Canada’s leader in asthma, allergy and bed bug relief products, The Allergy Guy has conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of multiple bed bug monitoring devices against adult and nymph stage bed bugs (Cimex lectularius). After a 24-hour test, the Bed Bug Defender was clearly more effective at trapping bed bugs than two competing products.

Materials and Methods:

The following is the Standardized Testing Method for determining or improving the effectiveness of bed bug devices when evaluated against bed bugs. Further details related to this specific study are described following the test method summary. Select action items and illustrations have been removed from this standardized test method in an effort to make the report more precise and accurate to the study conducted.  Any details removed from this test method were deemed irrelevant to the study conducted in this report.

• 22″ L x 20″ W x 10″ H grey tubs with butcher paper lined floors were used as the test arenas.
• The traps were placed in the center of each test arena (1 trap per arena).
• 24 susceptible strain bed bugs were sorted and acclimated on 1″x1″ pieces of corrugated cardboard for 1 hour for each replicate.
• The acclimated bed bugs were then placed inside the grey tubs by releasing 2 adults, 2 mid-stage nymphs, and 2 2^nd instar nymphs in each corner of the tubs.
• Each replicate was conducted for 24 hours and the number of bed bugs caught per trap was recorded at 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 4 hr, and 24 hours.

Additional Testing Details Not Fully Described in Standard Protocols:

Test System Vigor:

All test specimens were confirmed ‘alive’ 2 times prior to testing:

1) Only live specimens were removed from the colonies for use in the study.

2) After all specimens were transferred to the test arenas; they were confirmed to be alive before continuing with the study.

Environmental Conditions:

Conditions in Laboratory: Temperature: 72F Humidity: 41%

Results / Discussion:

The results of this study are tabulated in the included table, which shows the total number of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) that were caught in the monitors at each observation interval during the 24-hour evaluations. The Defender caught the highest number of bed bugs during the study. It was the only monitor that caught anything within 1 hour after the start of the study, and it caught a total of 7 bed bugs (1 adult, 1 mid stage instar, 5 2^nd instars) by the 24 hour observations, compared to only 3 (1 adult and 2 2^nd instars) with Product X, and 0 with Product Y.

The catch rates of each monitor were also statistically compared using a t tests for independent samples. The analysis was conducted using a two-tailed distribution and probability value of p<0.05 to establish any statistical differences between the number of bed bugs caught in each monitor. The only statistical differences that were recorded during the study occurred at the 4 and 24-hour observations, with the Defender outperforming Product Y. Therefore, based on the catch rates and the statistical analysis, the Defender appears to be the most effective of the three bed bug monitors.

*This work was conducted under sound scientific principles but does not comply with GLP standards under 40 CFR parts 160 and 792 and was never intended for that purpose.

Total Bedbugs Caught

About The Allergy Guy:
A leader in the asthma, allergy and bed bug relief. The Allergy Guy specializes in mattress covers, steam cleaners, bed bug products, and air purifiers for protection from bed bugs and allergens. To shop at the Canadian store click here, and to shop in the USA click here.

Hello. The Allergy Guy Here.

College campuses are just about to start their spring semester. This means that college students will be traveling back to their dorms, apartments, homes, etc. with carry-on bags and suitcases full of clothing and other items that they picked while on winter break. While most students are less excited to end their vacations and start a fresh semester, school officials are in the same place, worrying about their students traveling back to school and bringing bed bugs into the university.

With daily reports of bed bug infestations at local colleges and universities, it’s important that officials have an action plan in place to not only get ride of bed bugs, but also to prevent bed bugs too. We recommend that schools send out a message on how to prevent bed bugs and what are the key things to look for. Here is a short list of what we feel is important to know about bed bugs and how to prevent them:

1. Tip 1: Protect your bed with a Bed Bug Mattress Cover. We recommend the BugStop Elite or BugStop Hybrid brands.
2. Tip 2: Watch out for traveling bed bugs that hitch-hike onto bags left on the ground. To learn more about this, please refer to the post titled, “Bed Bug Suitcase Cover- Preventing Bed Bugs When You Travel.”
3. Tip 3: Invest in a bed bud monitor to help you become aware of a bed bug problem. We recommend the Clearview Bed Bug Monitor. To learn more about this product, read out post titled, “How do I detect bed bugs? Clearview bed bug monitor product review.”
   

