GB2548633A

GB2548633A - Apparatus for removing an infestation of bedbugs

Info

Publication number: GB2548633A
Application number: GB1605147.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Caffall Finch Steven
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-03-26
Filing date: 2016-03-26
Publication date: 2017-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 2036-03-26
Also published as: GB2548633B; GB201605147D0

Abstract

A full body one-piece suit 1 for destroying bedbugs comrprises at least one chemical agent (21, 22 Fig 3), this is preferably a dust comprising a mechanical desiccant such as silica gel and/or spores of an entomopathogenic fungus such as Beauveria bassiana, which is confined between an outer layer 16 and an inner, barrier layer 2 including a hood 7 and a mesh panel 24 to cover the user's face 23. The user may wear the garment when resting or sleeping, acting as bait so that bedbugs attempting to feed will enter the suit and move across the treated region via apertures 17 in the outer layer and may be trapped therein. The hood may have a slippery or other deterrent surface to exclude bedbugs from the inner compartment when the user sits with the mesh panel tucked inside the hood. A zip opening 13 is fitted and an optional further inner lining may be provided.

Description

Apparatus for removing an infestation of bedbugs

This invention reiates to the eradication of bedbugs.

Bedbugs are crawiing bioodsucking insects of the famiiy Cimicidae which commoniy infest human habitations, inciuding principaiiy Cimex iectuiarius, which feeds preferentiaiiy on human biood, but aiso other species such as Cimex hemipterus.

An egg iaid by the aduit bedbug wiii hatch after about 10 days into a first instar nymph, the first of five immature stages. Each instar must take a biood meai in order to deveiop over a period of about one week to the next instar and finaiiy into the aduit form which is capabie of reproduction. A bedbug wiii usuaiiy attempt to feed during the night about 3-10 days after its iast meai, and then wiii return to its hiding piace or harbourage before it becomes iight even if the feeding attempt has been unsuccessfui. Bedbugs tend to harbour in groups as dose as possibie to the feeding iocation, often within the bed or any other furniture on which the human host habituaiiy rests, but wiii move further away from the feeding iocation as the popuiation expands. They can travei many metres over any avaiiabie surface between the feeding iocation and the harbourage, and are known to circumvent obstacies for exampie by dropping from the ceiiing onto the sieeping host.

Bedbug infestations have become increasingiy common in many urban areas over the iast few decades, particuiariy foiiowing the withdrawai of DDT, and are difficuit to eradicate without extensive effort and disruption to the domestic environment. Moreover, some peopie regard a bedbug infestation as a sociai embarrassment and so are disinciined to seek professionai assistance. it is known to trap bedbugs during their journey to and from the host, traditionaiiy using comfey ieaves strewn on the fioor. it has recentiy been proposed to entangie the horny protuberances found on the iegs of the aduit bedbug in microfibres drawn from a fabric; however, it is unciear whether this method is effective in trapping the immature nymphs.

More generaiiy, it is known to trap insect pests on open (accessibie) adhesive surfaces or in containers piaced under the iegs of the bed.

One problem with adhesive or other trapping strategies is that bedbugs when distressed emit a pheromone which may cause other bedbugs to disperse and so avoid the trap. Moreover, particularly in a small or congested room, there is usually a route whereby bedbugs can avoid a trap by travelling to and from the feeding location via the walls, ceiling, hanging bedlinen, curtains or other surfaces.

Bedbug infestations are therefore removed conventionally by means of either chemical insecticides or heat, while infested mattresses and upholstered furniture are often destroyed.

Persistent chemical insecticides can be effective as long as furniture and household goods are moved to allow a throrough and careful application by spray to all possible harbourages. However, insecticide resistance has developed in many bedbug populations. Since insecticides are generally ineffective against the eggs, repeated treatment may be required after the eggs hatch. Chemical insecticides are often found objectionable due to a persistent odour and allergic reaction in sensitive individuals.

It is known that entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana can infect and kill bedbugs coming into contact with a paper or fabric surface on which the fungal conidia (referred to herein as spores) are present, as reported in Barbarin et al: A preliminary evaluation of the potential of Beauveria bassiana for bed bug control Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 111 (2012) 82-85.

