HOW EFFECTIVE ARE Bed bug interceptors?

One of the most popular devices used in the war against bed bugs are called interceptors or bed bug bed post traps. There are pros and cons to using these traps. Bed Bug interceptors do work and I will explain how they work below. On the flip side, once you have placed the trap under the legs of the bed, it is now a waiting game for the bed bug to crawl up or down the leg of the bed and land in the trap. While you are waiting to catch them, the bugs are coming out on a regular basis and feeding on you and then going back and laying more eggs, thereby increasing the population and the chance of catching a bed bug in the interceptor.

Should you decide that you want to try and catch some bed bugs, using the interceptor alone will not be enough. You will need other things like diatomaceous earth to sprinkle around the bed frame and in the cracks and crevasses of your sofa. Bed bug mattress protectors now become an essential item to seal any live bugs and eggs inside the protector and starve them to death over the course of a year. Many people purchase sprays or use homemade sprays made with alcohol or scented oils or use a steamer to heat treat areas of the bed and mattress. All these things will help you decrease the population, but it is very difficult to completely eradicate every last bed bug as they are experts in hiding in tiny places and laying their eggs there too. Unless you kill every last bed bug and egg, your infestation will persist. You will also have spent a few hundred dollars and countless hours.

My recommendation is that yes, bed bug interceptors can be effective in the battle, your best and first line of defense is to rent a bed bug heater, hopefully from Bed Bugs Dead Bugs, Toronto’s most trusted name in bed bug heat treatments. You can see my other blogs on How Heat Treatment Works to find out more.

First, let’s learn more about how bed bug interceptors work. You simply pop the dish, which is made from plastic that is large and sturdy enough to fit and hold a bed post. It has an outer well designed to capture and retain all bed bugs trying to climb on your bed.

The outer edge of the dish that is rough and either vertical or near vertical so that bed bugs can climb in easily and get stuck inside the polished. You can also add diatomaceous earth inside the dish to help kill any bed bugs that land inside the bed bug interceptor. In the past, interceptors would use talcum powder to help trap the bed bugs.

The rough surface on the bed bug interceptor allows bed bugs to crawl in easily, but as bed bugs do not have any gripping action on their legs, it is hard to climb the slippery surface inside the interceptor making it impossible for these bugs to climb out of the trap once they get stuck.

Seeing bed bugs inside the dish is an indication that the trap is working. The bad news is that

You Can Create DIY Bed Bug Interceptors

You can buy interceptors that are ready to use or you can also use household items to create similar traps. According to researchers from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida, all you need are:

• 2 Disposable plastic containers – one needs to fit inside the other and still have space
• Glue
• Masking tape

All you need to do is glue the smaller container inside the larger plastic container and wrap the outside wall of the bigger container with masking tape. The finished item should look and work similarly to the interceptors sold commercially.

This homemade bed bug traps relies mainly on the poor climbing ability of bed bugs. Most people try DIY treatments and store-bought sprays in the initial stages of a bed bug infestation. You may not want to bother trying to find 8 plastic containers to make a bed bug trap. It is almost more practical to purchase a box of interceptors at your local hardware store.

DIY Tips on Eradicating Bed Bugs

There is no doubt that bed bugs are both stressful and frustrating. However, if you ever find out about your situation while it’s just starting, there is a great chance that you can manage the infestation. Proper implementation of pest control is essential to prevent the bed bug infestation from getting worse.

The following tips to make the interceptors more effective:

1. Isolate your bed when using the traps. This will prevent the bed bugs from reaching you by climbing on your wall or nearby furniture. Just ensure that your bed is no longer infested by bed bugs prior to doing this process.
2. Instead of discarding your mattress or box springs, use bed bug mattress encasements and box spring covers. These covers and encasements are made with a special fabric that is both waterproof, breathable and stretchy. Once you place the encasement on the mattress, do not, under any circumstances take it off for at least a year. It takes over a year for a bed bug to starve to death.
3. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your bed frame where the mattress or box spring touches to help kill any bed bugs that are hiding in the frame.
4. Wash all bedding or tumble dry at high heat for 30 minutes to an hour. When putting and setting it back, see to it that nothing is hanging over the floor. If it is possible to tuck in some of the sides, do so, especially when you’re not on the bed yet.

Hopefully, you do not end up with piles of bed bugs in the interceptor. Bed Bug Interceptors are a tool in monitoring the level of infestation inside your home or room. If you continue to see bed bugs in the trap, it is a sign of a much larger infestation that is only going to get worse and worse as time wears on. Take action now and save your money, save your mattress, save your sanity! Rent a bed bug heater from Bed Bugs Dead Bugs.