Bed Bug Detector Finds Critters Through Their Farts

The BBD-100 in action (Courtesy Stern Environmental Group)

Bedbugs: It's not enough they feast on your blood and then defecate on your mattress, they also soil the air with their flatulence. We came upon this informative tidbit via the website for Stern Environmental Group [SEG], which is now selling an "exciting newly patented product": a handheld personal bed bug detector. According to SEG, the BBD-100 "works by drawing in air samples and testing them for the presence of gas emissions generated by bed bugs." Simultaneously revolted and intrigued, we immediately sought more information via an online representative of the company named Marion. What follows is a transcript of that IM exchange:

Visitor: Marion?
Marion: Hello, thanks for contacting Stern Environmental Group. My name is Marion, may I have your name?
Visitor: My name is Tony Pizzacata. What may I ask is your name?
Marion: Hi Tony. How may I assist you?
Visitor: Do you have bed bug detectors?
Marion: Before we proceed, can I get your phone number or email in case we get disconnected as well as your property address?
Visitor: I'd rather keep that information to myself at this point.
Visitor: I see now you do have detectors. So bedbugs... are flatulent??? I knew they defecate on the ends of mattresses but that is sick.
Marion: Is this for a home or commercial business?
Visitor: Both. They're everywhere!
Visitor: Oh fuck me, I just killed one on my computer keyboard! Now I have blood on it... My OWN blood.
Marion: How soon are you looking to have the pest problem addressed?
Visitor: Unbelievable. Marion, how do you recommend disposing of bedbug remains?
Marion: Would you like to set up a free consultation with our Owner, Doug Stern
Visitor: And you didn't answer my previous question: Do bedbugs really have gas? Because I don't want to buy this detector if it's just snake oil.
Marion: Our Owner is up to date with the latest products and techniques and will be able to recommend what works best for your situation.
Visitor: WHAT ABOUT THE GAS?
Visitor: Is this toxic? I am really freaking out now.
Visitor: Marion?
Marion: Our office staff will be able to answer further questions
Visitor: Marion, aren't you the office staff?
Marion: I am internet representative of a company.
Visitor: Are you even a real person, or... okay. So you can't answer any of my questions. You're just here to get my personal information so they company can market to me. I feel so disillusioned.
Marion: The privacy agreement is confidential to our customers. These details can be provided by our specialist.
Visitor: Guess I'll just spend my Friday night thinking about bedbugs farts. Awesome.
Marion: If you want, I can have your information sent via email
Visitor: Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you.

We further gleaned from the company's website that "the unit is so sensitive that it will detect if even just one bed bug is hiding within six inches of the unit's probe." (Yes, that's what she said.) The unit is portable and about the size of a calculator, but N.B.: "bed bugs must be hiding where their emissions can build up for about five to ten minutes in order to be detected by the unit." The BBD-100 retails for just $299, which may seem like a lot, but just think about the peace of mind knowing once and for all whether or not you're inhaling bed bug farts!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on May 13, 2011 5:45 PM

Comments [rss]

sarah jensen

I just wanted to let people know that I purchased the BBD-100 Bed Bug Detector after our local pest control company used it in our house. I decided to buy one for myself since I travel quite a bit and stay in hotels. I am not an electronics geek or anything like that and I found this device very easy to use. I have used it now in over 22 hotel rooms and have found bed bugs in 7 of the hotel rooms I have stayed in, which were mostly in the northeast United States. Also, I bought this from a reputable seller on Ebay named Bidtorrent and he offers free shipping there. Here is a direct link to purchase it off Ebay. Click Here for Free Shipping on Bed Bug Detector

The_Bed_Bug_Detector

I helped with the http://www.FindBedBugsNow.com website.

I would like to point out that the BBD-100 has a one year warranty.
Learn More:
http://www.findbedbugsnow.com/...

Find Bed Bugs Now does ask that you contact them within three days of receiving a defective product for refund. If that is not reasonable, I am sure TDS will extend the time to request a refund, but the warranty is one year.

Learn more about the development of the BBD-100 Bed Bug Detector in this article written by Bill Moyer of TDS:
http://www.findbedbugsnow.com/...

--Thanks, Joe Stokes / NC Fusion

Orkin Employee

I notice all the positive comments are from people "Selling" this BBD-100 and not the "Users".

I went to the TDS webiste and they don't have any bed bug tests at all, even the termite tests are questionable at best.

All living things give off CO2 how does this tell the difference beteween you're own breath and any other living organism?