Entomopathogenic fungal spores or conidia are commercially available for application to control agricultural pests. The spores may be dried and hermetically packaged to obtain an acceptable shelf life, but require humidity in order to infect the target insect. They may be applied by spray as a suspension in oil or water, which dries to leave the spores as a dust on the treated surface. Application in a domestic environment however is messy and disruptive and may provoke an allergic reaction in sensitive or asthmatic individuals.

It is also known to kill bedbugs by means of dusts, particularly a silica dust such as silica gel (a synthetic amorphous silica) or diatomaceous earth, which degrade the bedbug epicuticle by mechanical action causing the bedbug to die by desiccation. Silica gel acts by absorption of the waxy material of the epicuticle while diatomaceous earth acts by abrasion.

Silica gel is commercially available in the form of an electrostatically charged dry powder as CimeXa (RTM) from Rockwell labs (RTM), and in formulations with chemical insecticides such as pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide.

Michael F. Potter et al, “Silica Gel: A Better Bed Bug Desiccant” (PCT Magazine, August 26, 2014) reports the reults of a series of comparative tests on bedbugs travelling over various paper and textile surfaces treated respectively with CimeXa (RTM) silica gel, diatomaceous earth, and various chemical insecticides.

The silica gel was found substantially more effective than the diatomaceous earth or chemical insecticides tested, particularly when applied as a dry powder rather than an aqueous suspension. The study reports 100% mortality within one day of exposure to a surface treated with as little as 0.13mg/cm''2 CimeXa (RTM) as a dry powder. At this rate of application the powder was barely visible when applied to black filter paper. A higher rate of application (1.34 mg/cm2) is typical of commercial practice.

Dusts which act as mechanical desiccants are generally safe for use in a domestic environment. However, dusts (whether having a chemical, biological or mechanical action) are messy and difficult to apply. A puffer bottle can be used to blow the dust into crevices in walls and furniture where bedbugs harbour, but like sprays, the application must be thorough and painstaking to treat all possible harbourages. It is also difficult to avoid applying a dust at too high a concentration. A high concentration of diatomaceous earth is known to cause bedbugs to avoid the treated area, while too low a concentration of dust may enable bedbugs to travel through the treated area without becoming contaminated.

It is also known to destroy bedbugs by injecting steam into their harbourages. However, like chemical sprays, this is disruptive to the domestic environment. An alternative approach is to raise the temperature of the whole environment to over 50°C, which however requires very powerful heating equipment.

The object of the present invention is to provide a convenient way for the householder to eradicate an infestation of bedbugs within their own home, and preferably to do so discreetly and without professional assistance.

Accordingly the present invention provides a garment as defined in the claims.

Further features and advantages will become apparent from the illustrative embodiment which will now be described, purely by way of example and without limitation to the scope of the claims, and with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a front and side view of a garment according to an embodiment of the invention, with the face covering region closed;

Fig. 1A is a bottom view of one hand portion of the garment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows part of the garment with the face covering region open and with the layers partiallly cut away to show its internal structure; and Fig. 4 shows a stiffening structure of the hood.

Reference numerals appearing in more than one of the figures indicate the same or corresponding parts in each of them.

Referring to the figures, a garment 1 includes a barrier layer 2 which defines a compartment 3 in which a person may sleep.

In the example shown, the garment resembles a conventional one-piece garment or “onesie”, and the barrier layer includes respective arm portions 4, leg portions 5 and a trunk portion 6 for receiving respectively the person’s arms, legs and trunk, and a hood 7 which is arranged to extend over the person’s head in use. Preferably the barrier layer also includes respective hand portions 8 and foot portions 9 for receiving respectively the person’s hands and feet. In the example shown, the hand portions are configured as mittens. Closure means such as short slide fasteners 10, configured to exclude bedbugs when closed, may be provided at each hand portion so that if necessary the user can extend their hands from the garment.

The arm portions may be enlarged as shown at the point where they join the trunk portion, providing ample distance bewteen the shoulder 11 and armpit 12 regions, so that the user can withdraw their elbows and forearms from the arm portions into the trunk portion for comfort.

