Are Those Bedbugs in Your Dive Gear?

One of our subscribers wrote to us, asking how to get rid of a bedbug infestation in her BC and regulator. She's worried that if she brought them back home in her luggage, they may now have infested her home.

The eggs, of which one bug can lay several thousands, can live more than a year before hatching, so professional fumigating is definitely required. Throwing your clothes into warm water in the washing machine usually kills the buggers, but obviously you can't do that with your diving equipment.

Insects in your dive gear can be killed by drying them out. Sprinkling baking soda on bedbug-infested stuff every several days may be an economical killer. (Watch this video for some pointers - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgj3LhtxsW8). So try soaking the regulator in a strong solution of baking soda, then leave it to dry out before vacuuming away the dry residue.

There are also insecticides that might help with a BC, such as Spectre 2 SC, Crossfire Bed Bug Insecticide and Temprid FX. Naturally, you shouldn't use anything so toxic on a regulator unless you are confident that you'll be washing it thoroughly afterward.