Does Bug Repellent Work On Bed Bugs

Summary:

For the sake of science (and for the entertainment of those of you at home watching), Thomas risks his blood, testing for the use of bug repellent as a guard against bed bugs.

Transcription:

I’m Thomas Ballantyne with Bulwark Exterminating. This is A.J. Richards with K-9 Bed Bug Inspectors

Yes. And it’s K-9BedBugInspectors.com. We have in front of us live bed bugs, inspected yesterday. A.J. actually does inspections for bed bugs with his dogs. His dogs have been trained to sniff out bed bugs. He hasn’t been fed for two or three weeks, and you’ve got to keep him alive so you can continue to train your dogs. That’s what all these little vials are for. So, at any rate, I know when you go into these houses, you’ve got to be a little freaked out, you know, thinking you might be able to pick some of these up with your shoes yeah or what not.

So, I mean, I’ve got to be very careful, not only myself, but my dogs because they hide in their fur, that kind of thing. So, we’ve got to be real cautious that we don’t take them home. I can tell you that my wife wouldn’t be satisfied with living conditions if I brought these guys to the house.

You don’t want to do a video on how fast a home gets infested.

Right. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to recommend to A.J. that he protect himself. And I believe this will do it. This is bug repellent. Nothing fancy, but over the counter, typical stuff. This one doesn’t have any DEET in it. This is a fragrance-free, picaridin is the active ingredient. So, what we’re going to do, since this guy’s ready to feed, typically if you put him on your arm, he’d immediately begin to feed, I’m going to spray my arm down with this, let it dry, and then we’re going to put it on my arm and see if he actually will try to feed.

So we’re going to put him right there, and he should go right to it. So if he keeps moving, then he’s probably trying to avoid the spray, I would say, because anytime I’ve done it, instantly. And we’ll see on your other arm if that holds true.

Yeah, he’s not biting. Oh, oh! Oh, just kidding. Nothing. Actually, when he bites, you can’t even feel it, right? Because they inject their, right-

The saliva on the tip of their little sucker has a little anticoagulant, so the blood flows freely and an anesthetic so you don t feel it.

Oooh, it kind of tickles actually.

Yeah. But it looks like he’s trying to avoid, avoid your arm. Shall we see what happens on the other one?

Yeah. I’m pretty happy with not being bitten right now, so-

Speculation would be that they’re just avoiding it. Okay. I really don’t want to do this right now. I really don’t want a little vampire stuck in my arm. Look at that, dude.

There you go.

Straight to eating, straight to eating, you can take him off now.

You can’t even feel him. You got to-

I know! I know! Man, I just don’t like him sitting there.

Thomas, you’ve got to let him fill up.

No, look at that dude, this is gross!

You can’t, just think, it’s like a mosquito.

No!

Yeah. You’ve got to let it-

I don’t like mosquitoes. I’ll squash it right now. Can I slap it real quick?

No, I need him. Are you done? Okay.

Yeah, I’m done. Dude, I was done five seconds ago. Ah, come on! Thanks. That was pretty nasty. I didn’t like having that on my arm one bit.

I noticed. Alright, at any rate, I’m a happy camper. Go buy some today. I think that’s a wrap. See you guys. Check back in sometime.