And they only give you 3 days to return it?

I would not buy it or recommend it.

William Moyer

Check with Kim at Orkin Corporate, They have been testing it for several months. All seem to like it a lot.
Bill Moyer-TDS

Eric Anders

I operate RELO Roundtable, a personal blog that has become a commercially neutral relocation resource packed with tips, tricks and tools for dealing with the trials and tribulations of local and long distance moving.

An article I posted in December, 2009, Moving and Bed Bugs, quickly became one of the most popular pieces.

Initially most visitors arrived looking for insurance information or some type of service guarantee that the company they hire or rent from to transport their household goods won't infect their home with bed bugs. Recently, more visitors are asking about how to prevent the spread of their BB infestation problem to others using the same crews or moving equipment.

According to pest control professionals, there at four basic approaches to dealing with bed bugs:

*** Early inspection/Detection – complete inspection by individuals or pest control professionals trained to spot evidence of bed bugs or they nymph and larvae.

*** Canine Inspection – Specially trained dogs sniff out live bed bugs ( a/k/a cimicidae) in their most common hiding places. Realistically, though, it's probably too expensive to take a trained canine crew everywhere you go. Besides dogs don't work well on ceilings, closet shelves, suspended lighting fixtures, or, especially, when sticking their wet noses in live electrical outlets. And their effectiveness as a personal bed bug detector really isn't appreciated in upscale public places like five-star hotels, fancy boutiques, private locker rooms and exclusive country clubs.

*** Chemical disinfectants and pesticides – These strong chemical agents are the popular alternatives that have been developed to control bed bugs after DDT was banned in the '70s.

*** Non-Chemical Control Strategies – Include the application of diatomaceous earth (a type of ground sedentary rock), or extreme heat (120°F (45°C) for 1-4 hrs), natural cold (less than 23°F (-5°C) for a minimum of 5 days, to kill live bugs, or 'flash freezing" at -15°F (-26°C) to kill all eradicate all live bed bugs, nymphs and their larvae.

No doubt, early detection is the key to effective critter control!

Before I decided to advertise the BBD-100, I spoke to the inventor, an experienced pest control expert, about the technology and science behind using the unit to detect BB's unique biological signature (a/k/a 'farts'). I then researched his explanation.

The science is real. The same type of biotechnology using insects or animal byproducts has been used for years to detect other, more destructive pests found in building and properties throughout the world!

I then spoke to several entomologists who've been testing various new products that use some of the unique biological signatures of cimicidae to easily and inexpensively detect their presence in all life stages. The ones familiar with the BBD-100 lab-test results confirm that the claims made by the inventor and manufacturer are accurate, IF THE UNIT IS USED AS DIRECTED!

The unit just became commercially available in late April, 2011, so it's probably still way too early to have a large body of consumer feedback from individual owners or companies who've tested the product in a real-world environment.

Since the experts maintain that early detection IS THE BEST KEY to effective critter control, however, this personal bed bug detector is a non-intrusive, affordable application that has a relatively low cost of operation.

And, best of all, it's small enough to fit a pocket or purse.

RobertC

The device allegedly tests for CO2. This is not "flatulence." It's what is exhaled by every member of the animal kingdom. How they think this is specific to bedbugs is incomprehensible to me. Promoting this device strikes me as irresponsibly profiting off of people's panic.
http://bedbugger.com/forum/top...

millygirl3

It works it really does!!!!!With the way things are going with bed bugs lately this is a saving grace!!!

Orkin Employee

Oh really? Can you show us that it works?

Douglas Stern

Thanks for the free news exposure. We’re pretty excited
about the BBD-100. As this is the first handheld detector designed for consumers
that we have seen hit the marketplace, and appears to be highly accurate, based
on testing done by the manufacturer. We feel that it will be a huge help for
New Yorkers who are concerned about the growing problem of bed bugs.

As to our 24 hour chat line, I feel that in light of the
questions you asked, they kept their cool. We use our chat line to make sure
that anyone who contacts us, day or night, has a real person to interact with.
Although they may not be able to answer all your pest control questions in the
middle of the night, we do receive notification of all chats in our office the
next day.

You also mentioned our privacy policy. We do have this
posted on our website at www.SternEnvironmenta.com on our policies page. It is
very simple and here it is verbatim:

"Our Privacy Policy is pretty simple. We do not share
any information about you with anyone.

