alcohol use - benefits and caution « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

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alcohol use - benefits and caution

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madribub

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 0:48:28
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So I've been staying with family, and when I felt bites, it freaked me out. I thought the packtite had taken care of my luggage. The only relief I had was alcohol and plastic bags. Now, I'm still a bit skeptical regarding (everything) alcohol and its effectiveness. My big question though is does it act as a disperser? I was spraying my luggage out on their terrace a few floors up, and was worried about the building in general.

Bonus question: is it possible to get rid of bed bugs with plastic bags and laundry alone. My family had an infestatino a few years ago and they didn't want to use pesticides because they had a kid. After two months, they were free. Is that possible? (well it obviously is, but I wonder if anyone else has had success doing that for an early infestation)
Ihatebedbugs23

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 1:04:42
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I have heard those stories once in a while. In my opinion one has to get really lucky in order to win the bed bug war that way. Using plastic bags and doing laundry should be seen as only a couple of weapons to use in the fight. I personally feel that spraying everywhere is the most important. Just remember after you spray everywhere in your bedroom sleep in another room for a couple of nights. Those fumes can be toxic. Good Luck!!!!!
spideyjg

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 2:08:21
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Ihatebedbugs23 - 1 hour ago »
I personally feel that spraying everywhere is the most important. Just remember after you spray everywhere in your bedroom sleep in another room for a couple of nights.

Wrong! Sleeping elsewhere can cause spreading. "Spraying everywhere"? ala dousing the whole dwelling in pesticides? Wrong again!

Jim
miserableone

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 10:07:37
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Ihatebedbugs23....if you are going to constantly post wrong information then you should stop posting. If you dont know the answer to something just stay silent. You are telling people to do things that goes against every other persons advice on this forum. You arent helping.....your bad info can make matter worse for people.
Jenn28

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 11:33:23
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Alcohol is also effective if you're looking for a good nites sleep Terrible, I know!!! I'm just being silly because it's Friday!!
Bed Bug Epidemic

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 11:37:19
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Jenn it's okay, it definitely lightened up the the direction this post was going into...

I think I hatebbs is just generally concerned with sleeping in a toxic environment.

And I am able to say from unfortunate experience that leaving your bedrooms is the worst thing you can do, as it's what me, husband and two children did and guess what. We had them in our living room so bad within two wks.

:/
cilecto

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 11:51:38
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Bed Bug Epidemic - 11 minutes ago » I hatebbs is just generally concerned with sleeping in a toxic environment.

…so he urges us to "spray everywhere"?
miserableone

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 12:35:40
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LOL Jenn....Alcohol can be very effective!! Im guilty of having a few drinks before bed myself during the beginning of my infestation : ) Probably the only time I slept through the night!!

Bed Bug Epidemic.....Its ok if IhateBB's is afraid of sleeping in a toxic area. Im sure most people are... then he/she should just state that fact and not give out harmful information. If people listen to IHate's info they will likely infest their entire homes. None of us want to see that happen. Im not trying to take this thread in a negative direction, just want people to have the right guidance. In the end it affects us all eventually.
miserableone

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 12:40:55
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P.S. Ihatebedbugs23 has responded on a few other threads as well with the same bad info telling people to move to another room after treatment.....thats why I felt the need to say something.
cilecto

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 15:32:24
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If you drink too much, the bite patterns start to get wavy.
miserableone

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 15:38:54
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Maybe if I drink enough they will go away all together???
Jenn28

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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 23 2010 16:00:43
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If you drink too much, you get to thinking that this isn't so bad and start to tell yourself that there are worse things in life right? LOL!! BB and alcohol don't mix! Too many mind games
Nobugsonme

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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 24 2010 1:14:18
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miserableone - 12 hours ago »
P.S. Ihatebedbugs23 has responded on a few other threads as well with the same bad info telling people to move to another room after treatment.....thats why I felt the need to say something.

Yes, I have seen this poster post incorrect information in a number of threads. He will be warned.

Another person claiming to do pest control work (Bedbug Pro) was recently banned for the same behavior.
AsSoftAsSilk

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Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 25 2011 3:53:39
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On a serious note I've read on this site and elsewhere that alcohol (not the kind you drink) kills them on contact. I've read the responses that it is not an effective way to rid your home of them because it only kills on contact and it is hard to contact them all due to their hiding. However my lack of funds and ability to pay a professional has me asking this question. What if you sprayed all your furniture down with the alcohol until it was saturated and let it dry out? could that work? my only fear in that would be a mold problem, but can alcohol cause mold? I of course would follow the wash and dry routine for all bedding and clothes and steam clean all carpet and other furniture they may try to be hiding in. From your experiences can any of you tell me the likely hood of this working. I'm going crazy, I already have eczema and Psoriasis, it seems all I do now is itch.
bbgirl

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Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 25 2011 9:24:23
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Alcohol is a brilliant contact killer and a good idea to keep it around in case you actually come across a live bug. There have been a lot of tragic fire accidents reported in connection with the use of alcohol to control bed bugs and I don't believe that it is recommended as a major tool to be used in the same way that a chemical spray would be. It also evaporates quickly and has no residual effect so not very effective. Dry steam would probably accomplish the same thing and much more safely with the added benefit of penetrating a little further with the heat. I've heard an expert comment that rigorous cleaning, steaming and vacuuming can clear up a light infestation if caught early but I think that careful use of a spray along with DE helps a lot. If you are going to attempt to self treat you really need to study the FAQ's carefully and do a lot of research. A lot of people apparently have made their situations quite a bit worse by trying do it themselves. I've been told the most common mistake is overspraying or putting down too much DE- you don't want to repel the bugs but leave a light application that they will cross trying to get to you and DIE
cilecto

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Posted 1 year ago
Wed May 25 2011 9:50:36
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Welcome, AsSoftAsSilk.

Alcohol and many household cleaning products will kill bed bugs on contact if applied directly. In fact, many of the "green" bed bug sprays (some quite pricey) are basically detergents. These products will not kill eggs and they will have no residual effect on the surfaces, should a bug walk over them later. When choosing a contact killer, pick the one that's most agreeable to you and the surface you're treating, as well as price, convenience, your feelings about the seller, etc.

Spraying as much alcohol as you propose is likely to be hazardous to you, damage some finishes and is highly flammable. It's also unlikely to penetrate everywhere you expect it to.

If you're planning to DIY or considering a pro, please read our FAQ. Also, especially if doing it yourself, study a comprehensive guide from our Resources page, like this one.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/Bed_Bug_Manual_v1_full_reduce_326605_7.pdf