Sorry you’re dealing with this!

We do not know how CedarCide works. We have not seen any independent research studies on this yet.

You can read some discussions of it on our forums here:

http://bedbugger.com/forum/tags/cedarcide

Does anyone have any new insight on whether or not cedarcide works? We just ordered some, along with a steam cleaner.

I’ve already put four or so sealed black garbage bags of clothing and books outside in the sun. Unfortunately it’s not as hot here in Sacramento as it was a few weeks ago, but I’m hoping the bags will get hot enough to do some damage until I can wash everything.

You can kill bed bugs, but it can be expensive, slow, or both. Come to the forums if you want suggestions from people who have succeeded.

We do not advocate boric acid, because Dr. Louis Sorkin of the American Museum of Natural History (and an entomologist who specializes in bed bugs) tells us it is not a very effective method with bed bugs. Here’s one of his posts on the Bedbugger yahoo group about this topic.

My understanding is that boric acid kills roaches easily because they ingest it. But bed bugs will not lick their feet and ingest boric acid.

DE (diatomaceous earth) can work on bed bugs, as we have noted on another FAQ.

If you must do it yourself and want something inexpensive, why not choose the powder most likely to do the job?

Note: thanks for your comments, but please do not repost identical comments on multiple comment threads here. I have deleted the duplicate of this message.

You should still get a couple bottles, and use it along wall lines, under cabinets, in any holes you find in the walls, and on low nap carpets. You can blow it into wood framed furniture, and most light fixtures too.
Just go back over, and broom it into all crevices, and then vacuum up any loose powder before your pets snuffle it up.
It’s a natural dessicant, and will kill roaches and silverfish too.

It works on ALL insects, thats what they use to treat for termites, it they aren’t tenting.
DE actually scratches them, while this dessicates, and suffocates them.
Seems like crickets, and some of the centipedes are too high off the floor for this to work, but does work on scorpions over time.

An encasement which completely covers the mattress and box springs (if any) can prevent bed bugs living on the mattress from biting you, if it is designed carefully.

However, bed bugs can also live in the room itself or in the bed frame. Unless they were only living on the mattress, your encasement is unlikely to solve the problem.

White bed sheets and clothing will do nothing to prevent bed bugs from biting. They are recommended by some because they may help you see bugs or blood stains from bites.

hang in there! It sounds like your most important need is to find a more reliable PCO and convince your landlord to use that service. By the time you add up the cost of 7 ineffective visits that still did not solve the problem, most landlords would probably admit that a change in strategy is needed. If you look through these forums, you can see that there are huge qualitative differences between Mr. Spray By the Hour from BigBugCo and an experienced bed bug hunter who knows the habits and biology of the target. Time and skill are needed to spot bed bug hidey holes and then apply multiple pesticides to the areas appropriately.

If most of your bites are occuring at night in beds, you may want to try isolating the beds by using high quality mattress encasements and interceptors. Diatomaceous earth is also an arguably effective home remedy, though reports on its capabilities vary, and you have to be sure to use the less toxic “food grade” DE (you can find this cheaply on Amazon) and be both careful and restrained in applying it. Isolating beds is controversial as it makes it hard to assess whether treatment is working, but the physical and psychological benefit of fewer bites may be worth it.

Important though – before encasing, setting up interceptors, and using DE, find a better PCO (or convince the landlord to find one maybe after doing some research yourself!) as the PCO can both educate you on the pros and cons of using these techniques and may also help you in deploying the resources that will work best for you.

Finally, consult with a local lawyer or legal advice service – depending on the laws in your jurisdiction, there may be some effective legal way to compel the landlord to better address your problem, assuming he will not voluntarily consent to using a new and better PCO.

You may also want to post in another topic, as you are a bit “off-point” here. You have found an amazing resource in this site though, and if you look through the FAQs, you may well find all the answers that you will need. Most of all, remember you will need patience and bravery and will need to be a source of comfort and strength to your kids throughout! God bless, and good luck in your struggle!