Best Bed Bug Interceptors: Review & Comparisons
If you’re at risk of bed bugs or already have bed bugs in your home, then bed bug interceptors are a must. Here at bedbugsos.ca, we preach the Integrated Pest Management approach (IPM) when it comes to bed bugs control, and a well-executed IPM system always includes bed bug interceptors.
For one, bed bug interceptors help in the early detection of bed bugs: remember, the earlier you can detect, the easier it is to eradicate! Bed bug interceptors also protect your bed from bed bugs living outside your mattress, box spring and bed frame.
Here’s a common scenario: Let’s say that you recently moved into your new apartment and signed a one-year lease. You’re excited to unpack, decorate and make this place your home. Your neighbour welcomes you, but discreetly warns you about the bed bug problems in the building.
How would you react?
I know for myself (in the past), panic would set in and I would immediately find ways to protect myself, my bed and any other item that could be contaminated with bed bugs, or at least protect myself against bed bug bites. One of the best ways (but not the only way) to protect yourself and your bed against bed bugs is to use bed bug interceptors. They help detect bed bugs and also prevent them from climbing into your bed and biting you at night.
How do bed bug interceptors work?
In order to better understand how these interceptors work and how they can provide protection, you must understand the physical capabilities of bed bugs, the most important being that bed bugs cannot fly or jump.
With interceptors under the legs of your bed, and the bed at least 18 inches away from any wall, bed bugs have no choice but to climb up the interceptors and fall into the inner well where they cannot climb out, and therefore trapping them and preventing them from reaching a source of food – your blood.
Where can I buy bed bug interceptors
At bedbugsos.ca, our goal is to provide you with the best bed bug products on the market and offer you a choice in the type of interceptor needed. That being said, here is a short review of each trap and how they compare with each other.
The ClimbUp Interceptor Original
When entomologist Susan McKnight, founder of ClimbUp, first started her company, her first product was the ClimbUp. The original ClimbUp bed bug interceptor was a huge success in the bed bug market and continues to dominate in its own field of bed bug interceptors. Many competitors have tried to replicate the ClimbUp, but only a few match its efficiency and ease of use.
The ClimbUp allows you to isolate the problem after a treatment or determine whether a treatment was successful or not. The ClimbUp is designed for chairs, beds, tables, sofas, clothing racks and anything with a leg.
The ClimbUp original fits round legs with a diameter no greater than 3 ¾ inches (9.5cm), or square legs or wheels/castors no greater than 2 ¾ inches (6.98 cm) wide.
The ClimbUp Interceptor XL
As its name states, the ClimbUp XL is the largest interceptor that exists on the market. It has all the same properties as the original ClimbUp but is simply bigger to suit non-conventional legs. Many of our customers like to use them for their couches after the exterminator has passed or to simply protect their couch in a bed bug prone area. It can hold legs of up to 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide by 6 ¾ inches (17.1 cm) long.
The ClimbUp Interceptor HD
The ClimbUp HD is another one of Susan McKnight’s products and it’s most noticeable feature is its size and colour. This bed bug interceptor was designed for furniture with smaller legs, more precisely, for legs with a diameter no bigger than 2 ½ inches (6.35 cm). The ClimbUp HD is ideal for clothing racks, dressers, cribs and anything with small legs. The ClimbUp HD was also designed with discretion in mind. Its smaller size and black colour (if I can call black a colour) make this bed bug interceptor a little less obvious, and customers love the ClimbUp HD for this exact feature.
The LightsOut bed bug detector
The LightsOut bed bug intercepting device was developed by leading bed bug expert and entomologist Jefferey White of BedBug Central. For those who are not familiar with BedBug Central, they are the leading experts in bed bug information, and Jeffrey White’s name is very well know across the entire bed bug industry, making LightsOut a tested and proven bed bug trap. It’s a robust intercepting device able to withstand a lot of weight. Since the device is black, it makes it more attractive to bed bugs and therefore highly effective, not to mention more appealing to the eye than other similar intercepting devices.LightsOut is able to hold legs with a diameter of 3 ¾ inches (9.5cm) wide.
Conclusion
When choosing your intercepting device, you must first and foremost consider the size – if it doesn’t fit, you can’t protect. It is important to remember that in any war against bed bugs, intercepting devices are essential, and when it comes to bed bugs you don’t want to mess around. Buy the right equipment and get it done right the first time. Interceptors are a small investment for peace of mind. Remember that intercepting devices can be installed before or after a bed bug treatment, and as long as you keep them clean and free of clutter, they can greatly increase your chances of making bed bugs a thing of the past.
Prevent, Monitor and Detect!
post updated 2017-12-03