Preferably the barrier layer is made from a sheet material or materials which are breathable and comfortable in use but sufficiently dense, for example, having a sufficiently high fibre count or a suitable coating or dopant, to exclude bedbugs from the compartment 3 when closed. However, the barrier layer may still perform its principal function even if provides a less than perfect barrier, for example, to the very small first instar nymphs, as long as a bedbug entering through the apertures 17 must travel for a sufficient distance through the treated region 20 before finding a way into or out of the compartment 3. The sheet material may be a woven or nonwoven fabric or paper material, made from natural or synthetic fibres, optionally including fibres that can be joined by thermal or ultrasonic welding so that the seams joining the panels of sheet materials which form the barrier layer and optionally also other layers of the garment can be welded rather than sewn so as to exclude bedbugs from the compartment. The seams could also be joined using adhesive. Alternatively for example the seams may be sealed after stitching using a suitable sealant as known in the art, or a heavier concentration of dust (as further discussed below) could be provided in overlap regions of the seams to deter bedbugs from passing therethrough.

The material could be a woven material or a nonwoven tissue, paper or fabric material, for example, of the type used for disposable undergarments, surgical garments or overalls, coverings for containing the filling of duvets and pillows, or disposable wipes or teabags. A light weight material is preferable for general use, although heavier material with a brushed, fleece or pile finish could be used for colder climates. Suitable materials may include spunbond polypropylene, viscose, PET, PI_A fibres, cotton, or other natural, cellulose or polymer materials. A closure means is provided for opening the barrier layer to receive the person within the compartment and closing the barrier layer to substantially (or, where the garment covers the whole body, completely) enclose the person within the compartment. In the illustrated example the closure means comprises a single slide fastener 13 having upper and lower slides 14, each of which is slidable along the first and second slide fastener portions 13’, 13” to connect and disconnect them, so that it can be opened independently at its top and bottom ends. The slide fastener portions are preferably sufficiently closely fitting to exclude bedbugs from the compartment 3, as known for example in slide fasteners with closely spaced teeth (e.g. of the coil type) for use in mattress encasements and the like.

The principal function of the barrier layer 2 is to cause bedbugs entering through the outer layer 16, further described below, to travel for a sufficient distance between the barrier layer and the outer layer to ensure adequate contact with the agent coating the treated surfaces.

Preferably therefore the barrier layer 2 is configured as shown to form a continuous layer which completely surrounds the user when closed, and the closure means is configured to close the barrier layer to completely enclose the person within the compartment, so that the barrier layer and closure means together exclude bedbugs from the compartment. If the bedbug is prevented in this way from feeding, then it may be expected to travel for an extended period over the barrier layer during the night looking for a way to penetrate it, and then after returning to its harbourage, to repeat its journey if it remains alive the following night.

However, the barrier layer may still perform its principal function even if it provides less than complete enclosure, so that the closure means is operable to substantially enclose the user, i.e. to enclose at least a substantial part, preferably most of the user’s body within the compartment.

It is conceivable for example for the barrier layer to leave the feet uncovered. In this case the user could wear socks with the garment to protect their feet, which tend to be less attractive to the bedbug than the head, neck and hands. Similarly, separate gloves could be worn to cover the hands. Elasticated portions of the garment or the gloves or socks could be arranged to make it difficult for bedbugs to enter the compartment where they overlap at the ankles and wrists. Bands of a slippery, textured or pile material could also be arranged to exclude bedbugs from the overlap region, or bands of cooperating touch-and-close or hook-and-loop material such as Velcro (RTM) could be used to join the gloves or socks to the garment. Similarly, the garment could be made in two or more parts which are joined together or arranged in overlapping relation to make it difficult for bedbugs to enter the compartment.

Preferably the barrier layer is also configured to prevent the bedbugs from biting the user through the barrier layer. However, the barrier layer may still perform its principal function, even if a bedbug is able to find a location where it can bite through the barrier layer, as long as the bedbug has travelled sufficiently far between the outer layer and barrier layer to become contaminated by the lethal agent before finding that location.

Optionally, in order to make it more difficult for bedbugs to bite through a thin barrier layer or to provide a more comfortable inner surface for the user when the barrier layer is made from a dense but thin sheet material, the compartment could be lined with a liner 15 of cotton or other comfortable material arranged inwardly of the barrier layer.

