Bed bugs in the Shark Tank? That’s what the ABC press release for the Shark Tank says: “two women from Freehold, NJ believe they have a solution to the nationwide epidemic of bedbugs.” Bed bugs are disgusting and there have been hundreds of thousands of stories about infested hotels, schools, even public libraries all over the USA. Bed bugs are truly becoming a national epidemic.
According to Wikipedia:
Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed on blood. The term is used loosely to refer to any species of the genus Cimex, and even more loosely to refer to any member of the family Cimicidae (cimicids). The common bedbug, Cimex lectularius, is the most infamous species of the family and prefers to feed on human blood. The name of the “bed bug” is derived from the insect’s preferred habitat of houses and especially beds or other areas where people sleep. Bed bugs are mainly active at night, but are not exclusively nocturnal and are capable of feeding on their hosts without being noticed.
ICK!
I have never encountered bed bugs and I hope I never do, but if I did, I would want to get rid of the little bloodsuckers as fast as I could! This is probably why a bed bug entrepreneur made it to the Shark Tank. Eliminating the pests has become a billion dollar industry. Google “bed bug” and you’ll get over 3 million results, most of them for home bed bug cures and remedies or professional exterminators. There is a TON of information on removing bed bugs, some of it conflicting. Professional exterminators say home remedies don’t work, sellers of home remedies say exterminators are over priced and selling with scare tactics. To be fair, there are a lot of home remedies for bed bugs that work, and a lot of “snake oil” out there. After researching bed bugs and realizing how prevalent the problem is, I’ll be taking a spray bottle of bed bug spray the next time I travel. If I ever detect bed bugs in my own home, I would go all out to get rid of them, they are disgusting.
Buggy Beds
Enter the two women from New Jersey with their early detection system called BuggyBeds. This is one business that will have the sharks squirming for sure. Heck, I am getting itchy just typing this! What BuggyBeds does is provide an early detection system for bed bugs so you can eliminate the problem before it becomes a full-blown infestation. BuggyBeds are essentially a glue trap that attracts and traps bed bugs so you can see if they are present. They are easy to pack for travel, so you can detect bed bugs in a hotel room before you go to sleep in a potentially infested bed. They say they have a solution to the bed bug problem, but BuggyBeds doesn’t stop an infestation, it merely provides an inexpensive way to detect the presence of bed bugs.
According to the BuggyBeds website:
“BuggyBeds’ specialized non-toxic, pesticide free formula and design is intended to lure bedbugs & other insects into the trap for detection! For continuous detection, use the monitors to detect bugs before & after professional extermination to insure the effectiveness of the treatment while providing peace of mind.”
I am prepared for some snarky comments when this business is presented, most likely from Mr. Wonderful. The fact that BuggyBeds is already in some stores and that the market is HUGE makes me think the sharks may be interested. The problem I see with the product is there are many glue traps on the market, though BuggyBeds is branded specifically for bed bug detection. The business is announcing their appearance on their Facebook page, but not on their website, which makes me think no deal gets done. This is one of those Shark Tank deals that could go either way; it will come down to sales, valuation, and what percentage they’re willing to give to the Sharks. My guess is the sharks are interested, but their percentage is too high and there is no deal.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
Looks like the sharks got eaten this time. The reviews of this product do not look good and there are plenty of sites that show how to make your own trap.
Bet the deal never gets done. They will sell a crapload of those things though.
This product isnt an “early detection” system. If bed bugs are being caught on a sticky trap its WAY too late to avoid them. If you use this product at a hotel and need to change rooms because your piece of tape caught a bed bug then its already to late. You probably already have them on your cloths and will take them to the next room you request.
All you have to do to detect bed bugs is lift up the cover sheet on a bed and check the corners on the mattress.
All this product will do is show you when your about to take bed bugs with you to a new location. Awesome.
It’s an icky business. Good points!
May be it uses dry blood to attrack the bugs and trap them using a petroleum jelly. We used kerosene to kill them while I was growing up in India.
They could have gotten the deal for less than 25%. By season 4 most applicants know how to play the game. The pitch in front the sharks does not mean much. It’s all in the post negotiation and in the past only 25% of all deals went actually through.
The product might work or not, or might make sense or not. It’s cheap enough to buy just one for fun.
I spoke with Maria. Read the interview next week- it may answer some questions for you.