Bedbug Summit: Scientists, Exterminators Meet to Wipe Out Pests

Sept. 21, 2010 — -- It's not an event you would expect to sell out. But it did — in a matter of days. Today, the first annual North American Bedbug Summit begins in a Chicago suburb. Hundreds of bug experts, vendors, exterminators, and scientists will gather under one roof in an attempt to combat the growing scourge of bedbugs. Joining them will be some of the hardest-hit — including college and university dormitories, military housing, shelters and group homes.

"This summit really represents access to the best information available on bedbugs," said Phillip Cooper, president of BedBug Central.

The two day conference includes seminars on detection devices and techniques and fumigation.

"Bedbugs hide very well, so a lot of times you can't get pesticides to these bugs because they're in areas you can't access and that's why it's such a difficult thing to control," said Jeffrey White, an entomologist specializing in bedbugs.

Vendors will also display some of the newest products to combat these pesky insects — including an in-home device that can super-heat your suitcase after trips, killing bedbugs and their eggs.

Adam Greenberg's company, USBedBugs.com, will show off a number of products including the Bug Zip — a plastic bag that zips over your suitcase to prevent insect invaders from getting in.

Another product, the BB Alert Passive Monitor, is essentially a bedbug hotel. You place the box near your headboard, and if you notice black spots on the box, it means bedbugs have moved in.

"It is kind of icky, but you find out early you have bedbugs, and can call a professional," he said. "It's better to know sooner rather than later."

There are also dissolvable laundry bags. Travelers can put their pajamas or other clothing inside the bag, seal it in the hotel room, and then drop it into the washing machine when they get home. The bag dissolves in the wash cycle, while the hot water kills any insect "stowaways."

The National Pest Management Association estimates the number of bedbug complaints have soared 500 percent over the past five years.