Hi everyone:
Strange subject, I know, but...
I found a Denon receiver on someone's curb yesterday (DRA-425R). When I went to look at it, I saw a tiny red bug come out. I've had more than one friend who has been cursed with bedbugs, so I don't want to take any chances.
Some bedbug Websites say you can wrap and freeze electronics such as audio gear, as long as there's no LCD screen. I believe this unit has an LED screen. Do any of you have any suggestions as to how I can freeze this thing without damaging it? We have a large deep freeze in which it should be able to fit just fine.
Thanks in advance,
Hogwild
Strange subject, I know, but...
I found a Denon receiver on someone's curb yesterday (DRA-425R). When I went to look at it, I saw a tiny red bug come out. I've had more than one friend who has been cursed with bedbugs, so I don't want to take any chances.
Some bedbug Websites say you can wrap and freeze electronics such as audio gear, as long as there's no LCD screen. I believe this unit has an LED screen. Do any of you have any suggestions as to how I can freeze this thing without damaging it? We have a large deep freeze in which it should be able to fit just fine.
Thanks in advance,
Hogwild
Perhaps heating it might be a safer option. Up to 60C should be safe for plastics. Don't know if that would kill the bugs though 😀
Aren't bedbugs to small to see ? If it was red and crawling it sounds like something else 😉
Aren't bedbugs to small to see ? If it was red and crawling it sounds like something else 😉
I have heard about putting amps or CD players in a freezer as a "Snake Oil" improvement.
Just stuff it in a plastic bag.
But don't quote me if it goes wrong.
Just stuff it in a plastic bag.
But don't quote me if it goes wrong.
Thanks folks. The most authoritative sources I could find were bedbugsites.net and bedbugger.com
Both were helpful, but didn't detail exactly how I would put electronics in a freezer.
The temperatures are listed for killing them with heat- Above 106 Fahrenheit If I remember right.
On man reports good success with heat.
My bed bug death machine. Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums
But since we already have a large freezer downstairs, I'm thinking that wouldn't require much work-just figuring out how to wrap the gear or ??
This page on bedbugsites.net describes what conditions are required for freezing them
Freezing Bed Bugs - Cold / Freeze Treatment
But doesn't list how to wrap/protect electronics.
Both were helpful, but didn't detail exactly how I would put electronics in a freezer.
The temperatures are listed for killing them with heat- Above 106 Fahrenheit If I remember right.
On man reports good success with heat.
My bed bug death machine. Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums
But since we already have a large freezer downstairs, I'm thinking that wouldn't require much work-just figuring out how to wrap the gear or ??
This page on bedbugsites.net describes what conditions are required for freezing them
Freezing Bed Bugs - Cold / Freeze Treatment
But doesn't list how to wrap/protect electronics.
If you freeze it then I would bag it first (sealed poly bag) and on unfreezing do not re open for several hours (until its back at ambient temperature). The cold isn't such a problem, its the condensation when it meets the warmer air that is. That will make all the internals wet and any dust on the PCB's will form a caked on residue when it dries.
On balance I don't think I would do it tbh. Heating though, yes, and 106F is only 42C. It would exceed that if left in the sun. The components will stand a minimum of 85C generally, its the plastic bits you have to be careful of in an oven.
On balance I don't think I would do it tbh. Heating though, yes, and 106F is only 42C. It would exceed that if left in the sun. The components will stand a minimum of 85C generally, its the plastic bits you have to be careful of in an oven.
Leaving items in the sun is not recommended, as apparently sometimes, a few bugs don't get killed that way. Reports suggest it's just not that reliable enough a method to count on. I don't want no bugs! Well, except a few in my software...
How about CO2, a plastic bag with some dry ice in water. A small hole at the top of the bag will allow excess CO2 to escape.
Yard and Garden News - University of Minnesota Extension: Does Cold Kill Bed Bugs?
