Research

PROBLEM ANALYSIS

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Bed bugs are a huge problem. They are the largest pest control problem in the world and that problem grows every year. Beg bugs reproduce very quickly, with a single female laying 1-3 eggs per day. Once they get into a home or building, they can spread fast. Bed bug bites are painful and annoying. They are also very hard to get rid of.

At first, we thought about coming up with a better way to detect bed bugs. We learned that it a can take a pest control professional up to 4 hours to inspect a large room for bed bugs. Because they are small and flat, they can fit between very tiny cracks in the floor and walls. Bed bugs can even live behind electrical sockets.

Illustration of the bed bug anatomy

We finally decided to build a better way to trap and kill bed bugs. People spend lots of money on traps and other treatment devices every year and many of them do not work very well. Our team chose to look further into this to see what we could do to improve on what is currently being sold in stores.

EXISTING SOLUTIONS

existing1BBEDS Catchmaster Bedbug Early Detection System

Price: $8.11

Description: This a patented device designed to detect bedbugs early – BEFORE they infest – by simulating conditions bedbugs consider an ideal hiding place: tight, dark tunneling and rough woody material.

Reviews:

  • This product doesn’t work at all – instead my cat got glue all over its face.
  • This product is laughable and the instructions are not good.

existing-2Harris Irresistible Lure Bed Bug Traps

Price: $5.99

Description: All natural and pesticide-free. Draws bed bugs from their hiding places. Used by professional exterminators.

Reviews:

  • After two weeks, no bed bugs were in the traps, yet we continued to find some ourselves.
  • Hard to fold together and read instructions. Does not seem to work.

INTERVIEWS

Bites.PNG

  • Clinton Hester – Stark Exterminators
    • He is a certified entomologist that spends a lot of time in a laboratory researching bed bugs and ways to kill them. He also works with homeowners and businesses by doing inspections and treatments for bed bugs.
  • Shaniquwa Cooper – Jefferson County Health Department
    • She works as a community educator responsible for speaking to different groups around the area about bug infestations. She has lots of experience in working with families and healthcare facilities that have had bed bug problems.
  • Samantha Sims – Homeowner
    • Her best friend in had a serious bed bug infestation in 2014. It started in a bag of secondhand clothes that were given to her and quickly spread throughout her entire house.

TOP QUESTIONS

QUESTION

ANSWER
What are some places that have frequent problems with bed bugs? Dialysis clinics and homeless shelters
Do bed bug bites hurt? No, their saliva has a numbing agent. You can’t feel it when they bite you.
How do you get rid of bed bugs? It usually takes a combination of things like heat treatments, freezing, and chemicals to kill them.
How big are bed bugs? Eggs are about the size of a pinhead. Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed.
What are some ways that bed bugs get into your home that most people don’t know? Secondhand clothing and used furniture. If you see couch on the side of the road, leave it there.
Do bed bugs carry diseases? No, they do not carry any diseases.
What attracts bed bugs? Bed bugs are attracted to heat, blood, and carbon dioxide.
Do bed bugs only come out during certain times of the year? Bed bugs are active year round.

SURVEY RESULTS

OUR SOLUTION

Bed Bug 2,000 XL

solution

We developed our solution by studying products that are currently on the market, reading their reviews, and looking for ways to improve on the design. The Bed Bug 2,000 XL is made to attract and exterminate bed bugs better than any other trap currently available. This product uses an adjustable temperature source that warms to attract the bugs freezes to kill them.

As they enter the trap through one of the two side portals, the bugs land onto a gorilla glue trap and are trapped inside. Sensors built into the device will determine how full the trap is and will alert the owner through the companion app. The temperature source can then be switched to cryogenic mode to freeze the trapped bugs and kill them.

Features:

  • Adjustable temperature source
  • Capacity sensors
  • Disposable gorilla glue traps
  • Mobile app (Android & iOS)
  • Portable design

 

SOURCES

Interviews

  • Clinton Hester –Stark Exterminators
  • Shaniquwa Cooper – Jefferson County Health Department
  • Samantha Sims – Homeowner

Websites

  • Amazon
  • Healthline
  • Midwest Pesticide Action Center
  • NBC News
  • NPMA – National Pest Management Association
  • Live Science
  • Orkin
  • Pest World
  • Stark Exterminators
  • Terminix
  • Walmart

Surveys

  • 27 Responses