An outer layer 16 is arranged outwardly of the barrier layer to form an outer shell of the garment, and at least one aperture 17 is provided through which bedbugs outside the garment may pass through the outer layer to enter into the region 20 between the outer layer and the barrier layer. At least one agent 21,22 for killing bedbugs is arranged in the region between the outer layer and the barrier layer. The outer layer serves to confine the agent within the garment and helps transfer the agent to the bedbug by contact with the facing surfaces of the outer and barrier layers which are treated with the agent as the bedbug travels through the treated region 20.

Advantageously, the agent 21, 22 may include a dust, wherein the dust is effectively confined within the treated region 20 to prevent it from causing a nuisance in the domestic environment.

In this specification, a dust is any material which is divided into numerous fine particles that can be distributed over a substrate. The dust may have a chemical, mechanical or biological mode of action. Preferably however, in order to be effective against chemically resistant bedbug populations and in order to avoid unpleasant odours and other adverse effects of chemical insecticides, the dust has a mechanical or biological mode of action.

The agent may be a chemical agent, such as a chenical insecticidal dust, which could be objectionable if applied by spray in an effective concentration and quantity to the environment of the bedroom but not when confined in a much smaller quantity within the garment. More preferably however the agent includes at least one, or alternatively a combination, of a dust 21 which mechanically degrades the bedbug epicuticle to cause death by desiccation, and entomopathogenic fungal spores 22. The dust 21 may comprise amorphous silica, preferably a siilca gel, such as CimeXa (RTM) from Rockwell labs (RTM), or diatomaceous earth.

Entomopathogenic fungal spores such as Beauveria bassiana may be applied to the facing surfaces of the barrier, outer, and/or an intermediate layer 18 as a dry powder, advantaeously as a mixture with a silica dust 21 which helps to preserve their potency during storage of the garment, or (less preferably) in suspension in a carrier fluid which is allowed to dry leaving the spores as a dust on the surfaces of the treated region.

The dust may include a major proportion of a mechanical desiccant, preferably silica gel, alternatively diatomaceous earth 21 (either treated or untreated with chemical insecticide) and a minor proportion of entomopathogenic fungal spores 22 such as conidia of Beauveria bassiana.

The garment may be packaged in a moisture resistant wrapper so that in storage, the silica gel acts as a desiccant to keep the atmosphere within the wrapper dry and so maintain the potency of the fungal spores.

In use, regions of the garment will become relatively humid depending on the user’s resting or sleeping position, thus activating the fungal spores in these regions. The activation of the spores takes place at the same time as the bedbug is attracted to the garment by the user’s presence. As the bedbug traverses the barrier layer looking for a way in, it encounters the activated spores distributed on the opposed surfaces of the layered materal between which it crawls. Optionally, the silica dust 21 may be applied on an outer side of an intermediate layer 18, and the dust 22 comprising fungal spores on its inner side. Alternatively the dusts 21 and 22 may be mixed together. The intermediate layer or outer layer could include moisture impermeable regions which when the garment is in use provide a humid local environment for the spores.

The dust may be applied sparsely, at a rate of application in terms of particles per unit area as determined by trial and error experimentation which is too low to deter the bedbug from travelling through the treated region, while at the same time providing a high probability that each bedbug that enters the treated region 20 will become contaminated. A silica dust for example may be applied at a rate of application of more than 1 mg/cm^ or at a lower rate of application of less than 0.5 mg/cm^ or even less than 0.15 mg/cm^ as indicated by the Michael F. Potter et al study, while the fungal spores, where present, may be applied at an even lower rate of application. The gradual contamination of the bedbug as it travels through the treated region is unlikely to elicit a distress response, while contaminated bedbugs may return to die in their harbourages so that the user is not exposed to their odour or remains. The dust may be substantially or completely confined within the garment by the outer layer except when it is carried out of the garment by a contaminated bedbug, while the sparsity and relatively small quantity of the dust contained within the apparatus ensures that so little dust escapes into the environment as to be unobjectionable or even substantially undetectable by the user.

In use, the hungry bedbug will pass through the apertures and then travel through the treatred region 20 seeking a way to penetrate the barrier layer. The bedbug thus comes into contact with a large area of the surfaces defining the treated region 20, providing a high probability of contamination by the particles or spores of the agent 21, 22 even when they are relatively sparsely distributed.

