http://bedbugger.com/forum/ Bed bug support forums en Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:53:33 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/need-a-very-cheap-solution-please#post-52472 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:39:46 +0000 buggyinsocal 52472@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>The DE that you need to use is not the kind used in pool filters. The kind used in pool filters is a major inhalation hazard. You're looking for the food grade anamorphous kind. The pool kind is the crystalline kind that causes silicosis. (the amorphous food grade kind still should only be applied while wearing respitators as protection as most food grade DE contains a percentage of crystalline.)</p> <p>Look. I should probably have started with this. I completely sympathize. There have been many, many times when I've been in a position when my credit has sucked enough that moving would be nearly impossible, and I had to stay on my LL good side, and telling them about bed bugs (Even if I knew it wasn't because I was dirty) would have been impossible.</p> <p>But please, for your own safety, do a lot of reading before you start treating. Some chemical pesticides, particularly the pyrethrins, have a repellent effect on bed bugs. That sounds good, right? You want to drive them away, right? </p> <p>Well, you don't. Driving them away means pushing them deeper into the walls or floors or what have you, and then they're harder to get rid of.</p> <p>To keep the bed, if you want to encase it, I would start with the cheapo $20 each vinyl covers and some duct tape. The more expensive covers are better because they're more comfortable and less prone to tear, but if you really can't afford them, use the cheap ones. Cover the zippers with duct tape and use it to patch any tears that happen.</p> <p>But go read the FAQ on whether you're going to encase or not. I'm not a big fan of encasement because then you've got live bugs trapped in the mattress and box spring, and they can live like that for 18 months. Eighteen months is a long time to be hypervigilant about any kind of tiny tear in an encasement.</p> <p>The steamer you have can work well in some contexts, but you can't count on it to get the bed bugs out of the mattress and box spring if the bugs are deep inside. To kill the bugs will heat you have to get the bugs up to 113 degrees F. And probably the steamer you have, esp. at its size, can't zap enough of the bugs at once fast enough to keep them from moving around inside that nice insulated mattress.</p> <p>And if it's not a dry steamer, it can leave enough moisture behind to create a mold problem, which you also don't want.</p> <p>See if you can find the thread from the person who did successfully self treat using a combination of methods and all the necessary safety gear. That will give you a good idea about what you're in for.</p> <p>If you're willing to buy the proper respirator, educate yourself about which chemicals to apply where (and remember, there is only one pesticide licensed for use on mattresses, and I think it's only available to PCOs, so you're not going to be able to put anything on the mattress and box spring--because you can't use DE there, and you can't safely sleep on something covered in pesticide that isn't labeled for that use.) make sure to get the right quality of stuff and apply it correctly (DE should only be placed as a very light dusting in places where it will not be disturbed like behind electrical outlets or under baseboards), and put in a lot of hard work (laundering everything and keeping it bagged, vaccuming regularly and either disposing of the bags inside of other sealed bags or emptying the contents of the bagless canister into sealed bags that are immediately placed in sealed bags and disposed of), you might be able to beat this.</p> <p>But honestly, if I were you, I would see if there were any agencies or non-profits that could help out financially to help you hire a professional. If there aren't, then get ready to spend at least two or three days reading and getting up to speed to make sure you do it right and safely. Very few people who self treat take the time to do that, and that means that they often either put themsevles or others in danger and/or make the problem worse, and only have to hire a professional later on to deal with a problem that is then much harder to get rid of.</p> <p>Again, I don't say that because I don't sympathize. As of Tuesday, I had $13.28 in my bank account and was afraid my state might pay me with an IOU. I understand when you really don't have the money how backed into a corner you feel.</p> <p>And I understand that sometimes if you're esp. panicky about money, you feel very vulnerable having to tell your landlord about something like this. And I get that some landlords just aren't rational, and there are other issues, and you can't ask them for help.</p> <p>Since you live in a single family home, you're not yet in a position that what you do might cause an infestation for neighbors. </p> <p>But if you go the self-treatment route, make sure you've got a thorough education in everything you need to know about how to do it as safely and effectively as possible.