By following these simple tips, you can drastically reduce the likelihood of getting bed bugs. Here at The Allergy Guy, we feel it is important to generate awareness about bed bugs and how to prevent the chance of an infestation. Our goal is to give our readers a few simple tips that they can easily digest and hopefully pass along to their friends – because the more people that are aware of bed bugs and how to protect against an infestation, the greater chance there is of reducing the spread of bed bugs overall, and on college campuses.

Hello. The Allergy Guy here.

Today we read a great article posted in The Economist. The article is titled, “ A new debugger: How to get rid of bloodsucking insects,” and it described a new method of identifying and removing bed bugs. As quoted in the article, “James Logan, Emma Weeks and their colleagues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Rothamsted Research think they have [a new solution]: a bed-bug trap baited with something the bugs find irresistible—the smell of their own droppings.” The article then went on to describe how they came to this new conclusion. What they found was that the reason the bugs are attracted to this smell is that they use it to navigate back to their hiding places after a night of feeding. How fascinating right? To read the whole article, click here.

The article didn’t mention anything about when this would become available or if it was going to be a product available to the consumer market. We’ll be curious to see what happens in the future.

Have a great weekend!

Hello. The Allergy Guy here. I get a lot of questions asking me about how people can detect if they have bed bugs. One of the easiest ways to detect bed bugs is using a bed bug monitor. The Clearview Bed Bug Monitor is great because it’s small (the size of a business card) and you can use it anywhere! You can even take it with you when you travel, which is an extra bonus. All you have to do is insert it between the mattress and the box spring at the head or corners of the bed. It’s that easy! This gives you the flexibility to use it in beds, furniture and luggage. Or, take it on the go with you for use in hotels, motels, cruise ships, college dorms and more. Best of all, it contains no insecticides or pesticides.

The next question you are going to ask is how does it work? This monitor works by attracting bed bugs to the trap and letting them in on all 4 sides. The clear view lens allows for easy pest identification. If there is even one bed bug in the monitor, then it is time to take further action to remove bed bugs. But, if you see a bed bug just remove and replace the trap. If you need more information on how to get rid of bed bugs, click here.

Try one today for only $19.99. There are four Clearview Bed Bug Monitors that come in one package so you can have multiple for yourself or have enough for a household. And, for reading our post, get 7% off using code “blog.” Click here to purchase a Clearview Bed Bug Monitor. Enjoy!

If you are looking for a high quality steam cleaner at a great price we recommend the Vapamore Steam Cleaner. Not only does this product have many great features, but Vapamore also offers a lifetime warranty. This particular steam cleaner is incredibly versatile and can be used to clean almost anything! Be it floors, beds, kitchen surfaces, grills and even the car the Vapamore Steam Cleaner can make any thing look new by attaching the appropriate nozzle.

Here’s how it works. Simply fill the Vapamore Steam Cleaner’s water tank with water and set the machine to the desired setting (regulate the steam pressure and heat the water to desired temperature). This process will transform the water to a very fine vapor, which you can use to clean a myriad of surfaces.

Simply attach the hose and steam gun and select the appropriate nozzle for the surface you are cleaning. Then just aim and shoot at the desired surface and watch the transformation.

The Vapamore steam cleaner comes with a large variety of cleaning heads including different brushes, bristles, spot treaters, jet nozzles, micro cleaning fiber covers and extensions to clean and reach all types of areas on many different surfaces. For example you can use the grout brush to clean tile, a scraper tool to clean cement floors, or a cloth attachment to clean beds. And because there are always nooks and crannies that need cleaning, included are attachment tools that allow access to those hard to reach areas.

