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August 23, 2009
By TERI KARUSH ROGERS, August 21, 2009 IF you buy an apartment in a building with bed bugs, you will want to make sure your new home is bug-free by the time your first moving box crosses the threshold. For an inspection, pest control companies charge anywhere from $75 to several hundred dollars, said Gil Bloom, the vice president of the Standard Extermination Company in Queens. Bedbug-sniffing dogs ($300 to $500) can be useful, though there are growing concerns about the number of false positives they produce. These detection methods can be helpful, but when an apartment is empty, bugs might be hidden in the walls awaiting the arrival of fresh meat, a k a you. Mr. Bloom said he had heard of people hiring someone to sleep in the apartment for several nights to see if they were bitten. Alternatively, Mr. Bloom suggested looking into a relatively new breed of bedbug monitor that uses carbon dioxide, among other come-hithers, to mimic a living, breathing human body and lure the insects to feed. The newest of these, NightWatch, was released in May. The device retails for $649 and must be left in place for two weeks to produce a result that the company says is 99 percent conclusive. “Put it in the bedroom you plan to sleep in — the bugs can sense it from 90 feet away,” said John Furman of Boot a Pest in West Hempstead, N.Y., an extermination company that does most of its business in New York City. The device is working so well for clients that he plans to set up a separate leasing program this fall, with units renting for around $200 for a two-week testing period. Gut renovations are an excellent time to incorporate some bedbug prophylactics. “When the walls are torn down, try to have an exterminator place a dessicant dust in the walls,” said Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann of the New York State Integrated Pest Management program. “It lasts forever and can provide a sort of barrier.” For bedbugs, traversing dessicant dust — also known as diatomaceous earth — is equivalent to “crawling across razor wire,” Mr. Bloom explained. The powder cuts open the bugs’ undersides, exposing them to infection and dehydration. Dessicant dust can be ordered online or through a pest management company; Mr. Bloom cautions consumers to order “pesticide grade” rather than “pool grade,” which poses an inhalation danger. Dessicant dust can be placed in the spaces behind outlets, for example. In addition, floors can be sealed with a thick coat of polyurethane, and sealant caulk can be applied to moldings. Some pest control companies have started marketing these as “exclusion services.” Once you’ve moved in, you may want to keep to yourself for a while. “We’ve had several cases where bedbugs spread by social activity between neighbors,” Mr. Bloom said. “So it also matters who you pick as your friends in the building.” |