“If you contact us we will only use your email address,
address, or phone number for our own marketing uses. We do not sell or share
your address with any other parties. Note, in extenuating circumstances we may
be required by law or legal process to disclose your personal information, but
will only do so when required by law."

We're glad you are having fun talking about our new product
and look forward to more people knowing about the BBD-100.

Thanks!

Douglas Stern
Managing Partner
Stern Environmental Group LLC
www.SternEnvironmental.com

bobloblawslawblog

I agree with Doug here (if this is his real name). The chat crew stayed pretty cool and stuck to their scripts. Their job, for anyone who has ever worked in phone or internet phone rep-type work is to get your info and screen fake vs. real clients for the real sales guys who know their stuff. The people see a lot of bogus calls and bad leads, so why would you want your best, most-highly paid, and best-informed sales guys wasting time on bad leads?

The "BBD-100" (was there a BBD-99?) may be a useless pile of crap, but the company seems pretty upfront about its potential and proof of effectiveness.

Dougie also seems pretty cool about the fact that we're all making fun of his company and bebug farts, so I give him props for seeming like he doesn't take himself to seriously.

richcreamerybutter

If the product really works, the reps will be able to answer questions directly. If I wanted to submit my info (and address??!) so that someone can contact me later for a "free consultation," a web form will suffice. Live chat reps might indicate that I can get some actual information about the product at that time, and if I can't then I'm going to leave their site pissed off.

da_phonz

I had to do my own:

Environmental Group. My name is Sylvia, may I have your name? Visitor: This is tom again
Visitor: I got disconnected
Sylvia: Before we proceed, can I get your phone number or email in case we get disconnected as well as your property address?

Visitor: Didn't I just talk to you?
Sylvia: You already gave this info?

Visitor: I just talked to you but I got disconnected
Sylvia: So
You already gave this info?
Visitor: yes
Visitor: don't you remember?
Sylvia: Can you please give again.I got that window clsed

Sylvia: closed.

Visitor: You told me some good info about the bedbug detector
Sylvia: no

Sylvia: was about to

Visitor: You said you tried it yourself
Sylvia: I did not.

Sylvia: The
best way to get your questions answered is to set up a free
consultation with our Owner; may I have your address and contact
information?

Visitor: Doug, I've already met him
Visitor: he isn't available right now
Visitor: so I wanted to ask you a few quick questions he didn't cover in our conversation
Sylvia: Please hold, let me get you some information on that

Visitor: thanks
Sylvia: Thank you for your patience, the person who can answer this is not available, may I have someone contact you?

Visitor: when are they available?
Visitor: it is pretty late in the evening
Sylvia: Stern Environmental Group, 100 Plaza Drive,
Secaucus, NJ 07094-3613...Available 24/7

Visitor: but not on this chat?
Sylvia: no.

Sylvia: May I have someone from our office contact you to answer your questions?

Visitor: (Redacted - bad taste)

Brepbruncher

I'd like to detect her farts..

Guest

ahh... farting -- the ultimate sexual equalizer.

PicoPhreako69

Ohnoyadon't - I saw her first.

bedbugchaser

Frank, the BedBugChaser here, you may want to Google "Alarming combo: Bedbugs with 'superbug' germ found" this story is scary, isn't it? Also, Avtron just finished our latest and greatest weapon in the war on BedBugs, go to http://www.avtronloadbank.com/... to see the what the future holds for the BedBug.

James Sherman

Oh my gosh - this is so funny I almost fell out of my chair! The very idea of thousands of bedbugs chilling in a wall and farting is one of the funniest and most disgusting things I've ever heard of. Screw detectors, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't miss that warning sign!Oh my gosh - this is so funny I almost fell out of my chair! The very idea of thousands of bedbugs chilling in a wall and farting is one of the funniest and most disgusting things I've ever heard of. Screw detectors, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't miss that warning sign!

anonymous

stern environmental should have their PCO license pulled -- they are scam artists and I was victimized by them firsthand (they told me I had bedbugs everywhere) -- then Harvard University entemologist graced me with an investigation and found nothing!

sleepswitheyesopen

Lol great conversation. Dude didnt answer a single question. And i love this: "The privacy agreement is confidential to our customers." Cant even find out how they plan to use the info. This must be a fraud.he privacy agreement is confidential to our customers." Cant even find out how they plan to use the info. This must be a fraud.

jaycjay

Those "live help" people often have nothing to do with company, especially with smaller businesses. They're just people working from home, with a few scripted responses at hand. In this case obviously they're only there to get contact information, so someone actually working for the company can get back to the interested person.