Bedbugs

Has anyone dealt with bedbugs, and if so, what have you done to eradicate them? I live in a Toyota sienna and I never had a problem before. I got a van build done, cost about $7000 in April.

I also housesit in peoples homes, but they always keep homes, spotless, and have housekeepers and I’ve been doing that about nine years.

I’m wondering if this could’ve happened from the van build?

The person who did it, did it at his apartment. I rented another U-Haul type ordinary size van just to throw all of my things in while he was working on my van. And he did have materials like all the wood resting on the ground at his apartment complex, where we were doing it in his parking spot.

I’ve only waited nine years to get a build done and now I’m thinking of ripping it apart as I had plastic before, which does not seem like it will attract bedbugs as much, but I don’t know.

I have no carpet in the van. I had that removed as soon as I bought the van because I take dogs in my van for dog park events but mostly everyone has clean pets and does flea chemical preventives.

Even though I don’t have carpet, there is a little bit of insulation under where the gas pedals are and the front seat. I only have a front seat and passenger seat, all other seats are removed, and everything is rubber material to prevent fleas.

I’ve put diatomaceous earth all over Van, I have thrown out so much of my stuff, laundered the balance in hot water and high heat dryer. And I’ve been working on this probably a full 5 to 6 days.

I threw out the vinyl workout mats that I used as a bed as that had plenty in there I was shocked. I’ve been sleeping in the driver seat until I can figure out how to get this issue resolved.

If anyone has successfully treated these in a RV, I would love to know what they’ve done?

You rented a U-Haul. The person who used it before you may have had the problem. I don't know what you need to do I'm sorry you are dealing with this.

I’ve never dealt with bedbugs, but have been told by professionals that they are the biggest problem they deal with, and eradication can take several days.

I would consult professional pest control entities to have your van treated, rather than trying to do it yourself, and would also let U-Haul know of the problem.

I would think U-Haul would clean and sanitize after every use, but maybe not,

Good luck.

I just did a search & got this, Hope it helps!

To get rid of bed bugs in an RV, the most effective method is to use heat treatment with a dedicated bed bug steamer, thoroughly clean the entire vehicle, seal cracks and crevices with caulk, wash all bedding in hot water, and consider using a professional pest control service if the infestation is severe; you can also use specialized bed bug insecticides as a last resort, following label instructions carefully.
Key steps to eliminate bed bugs in an RV:
Deep clean:
Thoroughly clean all surfaces, including furniture, mattresses, floors, and upholstery, paying particular attention to seams and crevices where bed bugs hide.
Steam treatment:
Use a dedicated bed bug steamer to reach hard-to-access areas and kill bed bugs with high heat.

Never had them and hope I never do, but... steam and diatomaceous earth are supposedly the cure.

Veganspirit1 said:

Even though I don’t have carpet, there is a little bit of insulation under where the gas pedals are and the front seat. I only have a front seat and passenger seat, all other seats are removed, and everything is rubber material to prevent fleas.

I’ve put diatomaceous earth all over Van, I have thrown out so much of my stuff, laundered the balance in hot water and high heat dryer. And I’ve been working on this probably a full 5 to 6 days.

I threw out the vinyl workout mats that I used as a bed as that had plenty in there I was shocked. I’ve been sleeping in the driver seat until I can figure out how to get this issue resolved.

If anyone has successfully treated these in a RV, I would love to know what they’ve done?

Click to expand...

I have never had bed bugs but you can purchase cans of bed bug spray at most pharmacies. They do work.

However Flea bombs will also kill bed bugs. That is what I would use myself if my space became infested.
It is for sure a nuisance to do the flea bomb thing. (Been there done a few times that for fleas, one house I bought had a major infestation)

How it works.., You need to remove all the food from the van. Then open all he compartments and cabinet doors. Set the bomb off, close up the van and leave the recommended time on the instruction. Afterwards let the van air out and then wash down all the surfaces. While the flea bomb is doing its thing in your closed up van you can be putting all your clothes and bedding through the laundry using the hot water setting and high dryer heat. Wash you too including your hair using flea soap. If you have a pet they need a flea soap wash as well.

It might be easiest to do this at a friends house or at an isolated spot at an RV park where you have access to water and a laundry and shower facility. But you will find a way because the bugs will drive you buggy if you don’t

Do that stuff and the bug issue will be over. By the way, it might be not just a bed bug issue but also a flea issue if you are staying in or working at other peoples houses and bringing dogs from other owners into your van. Get a flea comb and check every dog carefully before you let them into your van! If they have fleas do not let them get inside!