Advantageously, a bedbug contaminated by fungal spores and returning to die in its harbourage will support a fungal body which releases further spores into the harbourage, which typically will be occupied by a group of bedbugs. In this manner a persistent treatment of the infested environment is obtained, whereby a bedbug introduced into the environment even after use of the garment has been discontinued may seek out the same location and thus be destroyed.

In order to maximise surface contact and residence time of the bedbug in the treated region, the outer layer is preferably arranged to cover a major proportion of the barrier layer, which is to say, most of the surface area of the barrier layer, and the agent is distributed over an area of the garment which extends over at least a major proportion of the barrier layer. For example, the barrier layer may be configured to extend over at least about 80%, preferably 100% of the surface area of the user’s body, while the outer layer and the agent are arranged to extend over at least about 60%, prerably 75% or more of the surface area of the barrier layer. In the illustrated example, the outer layer extends over the whole of the barrier layer except for the hands, feet, and hood region and a portion of the front trunk region. Preferably the outer layer and agent extend at least over the arms and upper trunk regions of the garment, since these are most likely to be exposed when the user is sleeping.

In the example shown, multiple small apertures 17 are provided, each aperture being a slit a few millimetres or centimetres in length in the sheet material of the outer layer, and an optional intermediate layer 18 is arranged between the outer layer and the barrier layer. For example, the apertures may be about 5mm - 15mm in length. Each of the intermediate layer and the outer layer have a plurality of apertures 17 through which bedbugs may enter, the apertures of the outer layer being arranged in offset relation to the apertures of the intermediate layer, so that, particularly where the agent 21, 22 includes a dust, the agent can be enclosed between the intermediate layer and the barrier layer and so retained more effectvely within the garment. In simpler embodiments however the dust or other agent may be distributed over the inwardly facing surface of the outer layer and the outwardly facing surface of the barrier layer. The outer layer and intermediate layer may be made of different or similar sheet materials to the barrier layer and preferably are selected to retain the agent within the treated region. One or more of the facing surfaces of the layers within the treated region 20 may have a textured or slightly fluffy, brushed or pile finish to help retain the agent within the garment and to increase surface contact with bedbugs travelling through the treated region. A similar finish on the inner surface of the barrier layer or liner may provide comfort for the user and, like the finish on the outer surface of the barrier layer, increase the distance between the bedbug and the user so that it is more difficult for the bedbug to feed through the barrier layer. Optionally, the agent may be very lightly applied also to the inner surface of the barrier layer or liner defining the compartment in which the user sleeps, and particularly along the seams in which any bedbug entering the compartment is likely to hide. In this case the inner surface of the barrier layer or liner or the region between the barrier layer and the liner (if present) may be provided with a brushed or fluffy finish, for example, as a brushed flannellette to retain the dust.

The layers of the garment may be attached together at intervals, for example by adhesive or ultrasonic welding or, where the layers are formed from sheets of nonwoven material comprising entangled fibres, by local interconnections formed between the sheets during their manufacture.

Preferably the garment or at least the outer layer is loose fitting to encourage bedbugs to enter through the apertures 17, although alternatively the barrier layer or liner could be close fitting and could be made from a stretchy material, to prevent bedbugs from entering into or biting within the compartment, with only the outer layer being loose fitting.

Preferably, the garment includes a face covering region 23, the face covering region including a mesh panel 24 connected to the hood 7 and arranged to cover the person’s face in use.

The mesh panel may comprise one unitary piece of mesh or multiple pieces joined together. The mesh panel may comprise the whole of the hood but more preferably is confined to the region covering the face. In this specification, a “mesh” means any sheet material, whether woven or non-woven, which defines numerous small apertures so that the user can both see and breathe through the material. The mesh size (the spacing between adjacent fibres defining the apertures) is preferably less than 1mm, more preferably less than 0.5 mm depending on the fibre diameter to provide apertures small enough to exclude at least the adults and preferably also the immature nymphs, most preferably including even first instar nymphs which are less than 0.5mm wide. The mesh may be an organza, made for example from polyamide. Biodegradable fibres such as polylactic acid fibres may be suitable. A mesh similar to that used for high quality, so-called “silken” teabags may be suitable.

