Follow Up: Bed Bug Detection, low tech

For those who are skeptical about DIYCO2 rigs attracting bed bugs, we have a little vid backing our claim in the form of a Bed Bug Detector.  This product is designed to attract bed bugs in apartments, houses or rooms suspected of being infested.

It uses the same method as a DIYCO2 rig; however instead of running the air hose to your tanks, you run it to a little tray designed to trap bed bugs for confirmation of infestation.  The manufacturers are still testing but we already know it will work.  Our leaking CO2 rig was the beacon that put out the welcome mat in our previously clean apartment.  It took about six months for our apartment to become infested after beginning to use a DIYCO2 rig, in a building that already had a problem.

We should note, we have no financial arrangements with the company or Jeff White.  We came across his product review in a forum we belong to while researching.  Without further adieu, we give you the Bed Bug Detection system {aka a very familiar rig}

Bed Bug Detection.

We also admit to getting a hearty laugh because we have had some skeptics poo-poo the theory of CO2 injection having anything to do with our infestation.  We stand vindicated; by the bug-guys and now Jeff, White.  Thanks Jeff.

Link to original post: May 16, 2010

CO2 Use in Aquariums and Bed Bugs

     We promised We would document our tank experiences honestly; the good, the bad and now the very ugly.

Standard disclaimer:  we are not scientists, we do not pretend to be.  We are keen observers of cause and effect, enabling us to draw conclusions.  Our conclusions herewith were confirmed by the professional bug-guys.

     By now most everyone who listens to a radio or watches TV is aware that there is a rise in bed bug infestations in the States.  Hotels in New York city were the first to be reported upon a few years ago and now apartment buildings and single family homes in both urban and suburban areas have been infested.  The major reason cited for the rise in bed bug infestations is the discontinuation of the use of DDT, for sound reasons.  However, bed bug infestations are one of the unplanned for consequences.

     So, you might be wondering what that has to do with the aquarium hobby. 
     Plenty if you are injecting CO2; both the DIY and the cylinder versions.

     We had found a long-lasting combination recipe using a two 2L bottle rig.  We had found a way to eliminate leaks in the form of our brine-shrimp hatchery caps.  We were getting great CO2 distribution for a solid three weeks before having to replace a  bottle solution.  Life was good, plants were pearling even under reduced lighting, fish were not distressed.  The couch was moved right next to the fish-rack to allow an up close and personal view of all the hard work, weeks of research and buckets of ducats spent.

     Then the bite marks started showing up.

     It seems our apartment building has had an infestation for some while.  Somehow our apartment was never an attractive place for the voracious little beasties to investigate, until we began juicing our aquariums with DIY CO2.

     The first thing the bug-guys said was; "Move the couch away from your tanks."  The second thing they could have said, was not necessary.  Now we go completely low-tech.
All broad-leaf and moderate to low light plants.
     NO CO2 of any kind.

     Next we get to have a clear-out in preparation for the bug-guys.
Every exposed shelving unit must be cleared, except for the one where the tanks actually sit.  The closet shelf must be cleared, the clothes must be washed in 180F water and sealed in plastic bins.  All the furniture must be moved away from the walls.  Everything that can be put in storage, must be put in storage, sealed.  You can be sure I will be throwing a lot of stuff out just to avoid having to deal with it.  All the fabric I have collected for rag rugs will go, the yarn is in plastic bags.  It will be sealed in more bins with diatomaceous earth on the bottom of the bins.  All the bedding has already been thrown out and the bed removed despite the fact that neither showed any signs of being infested.  Sleeping on the couch is a habit that I am glad I did not break.  I have super easy to clean modular furniture which sits 18" off the floor and has no skirting for the beasties to climb up.

     The bug-guys have to come out and treat the apartment three times before it will be reasonable to presume the beasties are d.e.a.d.  So pretty much the whole summer the apartment will be empty, my loom will not be warped for use and I will be living in my work out clothes, sleeping with my pants tucked into socks and hands wrapped to prevent them from getting to my arms..

     Bed bug infestation is not due to poor housekeeping.
It is due to one thing; bed bugs are attracted to CO2, and they eat one thing - blood.
They hide in the walls, carpets, cloth furniture, wall sockets, heating and cooling duct work, cracks, crevices and crannies.  You almost never see them because they are nocturnal.

Some people have used diatomaceous earth as a dusting everywhere on the floors to kill the bugs; however inhaling diatomaceous earth is as bad for your lungs as it is for the bugs.  So you have been warned.

Reference Links:
BrickUnderground.com  NYC Landlords may have to disclose bed bug infestations to potential renters going back five years.

Harvard School of Public Health  "Repeated exposures to bed bug bites during a period of several weeks or more causes people to become sensitized to the saliva of these bugs; additional bites may then result in mild to intense allergic responses."  However, bed bugs are not known to carry any diseases like mosquitoes do.

