Bed bug trap

Abstract

A bed bug trap includes heat, carbon dioxide and/or semiochemicals (pheromones and/or kairomones), to attract and trap bed bugs. The trap may be combined with the appearance and/or function of another appliance, such as an air freshener. The release of semiochemicals may be combined with the release of air freshening compositions. The device preferably is powered, but not necessarily. The bed bug trap may provide one attraction mode, or two attraction modes, namely one which uses heat, carbon dioxide and/or kairomones to attact bed bugs seeking a meal, and the other which uses pheromones to attract bed bugs seeking a safe harbor, i.e. a hiding place. The two different modes may operating simultaneously in different areas, or the trap may be switchable between modes, for example via a timer, or in response to some trigger such as a light sensor. Alternatively, one mode may operate continuously, for example the mode in which bed bugs are attracted to a harboring location, while the other mode, for example the mode in which bed bugs are attracted to a feeding location, may be operated only intermittently. The bed bug trap may be combined with a wide variety of appliances, such as air fresheners, alarm clocks, clock radios, humidifiers, desk or table lamps, power bars, etc.

1 . A bed bug trap, having bed bug attracting means and bed bug trapping means within a housing, where the housing also provides the function of a complementary appliance. 
     
     
         2 . A bed bug trap as in  claim 1 , wherein said complementary appliance is an air freshener adapted to dispense an air freshening composition. 
     
     
         3 . A bed bug trap as in  claim 2  wherein said dispensing of an air freshening composition being combined with release of at least one semiochemical for attracting bed bug. 
     
     
         4 . A bed bug trap as in  claim 3 , wherein said air freshening composition and at least one semiochemical are embodied in a puck which gradually releases said air freshening composition and said at least one semiochemical. 
     
     
         6 . A bed bug trap as in claim  5 , where said semiochemical is a pheromone to attract bed bugs seeking a harboring location. 
     
     
         7 . A bed bug trap as in  claim 6 , where said semiochemical is a kairomone, said bed bug trap being further characterized by a heating element used to provide heat as a bed bug attractant, and to warm said an air freshening composition to stimulate or enhance its release. 
     
     
         8 . A bed bug trap as in  claim 7 , further comprising a removable element which includes a glue strip for capturing bed bugs, whereby bed bugs may be removed from the trap by removing the removable element. 
     
     
         9 . A bed bug trap as in  claim 1 , wherein said bed bug attracting means comprises at least two of the group consisting of: carbon dioxide, from carbon dioxide generating or dispensing means; heat, generated by a heat source; and at least one semiochemical, from semiochemical emitting means. 
     
     
         10 . A bed bug trap as in  claim 9 , wherein said bed bug attracting means has two bed bug attraction modes, namely a first mode providing a first said semiochemical for attracting bed bugs seeking a harboring location to a first area of said trap, and a second mode providing a second said semiochemical for attracting bed bugs seeking a feeding location to a second area of said trap. 
     
     
         11 . A bed bug trap as in  1 , wherein said complementary appliance is an desk lamp. 
     
     
         12 . A bed bug trap as in  1 , wherein said complementary appliance is an clock.