Comments on: Be careful out there, bedbug warriors http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 22 May 2013 14:55:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: S H http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1599148 S H Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1599148 Yeah, I got a little chemical burn that went eczema on me (so it lasted a month instead of healing in a few day). So watch out... maybe even be more careful than the directions suggest (I followed them; still got hit).  Yeah, I got a little chemical burn that went eczema on me (so it lasted a month instead of healing in a few day). So watch out… maybe even be more careful than the directions suggest (I followed them; still got hit). 

]]> By: Work_Watch_Buy_Repeat http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597761 Work_Watch_Buy_Repeat Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597761 DANGER: Diatomaceous earth will give you silicosis if you breathe it in.  Not now, not next year, but in a decade or two.  Silicosis is a nasty, nasty chronic respiratory illness similar to black lung.  You do not want to get it. This is exactly the point of the article: the "cures" for bedbugs are sometimes much worse than the problem.  Bedbugs are terrible in a lot of ways, but they won't kill you or even make you sick.  BTW: Diatomaceous earth works as advertised on bedbugs.  Kills 'em dead.  But man, even the "organic, food-grade" stuff contains crystalline sillica that is very hazardous when inhaled ("food grade" does NOT mean "safe to inhale").  Find another way to kill the bugs. DANGER: Diatomaceous earth will give you silicosis if you breathe it in.  Not now, not next year, but in a decade or two.  Silicosis is a nasty, nasty chronic respiratory illness similar to black lung.  You do not want to get it.

This is exactly the point of the article: the “cures” for bedbugs are sometimes much worse than the problem.  Bedbugs are terrible in a lot of ways, but they won’t kill you or even make you sick. 

BTW: Diatomaceous earth works as advertised on bedbugs.  Kills ‘em dead.  But man, even the “organic, food-grade” stuff contains crystalline sillica that is very hazardous when inhaled (“food grade” does NOT mean “safe to inhale”).  Find another way to kill the bugs.

]]> By: Louise Ramsay Hodges http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597621 Louise Ramsay Hodges Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597621 Greenbug for People works to kill bed bugs and their eggs in one easy treatment.  It is completely natural and safe.  University tested, proven 100% effective.  No heat, no mess, no throwing out furniture.  Get the word out. Greenbug for People works to kill bed bugs and their eggs in one easy treatment.  It is completely natural and safe.  University tested, proven 100% effective.  No heat, no mess, no throwing out furniture.  Get the word out.

]]> By: rbean http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597239 rbean Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597239 Maggie, have you looked into the cedar-oil based insecticides? There are a bunch of them out there. The people selling the stuff seem to have a weak grasp on the science, but I can see how it might work-- cedar has been used as an insect repellant for centuries. Maggie, have you looked into the cedar-oil based insecticides? There are a bunch of them out there. The people selling the stuff seem to have a weak grasp on the science, but I can see how it might work– cedar has been used as an insect repellant for centuries.

]]> By: efergus3 http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597172 efergus3 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597172 "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”

]]> By: cheem http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597169 cheem Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597169 The problem with bedbug infestations is the eggs.  They are tough little buggers. You can get rid of the adults by baking them (get all the furniture that is infested with them into a room and raise the temperature of that room to 50 degrees Celsius for 4 hours or so), or by dusting with Pyrethrum but the eggs need to be starved out or suffocated over about a year. The problem with bedbug infestations is the eggs.  They are tough little buggers. You can get rid of the adults by baking them (get all the furniture that is infested with them into a room and raise the temperature of that room to 50 degrees Celsius for 4 hours or so), or by dusting with Pyrethrum but the eggs need to be starved out or suffocated over about a year.

]]> By: James Agenbroad http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597163 James Agenbroad Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597163 Step 1: don't bring them home.  Use soft luggage.  Treat that, and your clothes with permethrin before you leave.  Put everything (including the luggage)in the dryer as soon as you get home.  Step 1: don’t bring them home.  Use soft luggage.  Treat that, and your clothes with permethrin before you leave.  Put everything (including the luggage)in the dryer as soon as you get home. 

]]> By: John Gold http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597159 John Gold Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597159 The most effective is heat, there are portable heaters that warm up the room/house gently to bed bug cooking temperature and keeps it there for a while. (leave with pets in the mean while) The most effective is heat, there are portable heaters that warm up the room/house gently to bed bug cooking temperature and keeps it there for a while. (leave with pets in the mean while)

]]> By: Sirkowski http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597141 Sirkowski Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597141 Sounds cruel and painful. I like it. Sounds cruel and painful. I like it.

]]> By: Sirkowski http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597140 Sirkowski Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597140 Kill it with fire. Kill it with fire.

]]> By: Christina Wantz Fixemer http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597123 Christina Wantz Fixemer Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:02:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597123 Yes, diatomaceous earth, and there are two pesticides the exterminator used. We moved into a place that had them, and the rental office "didn't know what to do." They used a chemical to kill the adults and another to sterilize the young/eggs. Had one followup for just in case. They quickly infested my daughter's wood bed frame, and that had to go because they wouldn't not be extracted. I'm still traumatized. It's horrible. Yes, diatomaceous earth, and there are two pesticides the exterminator used. We moved into a place that had them, and the rental office “didn’t know what to do.” They used a chemical to kill the adults and another to sterilize the young/eggs. Had one followup for just in case.

They quickly infested my daughter’s wood bed frame, and that had to go because they wouldn’t not be extracted.

I’m still traumatized. It’s horrible.

]]> By: shutz http://boingboing.net/2012/12/03/be-careful-out-there-bedbug-w.html#comment-1597120 shutz Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=197879#comment-1597120 I got rid of my (probably minor) bedbug problem with the following two steps: 1- I spread/sprayed some diatomaceous earth around my bed, and on my mattress. 2- I bought a mattress cover (the kind that's labeled as being good against acari is good enough) that completely covers and contains the mattress.  Did the same with my pillows, though I don't think they had any bed bugs because I never got bitten in the face or neck. It's important to leave the mattress cover on for at least 18 months. In my case, the bugs were only in the bed, so they are certain to be dead, by now.  If the bugs are also in other furniture, then more extreme measures might be necessary.  But the bugs tend to live close to their sources of food (human and animal blood) so if you prevent them from reaching you (using diatomaceous earth as a deadly obstacle) then they will eventually leave or die off. Diatomaceous earth is also good against ants.  At their scale, it's like walking on broken glass, and when ants' and bed bugs' shells get cut open by that "broken glass", their flesh just dries out and they die horribly over a couple of days. I got rid of my (probably minor) bedbug problem with the following two steps:

1- I spread/sprayed some diatomaceous earth around my bed, and on my mattress.

2- I bought a mattress cover (the kind that’s labeled as being good against acari is good enough) that completely covers and contains the mattress.  Did the same with my pillows, though I don’t think they had any bed bugs because I never got bitten in the face or neck.

It’s important to leave the mattress cover on for at least 18 months.

In my case, the bugs were only in the bed, so they are certain to be dead, by now.  If the bugs are also in other furniture, then more extreme measures might be necessary.  But the bugs tend to live close to their sources of food (human and animal blood) so if you prevent them from reaching you (using diatomaceous earth as a deadly obstacle) then they will eventually leave or die off.

Diatomaceous earth is also good against ants.  At their scale, it’s like walking on broken glass, and when ants’ and bed bugs’ shells get cut open by that “broken glass”, their flesh just dries out and they die horribly over a couple of days.

]]>