The Study

In this Study by Shawn G. Gibbs, PhD; John J. Lowe, MS; Philip W. Smith, MD; Angela L. Hewlett, MD, Chlorine Dioxide was used at three different concentrations to test the effectiveness of ClO2 on bedbugs.  According to WebMD, Bedbugs are small, oval, brownish insects that live on the blood of animals or humans. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, however, their bodies swell and are a reddish color; they do not fly, but they can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings. Female bedbugs may lay hundreds of eggs, each of which is about the size of a speck of dust, over a lifetime.

Immature bedbugs, called nymphs, shed their skins five times before reaching maturity and require a meal of blood before each shedding. Under favorable conditions the bugs can develop fully in as little as a month and produce three or more generations per year.

Although they are a nuisance, they are not thought to transmit diseases.

This Study, though conducted in a laboratory, sought to evaluated the efficacy of gaseous chlorine dioxide ClO2 for extermination of bedbugs (Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus) in such a manner so that the effectiveness could be trusted anywhere: lodging facilities, hospital rooms, and all types of dormitories.

The concentrations of ClO2 used were: 

• 362 ppm
• 724 ppm
• 1086 ppm

The Results

What was discovered is remarkable. Concentrations of 1,086 and 724 ppm of ClO2 yielded 100% bedbug mortality assessed immediately after exposure. That's right, immediately.

At just 362 ppm, an exposure of 6 hours returned complete annihilation of the bugs, young and eggs.

The Practical Application

Please note, that this was a study of gaseous, not aqueous ClO2. And in order to duplicate this level of efficacy, you will require:

• A [closed] Gas Generation Chamber (recommended is lidded 1-gal pail with aerator in, and gas out ports).
• A 110v Bubbler Pump
• Tubing to run from the gas generation chamber to the the mattress gassing chamber (a zippable mattress storage bag)
• Duct tape to seal the zipper shut and seal the gas-out tubing.
• (2) 100g Envirotab Tablet
• 1.5 Quarts of water.

(2) 100g tablet, in 1.5 quart of water, will generate a gaseous solution of approximately 1600 ppm.  This concentration, in an enclosed chamber containing the mattress, for 2-4 hours, should be more than sufficient to dispatch any bedbugs.  Once gassed, let the mattress air out and vacuum well.