried all the
chemicals to no avail and since drs. didn’t see anything
or any bites dismissed her as delusional have you heard
of such a thing and what do you recommend? EL

By: Daye Gardenia

Daye Gardenia — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:59:00 +0000

You might want to add that you had best not have any parties, potlucks or meetings at your home, let alone invite anyone over, ever! I hate to say it, but this all sounds a bit too hyper.
I have had to cope with head lice and bed bugs — (the head lice came from, I think, sitting on a used sofa at a secondhand store and the bed bugs from DH’s long visit to the public library).
Bed bugs were simply a short-lived nuisance, the head lice was a horror. (Was I going to become bald? Since I could not stay home until they were gone, could I keep from scratching my head in public?)
I chose not to use the usual (disgusting) chemical treatments and simply tried olive oil and a user-friendly/green — actually an over the counter product as my solution. It took a bit longer to kill them but worked.