</p> <p>Bed bugs are very stealthy insects. They can flee a repellent and go dormant for months on end. Most of us who've done battle and come out the other side didn't consider ourselves clear of the bugs until we had no sign of bugs for months. I'm a full year away from treatment, and I'm just beginning to get back to normal in ways like putting a basket of clean clothes on the bed. The general rule of thumb is that you have to have had absolutely no evidence of bugs for at least 55 to 60 days to be considered clear, and if you're looking for advice on self-treating, I would weigh more heavily posts from people who declared success after that length of time.</p> <p>Like this one:</p> <p><a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/pcos-not-necessary" rel="nofollow">http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/pcos-not-necessary</a> </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/need-a-very-cheap-solution-please#post-52470 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:33:51 +0000 EffeCi 52470@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>DE is used for pool filters, but it's a different kind of DE (saltwater)<br /> The DE used to deal with BBS is "food grade" (freshwater) </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/need-a-very-cheap-solution-please#post-52468 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:27:32 +0000 surrounded 52468@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>look up the thread "four months bite free - steps taken". This is your best bet for a very low cost treatment. I used this mixture of DE, dish soap, and ethyl alchohol, and it worked for me. It cost about $11, all together. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/need-a-very-cheap-solution-please#post-52462 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:58:55 +0000 rjames 52462@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Thanks for the advice. IIRC, DE is also used in pool filters? If thats the case, I am familiar with it, and will look into that. So far, success with the steamer and a MUCH cleaner house is what we have to show. BTW, this is a house, which leads me to my next question. Our washer and dryer is in the basement. Usually, as laundry builds up, it ends up in the basement. It's probably best to do the laundry ASAP (using hot water + hot dryer), right? I imagine even a small pile can hold these things. Also, its a concrete floor with carpet remnants on it down there. I haven't noticed any bugs down there, but would it be good practice to get rid of the carpet? </p> <p>On a unrelated note, we had a guest give my children head lice about 4 years ago.. it took 2 years and finally a doctors prescription for some potent stuff - as well as my son and I cutting off all our hair - to git rid of them. I'm just hoping this isn't a repeat of that. So far, it doesn't look good. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/need-a-very-cheap-solution-please#post-52461 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:21:11 +0000 lil_bit_obsessed 52461@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>you haven't mentioned if you are in a house or a building? this may impact the advice that people will give you...</p> <p>one thought i had after reading your post was re: laundry. do you have a washer and dryer in your residence or do you use coin laundry? laundering and drying clothing etc can make a big difference to fighting bedbugs. check out the FAQs for information on how long items have to be heated in the dryer in order to kill both the bugs and eggs: <a href="http://bedbugger.com/faqs/" rel="nofollow">http://bedbugger.com/faqs/</a> one thing worth keeping in mind is that bbs don't reside only in beds and couches, they can also hang out near those spaces. dressers and closets full of clothing are a prime spot for them to hang out. you may want to treat those items of clothing in the dryer and then while the dressers are empty take out the drawers, turn them upside down and treat them with the steamer or some murphy's oil soap (which you can get in a spray bottle form).</p> <p>a few things are contact kills, meaning they only kill while still wet, and only kill the bugs and not the eggs (as far as we know): 90% rubbing alcohol is one, and murphy's oil is another. the rubbing alcohol you should only use in small amounts (you don't want to absorb too much of this through the skin, not healthy). the murphy's oil soap is great to clean furniture or to use for mopping hardwood (or vinyl) flooring. keep in mind these are only control products and will not entirely eliminate the bugs as they don't kill the eggs.</p> <p>depending on how hot your steamer gets, it might kill the eggs. the dryer is also good for killing eggs, for items that can easily fit in there (backpacks or stuffed animals that were lying around close to the bed, etc)</p> <p>personally i would toss the rugs, but that's just me. if you do dispose of items make sure to either damage them or mark them clearly as infested with bedbugs so that some other individual doesn't take them home.