Preferably the mesh panel 24 is configurable to selectively cover and uncover the person’s face when the hood 7 is arranged over the person’s head in use. For this purpose, the closure means may include a slide fastener which is operable to selectively open and close the face covering region 23.

This may be achieved as shown in the illustrated example where a single slide fastener 13 extends around one side of the hood and around the upper edge of the hood to terminate at its upper end 25 on the opposite side of the hood, below which point the mesh panel is permanently attached to the hood to form a hinge region. When the side fastener is opened at its upper end, the mesh panel can be folded along the hinge region and tucked inside the hood, optionally into a storage compartment formed between the sheet material 26 which forms part of the barrier layer and defines the outer surface 27 of the hood and an inner fabric layer 28 which forms a lining inside the hood. A fastening means (not shown) may be provided to secure the mesh in the storage compartment when the user’s face is uncovered as shown in Fig. 3. The mesh can be arranged again to cover the user’s face by fully closing the slide fastener as shown in Fig. 1.

In alternative embodiments a separate slide fastener could be arranged to open and close the face covering region 23.

Advantageously, the hood may include a forwardly projecting portion 29 which supports the mesh panel 24 in front of the person’s face in use. For this purpose, the forwardly projecting portion 29 may include a stiffening structure, optionally formed as a lamination comprising at least two layers joined by at least one adhesive interface 30. In the illustrated embodiment as shown in Fig. 4, the layers are respective portions of the mesh which forms the mesh panel 24 and of the sheet material 26 of the hood.

In use, the garment is preferably worn at least while the user sleeps in bed and optionally also while the user habitually rests in any location where bedbugs may feed. While sleeping the face covering region 23 is preferably closed (Fig. 1) so that the user is completely enclosed within the compartment 3. However, when resting in a sitting position, such as on a couch, the user may not wish to cover their face.

In order to prevent bedbugs from entering the compartment 3 while the garment is being used with the face covering region 23 open (Fig. 3), a first surface region 31 of the outer surface of the garment which includes the outer surface 27 of the hood may be configured so that when the garment is in use in a sitting position it is relatively more difficult for bedbugs to travel over the first surface region 31 than over a second surface region 32 of the outer surface of the garment.

For example, the first surface region 31 may be relatively more slippery than the second surface region 32. Bedbugs crawling over the outer surface of the garment are deterred from climbing up the hood by its slippery surface, so that they remain on the second surface region 32 which preferably includes the apertures 17 through which the bedbugs enter the treated region 20.

Advantageously, the first surface region 31 may extend as shown around the neck and shoulders of the garment and part way down the front of the trunk portion 6 to form a band on each side of the slide fastener 13. In this configuration, all surfaces of the garment which give access to the compartment 3 when the slide fastener is partially open at its upper end (Fig. 3) are arranged at an angle from about 60° to 90° from horizontal, which given a low coefficient of friction is too steep for bedbugs to climb when the hood is arranged over the user’s head in a normal sitting position.

The first surface region may be made for example from an inherently slippery sheet material, or from a material coated or impregnated with a suitable polymer, wax, nitrocellulose or other slippery material as known in the art, and/or friction calendered to produce a slippery, cire finish. A spunbonded olefin sheet material such as Tyvek(RTM) with a suitable surface finish may be used.

In order to prevent bedbugs from climbing up the slide fastener 13, it may be coated with a low friction coating or may be of the type having teeth concealed by a slippery, e.g. elastomeric membrane so that the two halves of the fastener meet at a barely perceptible line when closed. Water resistant slide fasteners having a PVC or polyurethane surface membrane concealing the teeth are commercially available for use in garments and other applications. Alternatively the slide fastener 13 may be a rail tape, which is to say, a slide fastener comprising two interlocking sections of constant cross section instead of a plurality of interlocking teeth, either made from a low friction polymer or coated with a low friction coating. Rail tapes may be made for example from polyethylene or polypropylene or perhaps plasticised PLA and are commonly used in food packaging but are also found (made for example from PVC) as water resistant slide fasteners on garments. The barrier layer may include polymeric fibres to allow it to be thermally or ultrasonically welded to the fastener.

