How to lure bedbugs into one pile? - briefly
Use a heated trap that emits carbon dioxide and has an adhesive surface placed near the infestation; the bugs are drawn to the warmth and gas and collect on the sticky area. Afterwards, remove the trap and dispose of the captured insects.
How to lure bedbugs into one pile? - in detail
Effective aggregation of Cimex lectularius requires a combination of attractants, environmental manipulation, and physical collection tools. The following procedure outlines each component in a systematic manner.
Begin by reducing ambient temperature to 20 °C ± 2 °C. Bedbugs exhibit increased movement when the environment is cool but not lethally cold, prompting them to seek warmer micro‑habitats. Maintain relative humidity between 55 % and 70 % to sustain activity without causing desiccation.
Deploy a heat source that creates a localized temperature gradient of 35 °C ± 3 °C. Commonly, a heated ceramic plate or a low‑wattage electric pad placed on a flat surface serves this purpose. Position the heat emitter at the center of the target area; the thermal cue draws insects from surrounding crevices toward the hotspot.
Introduce a synthetic alarm pheromone blend (e.g., (E)-2‑hexenal, (E)-2‑octenal) at a concentration of 0.5 µg cm⁻². Apply the blend to the heated surface using a fine brush. The pheromone amplifies the heat attraction, encouraging multiple individuals to converge.
Create a physical barrier that guides movement toward the collection point. Arrange a shallow moat of detergent‑filled water (0.1 % surfactant) around the heated plate. The liquid is non‑toxic but creates a surface tension obstacle that bedbugs cannot cross, forcing them to travel over the dry pathway directly to the heat source.
Once insects have assembled, capture them with one of the following methods:
- Place a low‑profile, adhesive‑coated tray beneath the heated plate. The adhesive surface immobilizes the insects upon contact.
- Use a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter and a narrow nozzle to suck the clustered bugs directly from the heat source.
- Apply a fine mist of silica‑based desiccant onto the pile; the particles adhere to the exoskeleton, leading to rapid mortality and simplifying removal.
Repeat the cycle at intervals of 12 hours to ensure that late‑emerging individuals are also gathered. After each session, clean the heat source and replace the pheromone coating to maintain efficacy.
By integrating thermal, chemical, and physical cues, the described protocol reliably concentrates bedbugs into a single, manageable mass for subsequent eradication.