This environmentally safe cleaning method utilizes vapor steam to loosen dirt, grease and grime while killing allergens, viruses, bacteria, mold and mildew. This green product does not harm the environment and saves your from using expensive, toxic chemical cleaners.

Also, because vapor steam cleaners don’t use chemicals, there are no hazards or risks from using and storing chemicals and no harm done to the indoor air quality.

With all that said, if you are going to buy a steam cleaner look no further. In fact, purchase a Vapamore Steam Cleaner from our site right now and receive a 7% discount. Just enter the coupon code “blog”

Use this product and let us know your thoughts. You will be glad you did!

Here at the Allergy Guy we get a good amount of questions about the products we sell, as bedbugs are normally something people don’t know too much about until its too late. Today we got a call from a customer asking about the advantages of using the Bed Bug Defender, and we wanted to address this product in this blog post so others can benefit from our answer.

The Bed Bug Defender is a bed bug prevention product useful for preventing bed bugs from crawling up the legs of your bed.  You place the legs of your bed on top of the bed bug defenders (see photo) and your bed becomes like a floating island that bedbugs are unable to climb into.

The Bed Bug defenders have a taped exterior surface making it easy for bed bugs to grab on to climb in, but a slick and powdered interior with talc on inside surface so that they cannot get up your bed. The Defender contains no chemicals and acts as a passive bed bug trap. Then you need to kill the bedbugs and get rid of them effectively.

When you use the Bed Bug Defenders interceptors, just make sure that you don’t provide alternative ways for bugs to get to your bed, keep bed skirts up, blankets, and comforters tucked in. Move your bed away from the wall and don’t toss your bags on the bed.

To purchase this product visit our website. As an added bonus enter the coupon code “blog” to receive a special discount for you our readers.

Thanks for your loyalty!

The Allergy Guy

In our family we participate in a white elephant every holiday season.  Its a fun holiday party game that focuses on a good time rather than serious gift giving. Every participant brings a wrapped gift for a reasonable price, ($30-40) and exchanges gifts anonymously. Participants than have the option to pick a “random” gift out of the pile, or “steal” an already unwrapped gift from another participant. This goes on and on until everyone has a gift and the pile is empty. And yes re-gifting is encouraged!

So last weekend I attended a holiday party with a white elephant and decided to gift a mattress cover. I put it in the pile with the rest of the gifts, poured myself some eggnog, chatted with some friends and waited for the game to begin.

My gift was one of the bigger boxes, and wouldn’t you know it, it was picked first.  As Bob unwrapped my gift, he realized what it was and shouted, “Ha a mattress cover, perfect! Ill give this to my son to keep in his dorm! HAHAH.” The whole group laughed as it was Beths turn to choose. Beth walked right over to Bob and snatched the mattress cover away stating “I can actually gift this to my daughter! HAHAHA”.  I couldn’t help but feel cool as my gift was already a popular choice.

As the game progressed, the mattress cover got stolen and passed around multiple times. I was one of the last to choose and selected an unwrapped pretzel maker from the pile. On the last go around Bob got the mattress cover back, and he declared him self victorious.

In the end it was a fun evening and an overall great time. The mattress cover was a hit especially with a bunch of parents with college students.  With that said, if you have a holiday gift exchange in the next few weeks, a mattress cover would be a great gift. Get yours here and have a happy holiday!

It is the time of year where many families begin the annual tradition of decorating a Christmas Tree. This is also the time when allergy sufferers and bedbug victims need to be weary of the consequences of bringing boxes out of storage and a bringing a live or freshly cut tree indoors.

We often get questions about the dangers and things to be cautious of regarding Christmas Tree decorating, and we wanted to take some time to identify some tips to help you have a bug free holiday season.

First off, when you are picking out your tree make sure to do a thorough inspection for any insects. Coniferous and evergreen trees attract many insects including aphids, beetles, spiders and mites. It is important that you peek around the branches looking for webs or eggs. Also look around the trunk for small holes where insects could burrow, or sawdust trails leading to areas that can harbor bugs.

