Buying and Selling in DC. Bedbugs Included?

From the New York Times, August 23, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/realestate/23cov.html?scp=1&sq=aug.%2023,%202009%20Real%20Estate&st=cse

Have we reached the point in DC where people are deciding to buy or not based on the fear (real or imagined) that Bedbugs will be moving in, or are currently occupying the home that we intend to buy? First, do NOT base a buying decision on the presence or absence of Bedbugs. Even if you hear of them in a building or discover them in a place you want to move into, safe effective treatments can rid your new digs of these pesky creatures. Humans have been dealing with Bedbugs for thousands of years. Let's not be total wimps. Just because they haven't been seen in a while, doesn't mean we cannot win the war again. Only this time, we can do it without using pesticides which can be worse for us than the bugs. While these creatures certainly can move around, and may be hiding in a place we want to move into, there are several things which can be done. Lets show those weak New Yorkers that we are tougher and smarter about Bedbugs than they are. Over the next few weeks I will explore some solutions for detection and treatment which do not exhaust your bank account and expose the myth that you need to bomb the hell out of them to get rid of Bedbugs. We will explore the Zen of Bedbug Eradication!

Welcome

I have started this blog in order to bring my professional experience killing Bedbug using only non-toxic products, and non invasive methods to enable people to get rid of and get over having Bedbugs. I also believe that there is a lot of outdated information on treatments. There are many blogs, and much information which describe and prescribe for the problem, so I don't want to duplicate. There is a lot of bad information in my opinion, due to the fact that there were many years when we did no research into controlling and eliminating populations of Bedbugs without using toxic pesticides.

I will post links to news, and scientific articles, and in use my experience to comment on the information and techniques described by them. I do not claim to be an expert, or a scientist. I do however have some experience in ridding homes of these pests. By the way, I also have had to rid my own home of Bedbugs. I understand the physical and psychological ramifications of having to deal with them.

Your comments, and experience are welcome, and if you have found other non-toxic, simple, effective ways to kill the bugs, and to deal with the head case (paranoia, anxiety), Please share them here. We do not have to have our homes invaded by these bugs only to be told that we have to disrupt our lives even more to get rid of them.

Don't Throw out your Mattress

This has been bad advice for most of the people who get Bedbugs. Bedbugs live only on the surface of the Mattress, and can always be killed there, although they may be embedded in the Box Spring. Only those whose bed is so actively infested that the nests are going to leave bad stains which they don't want as a reminder, or were planning to get a new bed soon any way really need to throw the bed away. Occasionally, a new Box Spring, (which is a lot less expensive than a mattress) may need to be replaced.