Bedbugs

[Veganspirit1]

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?

 

[vanbrat]

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.

 

[WanderingRose]

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.

 

[Gr8ful]

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.

 

[rruff]

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

 

[maki2]

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?

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!

 

[maki2]

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.