Once you have selected a clean looking tree, make sure you shake your tree out good before you bring in into your home. This will dislodge any loose or dead branches and get rid of any eggs or bugs that were unnoticed. It is also a good idea to give your tree a good “hose down” to dislodge any particles you don’t want to fall off inside your home. Also remember that your warm home can seem like the coming of spring to some eggs which could be the catalyst for hatching. Therefore make sure you take the appropriate steps to not bring eggs inside.

Once you have the tree set up it is time to get the X-mas box out of the attic and begin putting up the decorations. Make sure you inspect all of the ornaments, stockings, lights and any other holiday knick knacks. Bugs like to eat cardboard and very well could be nesting with your belongings that have gone untouched for the last 11 months. It is a good idea to rinse off any ornaments and wash any materials.

Make sure to follow these steps and you will have a clean bug free holiday season. And if you are looking for gifts, check out our eCommerce store, and use the discount code holiday for 10% off your purchase. Happy Holidays!

Hello. The Allergy Guy here. Here are a few facts on what you need to know about bed bugs. Let’s jump right in!

• Fact #1: Did you know that bed bugs are nocturnal? Yup. That is correct! They like to come out at night, with a peak attack period about an hour before dawn. However, they will come out during the day if they need food.
  

• Fact #2: Did you know that bed bugs look like little apple seeds when they are full? Yes they do! They are the size of an apple seed, and when full they are a bit more plump and have a red-ish color.

• Fact #3: Bed bug bites lesions resembles those caused by many other kinds of blood feeding insects, such as mosquitoes and fleas. For first time victims, lesions sometimes can be confused with poison ivy and spider bites.

• Fact #4: Did you know that bedbugs can live for up to 18 months without feeding? But they typically seek blood every five to ten days.

• Fact #5: Did you know that female bedbugs can lay up to five eggs in a day and 500 during a lifetime. Yes! That’s a ton of eggs.

• Fact #6: Did you know that bed bug eggs hatch in one to two weeks. The hatchlings begin feeding immediately. They pass through five molting stages before they reach maturity. Wow. They develop quickly!

• Fact #7: The most common place to find bedbugs is the bed. Bedbugs often hide within seams, tufts, and crevices of the mattress, box spring, bed frame and headboard. So, make sure to check your bed often.

• Fact #8: Did you know that the scientific name for bed bugs is Cimex lectularius.

• Fact #9: Did you know that DDT greatly reduced the number of bed bug infestations and it was the original solution to remove bed bugs? But then DDT was outlawed and people we no longer able to use it. Thus the need to come up with new pesticides and green ways to kill bed bugs.

• Fact #10: Did you know that this year, some insurance companies introduced bed bug insurance? There haven’t been too many many reports on whether or not it has been successful, so we’ll stay tuned to learn more!

Hope you enjoyed this quick fact sheet and things you need to know about bed bugs! If you are looking for ways to prevent infestations or remove bed bugs – visit my store, www.theallergyguy.com.

As Thanksgiving is just a few days away you should be thankful if you don’t have bedbugs. Too many people become angry with themselves for not taking the simple steps to prevent bedbugs, as they can be a nightmare to get rid of!

Of course there are many things we are thankful for, but for this blog we wanted to reflect on some bedbug related reasons we are thankful this holiday season:

• We are thankful that we do not have bedbugs in our home
• We are thankful New York is no longer the worst state with bedbug infestations (Sorry Ohio)
• We are thankful for stronger mattress covers that prevent bedbugs from nesting in our beds.
• We are thankful that the PACKTITE is now available, making life for frequent travelers much less risky and stressful
• We are thankful that bedbug sniffing K9s are becoming more prominent in the fight against bedbugs
• We are thankful that more people are beginning to see the light and are taking preventative steps and not waiting until it is too late
• We are thankful for green environmental friendly bedbug killing solutions like Cryonite
• We are thankful that we have partnered with bedbugger.com to grow our reach in bedbug prevention
  

Hopefully if you are reading this you too are thankful you don’t have bedbugs. If there are any other things you think we should ad to the list, leave us a comment below. Have a great Thanksgiving!

The Allergy Guy