</p> <p>the last thing that i can think of that is inexpensive is DE (diatomaceous earth). read up on this on the FAQ and on the forums (there is a search function), because there are important things that you should know before you choose to use DE. if you decide to use it, i suggest not placing out in the open (especially with children around who when playing might kick it up into the air). breathing DE in is harmful. wear and mask and gloves when applying, and only apply into small cracks and crevices (maybe a tiny bit behind a dresser, behind floor trim, and if you can have your electrician dust a tiny bit behind your electrical outlets (he will need to shut off the power supply to the outlets in order to do this safely). </p> <p>that's all that i can think of for now, i'm sure the others will have more suggestions on what else you can do. please keep in mind that do-it-yourself sprays like raid can often scatter the bugs (many of them are deterrants) around your home, making it harder to treat. this is often why do-it-yourself treatment is advised against. in the long run a pco is often the best option, but i realize that it's not always affordable. if you are meticulous with the steam hopefully you will be able to treat many things. not sure what to advise re: couch and mattress, as the steamer may not be able to reach into the recesses of those items, where the bbs may be hiding. perhaps others will have ideas on this?</p> <p>good luck! </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/need-a-very-cheap-solution-please#post-52448 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:38:08 +0000 rjames 52448@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I have been doing some research for the better part of the morning on our bug problem. Here's where I am at as of now...<br /> Several months ago, my 8 year old son, seemed to have 'hives' from something. The school nurse, our family doctor, and an allergist couldn't figure it out. Allergy medicine seemed to help, but the hives wouldn't go away. Nobody ever mentioned bed bugs. My wife an I were doing some spring cleaning, and found the telltale signs of bedbugs on my sons mattress (he has a bunk bed, so no box spring) we also checked my older daughters bed (signs there) our bed (there too, but not as many). We also have a 1 year old daughter, who we have noticed a few bites on lately, but really only in the last few days. To sum it up, we have a bed bug problem..</p> <p>Now, the other part of this issue is that we are poor. Not just kinda poor but really broke. We simply do not have the money to spend on professional treatment, its not going to happen, we can't borrow the money, I am not at the point that I would steal the money (yet), so please don't even suggest it. In out haste, we picked up a couple of "Nix" spray bottles with a label that said "Kills bedbugs NOW", and treated my sons and older daughters room. We also bought a $30 handheld steamer, which I think is made for getting wrinkles out of things, but we are in the process of cleaning out and going over everything with the steamer. Also to be noted - we live in a house, but it is rented. Our relationship with the landlord is not the greatest right now (see part above about being broke), we do pay or rent, but its not always timely (we do our best..) anyway, I would really like to take care of this ourselves and not have to involve the landlord. Now before you say "b-b-but it's the LAW!!" or whatever, yes, sure legally they have to do things, but, just because they have to do it doesn't mean they will happily pay for something like this, and NOBODY wants to have a landlord who is pissed off at them. I don't care what the law says, its just not good, especially for us right now. If it eventually comes down to having them pay for a pro, thats what I will do, but I want to make sure I have tried EVERY other alternative first. </p> <p>All that being said - what are my best options? We have been going absolutely nuts with the steamer, mostly because its free to use. We have found no live ones on either of the Nix treated mattresses, but my sons was badly covered with signs, so we may just burn the thing and have him sleep on an air mattress for the time being. I would do the same for my daughter as well, as the twin mattresses they have are fairly old anyway. My wife and I JUST purchased our mattress (after 10 years of sleeping on a futon) and would like to be able to save it. I inspected it, and did find a few live bugs underneath (which the steamer kills instantly :) ), and only one of the 'fecal matter' spots on the box spring. Thats it though, and I really would like to keep this mattress, so any advise there would be great. Also, all the bedrooms have hardwood floors with area rugs - should I just git rid of the rugs? I really don't care either way about the rugs, so if thats the best or easiest thing to do, so be it. My wife and I also have a habit of crashing on the couch (probably end up sleeping there more often than in bed) so whats the best way to deal with that? We already have steamed the heck out of them, but saw a live one this morning. Again, please think cheap!<br /> A little aside about the steamer - its quite possibly the best cleaning product I've ever bought. We recently quit smoking, and the walls came clean very easily, and it seems to to a better job than any chemical cleaner ever did on any surface I have used it on. Highly reccomend it. </p> <p>Oh, and to add insult to injury - my wife babysits during the day, which used to provide a nice suppliment to our income, but has now become a critical part of our income. We are fearful that if this isn't dealt with quickly we might lose that income - which would be devistating to us right now. </p> <p>Hopefully I've summed it up. Any advise would be greatly appriciated, but please remember - cheap is good, time we have plenty of - money we do not. </p> <p>Thank you! </p>