Cold temperatures can kill bed bugs if they are exposed to it long enough and at temperatures that are cold enough. However, there is not a lot research on this topic to say what those exposures and temperatures are. What information is available is contradictory. One researcher in 1966 found that bed bugs can tolerate temperatures around 5° F for a brief time and when acclimated can survive temperatures at or below 32° F for days. This is in contrast to findings in 1991 that bed bugs are killed when exposed to temperatures around 32° F for just hours, although the same article also went on to say that the eggs are very cold tolerant and need to be exposed to freezing temperatures for 30 to 60 days.
There is even less research that looks at how long you need to freeze bed bugs when they are in furniture or other objects. The U.S. military believes that if you expose furniture to 0° F or less for four days or more, that may be sufficient. While we have been at or below 0° F often, those temperatures have generally fluctuated and have infrequently been sustained for four days or more.
There are other factors to consider. First, the temperature where the bed bugs are hiding may not be as cold as you think it is, i.e. the air temperature is not necessarily the same where the bed bugs are located in the furniture. You also need to factor in the effect of the sun shining on any objects. Although the temperature may say 0° F, the warmth of the sun can considerably raise the temperature in localized areas (as recently witnessed by the melting snow on my roof in near 0° F temperatures).
Again, cold can kill bed bugs, but the bottom line is you can not reliably kill all bed bugs infesting objects by exposing them to 0° F temperatures.
Yard and Garden News - University of Minnesota Extension: Does Cold Kill Bed Bugs?
Cold temperatures can kill bed bugs if they are exposed to it long enough and at temperatures that are cold enough. However, there is not a lot research on this topic to say what those exposures and temperatures are. What information is available is contradictory. One researcher in 1966 found that bed bugs can tolerate temperatures around 5° F for a brief time and when acclimated can survive temperatures at or below 32° F for days. This is in contrast to findings in 1991 that bed bugs are killed when exposed to temperatures around 32° F for just hours, although the same article also went on to say that the eggs are very cold tolerant and need to be exposed to freezing temperatures for 30 to 60 days.
There is even less research that looks at how long you need to freeze bed bugs when they are in furniture or other objects. The U.S. military believes that if you expose furniture to 0° F or less for four days or more, that may be sufficient. While we have been at or below 0° F often, those temperatures have generally fluctuated and have infrequently been sustained for four days or more.
There are other factors to consider. First, the temperature where the bed bugs are hiding may not be as cold as you think it is, i.e. the air temperature is not necessarily the same where the bed bugs are located in the furniture. You also need to factor in the effect of the sun shining on any objects. Although the temperature may say 0° F, the warmth of the sun can considerably raise the temperature in localized areas (as recently witnessed by the melting snow on my roof in near 0° F temperatures).
Again, cold can kill bed bugs, but the bottom line is you can not reliably kill all bed bugs infesting objects by exposing them to 0° F temperatures.
polystyrene caps don't like 85C
most electronics PCB can washed - hot soapy water, multiple rinses, finish with DI/distilled water and then Isopropyl Alcohol, dry thoroughly before turning on
some open pots, tuning sliders may not be as happy if you wash away the lubricants
most electronics PCB can washed - hot soapy water, multiple rinses, finish with DI/distilled water and then Isopropyl Alcohol, dry thoroughly before turning on
some open pots, tuning sliders may not be as happy if you wash away the lubricants
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^ I just realized we had the same method.
They die at approximately 114 degrees F. Place the device in a 300 weave per sq inch microfiber sack tied and taped shut and load it into a preheated oven at 140F for two hours. Or, leave it at the curb. No loss. You really don't want those things - people have been psychologically affected for years after being infested. I won't buy used gear unless it comes from a clean residence with equally unbitten residents, and even then I haven't bought anything used in years. Picking something up off the curb is even riskier, and in my opinion it is not worth the affect it may have on you.
Some bees use this method to kill invading scout hornets. Scouts are females that do not breed, and are large and easily mistaken as queens by people. Just like their close relative the ant, they go out at certain times of the year to prospect new hive locations. Hornets and bees are sworn enemies, and hornets usually win the battle when it comes down to all out war. However...Bees die about 1 degree hotter than hornets. They will swarm the invading scout and vibrate to dissipate energy as heat and bring their body temperature to half a degree higher than what the hornet can tolerate.