Treating the bites: http://www.bedbugsguide.com/bed-bug-bites.htm

And yes, there are forums and message boards:

http://bedbugger.com/forum/

http://thebedbugresource.com/phpBB2/index.php


Please consider the expense of new mattresses, bedding, bed-bug proof mattress bags, exterminators, clothing, shoes, antihistamines and sanity.  Proceed with caution.
Link to Follow-Up, May 22, 2010

Mods and Updates

This post is not a full how-to on DIYCO2 rigs.  There are plenty of forums guides and web pages to tell you how to and why.  If you want the blow by blow on DIYCO2 we invite you to read the Aquatic Plant Central thread with pictures and explanations, not unlike Alice's Restaurant.  We are concerned here with a couple of simple mods and the actual liquid solution we found most efficient to date.

Now that we have our brine shrimp hatchery caps on the DIYCO2 2L bottles, we finally drilled the water intake of the filter and inserted the outflow from our CO2 into the intake.  This modification serves two purposes; first it delivers CO2 to the impeller which then breaks up the bubbles, dissolving them before returning the filtered water to the tank.  Second, the filter intake serves as a bubble counter.  We are able to see the drop off of bubbling and better monitor changing the DIYCO2 solutions.  The more completely dissolved the CO2 is in the water, the more available carbon dioxide there is for plant use.  The only bubbles you want floating to the surface are the micro-fine oxygen bubbles plants exhale.

For those of us who do not want to invest in an injected CO2 rig, this solution works well for a ten gallon aquarium.  Our DIYCO2 rig sports two 2L bottles; one with long lasting jello solution and one with the standard mix.  The bottles were changed out at week and a half intervals.  Now we can monitor the drop off of CO2 in each solution more precisely.  We may get a full two weeks out of each bottle using these two modifications.

These are the solutions we use:

Long Lasting Jello Solution

1 2L soda bottle and a funnel
1 pkg unflavored gelatin
1c sugar
1 tsp yeast


Into 2c hot water dissolve 1c sugarand 1pkg unflavored geletin, pour into a shallow pan, refrigerate until set
Slice jello into strips 1/2" or less wide, turn pan slice again, the smaller the cubes the easier they go through the funnel into the bottle, when the cubes get stuck, use a skewer or knitting needle to force them through the neck of the funnel

Pour 1pkg yeast into 2L bottle, then fill with water to where the curve of the bottle starts, do not overfill.  Cap, insert air hose, shake a gently to help distribute the yeast. You may see the solution begin reacting right away or it may take 1/2hr to 1hr to begin reacting. 

If your solution begins to react vigorously and bubbles into the airline hose you can remove the cap, wait until the reaction slows; some place a check valve on the airline hose to prevent solution from entering the tank and tank water from back washing into the hose.   
Using a longer air line hose and making a service loop will also keep the solution from entering the tank and vice versa.  Some employ an intermediary bottle of plain water to serve the same purpose.  Run the CO2 line from the 2L bottle into a smaller, airtight container of plain water, then run another hose from the smaller container to your tank.
{hose from CO2 must be in the plain water, hose from the water to the aquarium must not be in the plain water}
I find these steps unnecessary; we place our solution above our tanks allowing the downward pressure of the CO2 to do the job of the check valve.

The regular DIYCO2 solution:

2L bottle with airline from cap long enough to enter your tank filter or other diffusion device.
2c hot water, to this add 1c sugar, dissolve
1 tsp yeast

The method is essentially the same; dissolve the sugar in very warm water, let cool to tepid
Pour sugar solution into 2L bottle, add yeast, fill with water to bend in bottle.  Never put yeast into hot water, you will kill it.  Yeast is most active between 86F and 100F.  Do Not Overfill.
Cap and position for use with your aquarium.  This solution will produce CO2 for 2-3 weeks.  You can pour off some of the solution after a week and replace the water plus a teaspoon of sugar, lowering the alcohol content and supplying fresh food for the yeast.  If you do this, add the sugar first, then slowly add the water.  It will fizz up like champagne, so do it in the sink.

Our Jello solution was made five days ago, it is still putting out 3-5 bubbles per second.

One last note about getting the CO2 into the aquarium water; the Hagen AquaClear Aquarium Filter
has a little hole next to where the intake pipe attaches to the filter, your airline hose will fit into this hole if you thread the top of the AquaClear onto the airline hose first.  Do not force the airline hose, it only needs to go in far enough for the friction to hold it in place.  Make sure your filter is primed and running when you insert the hose; if the filter is not running, the impeller will sometimes not start when you turn the filter on.   The opening slot in the top of the AquaClear is just wide enough to accommodate both the knob on the top of the intake and airline hose.  It will be a snug fit.

This method eliminates the need to drill a hole further down the intake tube, as we did in the shot above.  We have one AquaClear filter with the drilled intake above and one with airline hose fed directly into the impeller box.  There is no discernible difference in performance between the two methods.

Feel free to leave comments or ask questions.  Below is a list of video clips showing various methods of rigging your DIYC02.  We have not tried all the rigs, we concentrated on finding the most efficient liquid solution to produce CO2.

Quick Directions:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edoUwvaVy-M
The Full Explanation:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZFM9ZpaqGM&feature=related part 1 of 2, we love this kid.  He did a really good job teaching.
Pt 2, The Diffuser:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaVqxwaF8Y0&feature=related  have we said we love this kid?
Alternative Bottle w/Better Seal?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1LygSE0ByY


As always thanks for reading.  Comments and questions are always welcome.