In order to avoid leaving any small gap at the end of the slide fastener when the slide is fully closed, a small body of soft or elastic material or velvet or other short pile fabric may be arranged to lie closely against the slide or against the two sides of the fastener which are united behind the slide so as to completely seal the barrier layer. Alternatively the ends of the Slide fastener could be embedded in a block shaped to lie against the end of the slide when closed, with a protuberance or recess arranged on the block or on one or both sides of the fastener to engage a corresponding recess or protuberance of the slide, providing a resilient detent or retaining mechanism to hold the slide in the fully closed position in which it lies against a sealing surface of the block to completely seal the barrier layer. Pressure is applied to the slide by the user to overcome the resilient retaining force to urge the slide in and out of the fully closed position. Other suitable sealable slide fastening techniques are known in the art of wetsuit and drysuit manufacture as well as mattress encasements.

In summary, a preferred one-piece garment for destroying bedbugs comrprises an agent, preferably a dust comprising a mechanical desiccant such as silica gel and/or spores of an entomopathogenic fungus such as Beauveria bassiana, which is confined between an outer layer and an inner, barrier layer including a hood and a mesh panel to cover the user’s face. The user may wear the garment when resting or sleeping so that bedbugs attempting to feed will enter the treated region via apertures in the outer layer. The hood may have a slippery or other deterrent surface to exclude bedbugs from the inner compartment when the user sits with the mesh panel tucked inside the hood.

The garment may be used to eradicate an infestation in which bedbugs feed from the user not only in bed but also when resting on infested furniture away from the bed. Advantageously, and in contrast to some entrapment strategies, the agent is effective against immature nymphs as well as adult stages. This makes possible a convenient use regime wherein the garment is worn for a first period of one to two weeks, during which time all of the bedbugs comprising an infestation may be expected to visit the garment in order to feed, and then after an interval of about two weeks, during which use may be discontinued, the same or a new garment is worn for a further period of one to two weeks. The two week interval allows time for eggs laid by an adult bedbug at the end of the first period to hatch, and for the first instar nymphs to visit the garment to feed, but is not long enough (even if they are able to feed) for them to reach the adult stage. In this way an infestation may be eradicated very simply by wearing the garment for two, one- to two-week periods. If further bedbugs are detected then use may be resumed until the infestation is cleared.

In alternative embodiments, the outer layer may comprise several panels of sheet material arranged in abutting or partially overlapping relation to define larger apertures at the free edges of the panels through which bedbugs can enter into the region between the panels and the barrier layer, optionally also between the overlapping panels, within which region the dust or other agent is applied to the facing surfaces of the panels and/or the barrier layer. Each panel may be attached at spaced connection regions to the barrier layer and/or to other ones of the panels by adhesive, ultrasonic welding, stitching or the like. The apertures may extend between the connection regions. The optimal size and shape of the apertures as well as the optimal looseness of the outer layer can be determined by trial and error experimentation based on the behaviour of hungry bedbugs visiting the garment in use to encourage them to enter the treated region.

In alternative embodiments, the closure means could comprise cooperating portions of touch-and-close (e.g. hook-and-loop) material such as Velcro(RTM), or any other means suitable for excluding bedbugs when closed.

In alternative embodiments, the garment could be made in two or more parts which are worn together. As a non-limiting example, the hand portions, foot portions, or lower trunk and leg portions could be detachable from the upper trunk and arm portions. The barrier layer may include cooperating slide fastener portions, hook-and-loop portions or other means for joining the parts together to exclude bedbugs from the compartment.

Optionally, the mesh panel may include stiffening elements or regions to hold the mesh away from the user’s face. For example, enlarged fibres may be incorporated into the mesh, or local regions of the mesh may be folded and ultrasonically or thermally welded to form a stiffening structure, or a settable composition such as a polymer resin may be applied in spaced or intersecting stripes or bands across the mesh.

In alternative embodiments, instead of making the first surface region 31 slippery, it could be made for example from a pile fabric over which bedbugs are unable to walk, or from one or more regions of a material which forms an electrostatic charge which impedes or deters bedbugs from moving over it, or from a material treated with a chemical repellent. Alternatively the first surface region could have a brushed or pile finish or other surface texture to retain a quantity of the agent such as amorphous siilca which is additionally dispersed exteriorly of the garment over the first surface region.