They die at approximately 114 degrees F. Place the device in a 300 weave per sq inch microfiber sack tied and taped shut and load it into a preheated oven at 140F for two hours. Or, leave it at the curb. No loss. You really don't want those things - people have been psychologically affected for years after being infested. I won't buy used gear unless it comes from a clean residence with equally unbitten residents, and even then I haven't bought anything used in years. Picking something up off the curb is even riskier, and in my opinion it is not worth the affect it may have on you.
Some bees use this method to kill invading scout hornets. Scouts are females that do not breed, and are large and easily mistaken as queens by people. Just like their close relative the ant, they go out at certain times of the year to prospect new hive locations. Hornets and bees are sworn enemies, and hornets usually win the battle when it comes down to all out war. However...Bees die about 1 degree hotter than hornets. They will swarm the invading scout and vibrate to dissipate energy as heat and bring their body temperature to half a degree higher than what the hornet can tolerate.
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What is the value of the gear in good working condition? What does it cost to get rid of a house full of bedbugs? What is the chance you can get bad advice from the internet?
If you want to try the freeze method try about a year. Then let it thaw for a few months still sealed and then another few months of freezing. Then thaw again and leave In a clear plastic bag.
If you want to try the freeze method try about a year. Then let it thaw for a few months still sealed and then another few months of freezing. Then thaw again and leave In a clear plastic bag.
1) He's probably looking at a unit less than $1000 value on the used market.
2) $1500-$3000 for full treatment to eliminate an infestation in a typical bungalow residence. Spray methods are cheaper, but heating is proven effective in one shot. Larger and more complex residences cost more.
3) Tons of bad advice on the internet. Freezing is a risk, because if it doesn't work they may procreate.
Burn it.
2) $1500-$3000 for full treatment to eliminate an infestation in a typical bungalow residence. Spray methods are cheaper, but heating is proven effective in one shot. Larger and more complex residences cost more.
3) Tons of bad advice on the internet. Freezing is a risk, because if it doesn't work they may procreate.
Burn it.
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Take it to a pet store and leave it in a bird cage, the birds will find the bugs. Then take it to the car wash to get the used bugs off everything.
As above: throw the Diseased contraption back into the dumpster you fished it out of. Garbage is Garbage.. let it lie.
$1000.. Really!! Where do you guys get these notions?
Likely $50 in real life.. (unless at some bottom feeder
vintage audio shoppe)....and only IF healthy.. and decidedly not infested.
$1000.. Really!! Where do you guys get these notions?
Likely $50 in real life.. (unless at some bottom feeder
vintage audio shoppe)....and only IF healthy.. and decidedly not infested.
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everybody's probably over thinking this - there's no assurance that something naked eye visible and obviously red colored is in fact a bedbug
lots of sub mm mites just feed on plants
I've watched spiders scurry across my bench after opening old equipment from swapmeets - just chalk it up to increased genetic diversity for my house's spiders - there's a chance they will eat stuff that could annoy me
lots of sub mm mites just feed on plants
I've watched spiders scurry across my bench after opening old equipment from swapmeets - just chalk it up to increased genetic diversity for my house's spiders - there's a chance they will eat stuff that could annoy me
Apparently rubbing alcohol works to kill them as well as the eggs. You might also consider dousing the thing in brake parts cleaner as I'm sure that would also kill them. Just don't spray the display.
You've just succeeded in making me paranoid.
http://www.theawl.com/2010/08/how-i-fought-bedbugs-and-won
Sleep well and don't let the bugs bite... 🙂
Steve
You've just succeeded in making me paranoid.
http://www.theawl.com/2010/08/how-i-fought-bedbugs-and-won
Sleep well and don't let the bugs bite... 🙂
Steve
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Leave it in your yard for a couple of months. Should die out from that I think. Nothing to do, nowhere to go.
The amp is worth very little ($20-30), and might not even work. Will it be worth the effort? Should be quite good performance-wise, though.
The amp is worth very little ($20-30), and might not even work. Will it be worth the effort? Should be quite good performance-wise, though.
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