I did a little more research. The flea bomb will kill bed bugs but it might not get reach all of them. That is because the bed bugs get into tiny crevices the bomb fumes won’t penetrate into. So the pros who come into a house to remove an infestation also use steam cleaning that reaches a minimum temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit. They shoot hot steam into the upholstery, mattress, carpet and other crevices. You can rent high quality steam cleaners but of course you will need electrical power to run one and it is going to take a while to clean all the small crevices on a van as there are lots of crevices on all the interior panels, the floor under and around the seats, under and around the dash, in the air system etc.

Sounds like a nightmare clean up job to me! You might be fighting this battle for a while with several rounds of DIY cleanings.

Do more research. Read about the steam cleaning approach. It will likely take a succession of multiple approaches to finally get rid of the infestation if the issue is they get into tiny crevices and breed colonies there. I know I would for sure remove floor coverings, steam clean them and the metal floor area. Very likely take out the seats to do a total steam clean on them top to bottom, the underside too and the floor area where they were. All the side wall panels etc. Between sprays, steam, etc you might get those bugs gone.

Seriously, try to hire a professional.

They probably charge by the square foot, which you have little of, but it seems like a never ending stressor to try to do this yourself.

My two cents.

If all else fails, come to Phoenix or Yuma Az in July or August and let your vehicle sit in the sun for a couple of days. Chances are the temperature inside the vehicle will get hot enough to kill any bug. Only semi joking. It might actually work.

I did just see an article that said the bed big eggs and adults will die from 20 minutes of exposure to 118 degree Fahrenheit temperature. That is certainly something that could be happen in a hot location in a closed up van with the sun shining full on the roof.

The issue being finding that hot day of a day in November. It is unlikely to happen in Arizona this month. Quartzsite is in the 60s to low 70s this week. The far south in Texas or Florida might be the only locations to see some near 90s.

So it will likely require a heat source, perhaps an oil heater which does not directly aim the heat toward a dingle point on a nearby wall.

Maybe a heated paint booth at a body shop?

An aside:
Reading this thread, anybody else get the itchies?
.
Ahem.
.
This might be the only appropriate use for a Mister Buddy heater or similar.
On 'HIGH', they reputedly reach approximately two degrees hotter than the surface of the sun.
Inside some window I can see from the recliner, I think I would mount a thermometer... mostly because I am easily entertained.
.
I can imagine smiling and sighing in satisfied hatred as I visualize their tiny bodies vaporizing, one right after the other.
I would definitely have a lapful of shipping bubble-wrap, vigorously snapping a few to punctuate each demise.
Those snaps, of course, would be dramatically thrusted toward(s!) the rig, particularly the 'bunk' zone.
.
If 118°f is required, I think I would shoot for 120°f or 140°f or 160°f.
Your choice, but I think anything over about 212°f/100°c is generally considered excessive.
If twenty minutes is necessary, I would probably go a couple-three days.
At this point, the procedure calls for a book and a beach-umbrella.
.
Facing that level of insult and trespass, I could see a certain person I personally know combining heat with a half-case of bug-bombs or three.
Prior to this route, the prudent individual ought to chat with the insurance folks to verify 'explosion' coverage.
.
Another aside:
If you know of a prudent individual, please, introduce us.
That would be a 'first' for me...

Or ignore proper hygiene, such that the bugs will get out on their own accord.

Note that one doesn't need to go as far as Yuma to create a genocidal oven out of a car. Pahrump, or Vegas, in Summer will do.

Mesquite, NV also qualifies with highs after midnight over 130F. The Walmart there allows overnighters, the survivors might never visit Mesquite again.

Then there is Caliente, the name says it all.

Best product you can buy is Bedlam Plus. Get a pack of 6 off Amazon. They are aerosol cans. Modern bedbugs are resistant to traditional poisons like Permethrin. The thing you don't want to do is transfer them to your house or a friends house., These little critters seem to have an innate intelligence and they know where to hide and live for a couple of months without food (blood). If they are in a van, spray with the product, close up the van and park it in a desert. Higher temperatures will increase their activity initially, but kill them off over time if they have no food source (blood). Wash all clothes immediately, especially sheets, and spray under all mattresses and into any cracks. It may take months to kill them off. Be careful with pets, especially cats since a lot of the products that are not poisonous to humans, can affect pets. It literally took months to finally get these killed off in our house. Note that hygiene does not come into play when it comes to getting an infestation. These come from other people and their belongings. I suspect furniture in the U-Haul from another renter is how you picked these up. They loved to hide in any humans' possessions. Research they subject. You will be horrified at how quick they can multiply and get out of control. About the time you think you have conquered the problem you may find them back in a week or so. Proactively spray. Bedlam plus has a good residual.