In yet further embodiments, a microfibre fabric configured to trap the legs of the adult bedbug inserted through the fabric by entwining them with the loose fibres drawn from the fabric as known in the art may be arranged to form the barrier or other layers of the garment or to form the outer surface of the hood and/or to surround the user’s face so as to prevent bedbugs from entering the inner compartment even if no mesh panel is provided.

Preferably however, in order to avoid provoking a distress response and in order to avoid the structural complexity associated with insect traps incorporating open adhesive surfaces and separation structures for maintaining separation between the open adhesive sufaces and other adhesive or non-adhesive surfaces of the structure, the garment is configured to kill bedbugs substantially or entirely without trapping them, and preferably is substantially devoid of open adhesive surfaces for trapping bedbugs, so that bedbugs contaminated with the lethal agent are able to leave the garment before they die. This is further advantageous where the agent includes fungal spores because the bedbug is able to introduce the fungal infection into its harbourage.

The garment may be made entirely or principally of disposable materials, and if desired, may be provided as a package of several garments, so that a used garment can be disposed of and replaced by a fresh one. Optionally, two or more garments with different agents may be provided for consecutive use. For example, a first garment with silica dust may be provided for the first period of use, and a second garment with a combination of silica dust and entomopathogenic fungal spores may be provided for the second period of use, so that the fungal spores are transferred out of the garment only in extremely small quantities by the first or second instar nymphs that have hatched out during the interval since the first period of use.

It will be understood of course that a garment is configured to allow the user to walk about when wearing the garment, and is thus distinguished over, for example, a sleeping bag which does not allow the user to walk around in use. Thus, where the garment encloses the user’s legs and feet, the legs or at least the feet are preferably contained in two respective leg or foot portions of the garment which can be moved relative to one another to accommodate the walking movement of the user, as distinct from the common arrangement of a sleeping bag in which all the parts of the user’s body including the legs and feet are contained in the same space.

Further adaptations are possible within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A garment including: a barrier layer defining a compartment in which a person may sleep, the barrier layer including a hood arranged to extend over the person’s head in use; closure means for opening the barrier layer to receive the person within the compartment and closing the barrier layer to substantially enclose the person within the compartment; an outer layer arranged outwardly of the barrier layer; at least one aperture through which bedbugs may enter between the outer layer and the barrier layer; and at least one agent for killing bedbugs arranged between the outer layer and the barrier layer.

2. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the agent is distributed over an area of the garment which extends over at least a major proportion of the barrier layer.

3. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer includes respective arm, leg and trunk portions for receiving respectively the person’s arms, legs and trunk and respective hand and foot portions for receiving respectively the person’s hands and feet to completely enclose the person within the compartment.

4. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the garment includes a face covering region, the face covering region including a mesh panel connected to the hood and arranged to cover the person’s face in use.

5. A garment according to claim 4, wherein the mesh panel is configurable to selectively cover and uncover the person’s face when the hood is arranged over the person’s head in use.

6. A garment according to claim 5, wherein the closure means includes a slide fastener operable to selectively open and close the face covering region.

7. A garment according to claim 4, wherein the hood includes a forwardly projecting portion which supports the mesh panel in front of the person’s face in use.

8. A garment according to claim 7, wherein the forwardly projecting portion includes a stiffening structure.

9. A garment according to claim 8, wherein the stiffening structure is a lamination comprising at least two layers joined by at least one adhesive interface.

10. A garment according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the garment includes a first surface region and a second surface region, the first surface region including an outer surface of the hood, and the first and second surface regions are configured so that when the garment is in use in a sitting position it is relatively more difficult for bedbugs to travel over the first surface region than over the second surface region.

11. A garment according to claim 10, wherein the first surface region is relatively more slippery than the second surface region.

12. A garment according to any of claims 1 - 11, wherein the agent includes a dust.

13. A garment according to any of claims 1-11, wherein the agent includes a silica gel.

14. A garment according to any of claims 1 - 11, wherein the agent includes at least one of a dust which mechanically degrades the bedbug epicuticle to cause death by desiccation, and entomopathogenic fungal spores.

15. A garment according to any of claims 1 - 11, wherein the agent includes a dust which mechanically degrades the bedbug epicuticle to cause death by desiccation, and entomopathogenic fungal spores.

16. A garment substantially as described or illustrated.