Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » General Topics
Does DE work?
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johnstudent11
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 14:05:54
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I am not sure if Diatomaceous earth works? why would it work? what are its specifications? which vendor is reliable? hope it is not someone is just trying to make a buck.
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johnstudent11
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 14:07:33
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what really works in getting rid of these blood sucking creatures?
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 14:30:10
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John,
Treating bed bugs successfully requires a lot of knowledge and skill and persistent hard work. That's much more important than the technique or product used for treatment.
The best option is to get someone really knowledgeable, experienced, and licensed to treat your home for bed bugs. It's not as simple as killing other household pests, in fact I seem to recall a poll where pest management professionals agreed bed bugs were harder to get rid of than termites.
If you are a tenant, depending where you live, it may be your landlord's duty to pay for treatment. If so, this is going to be the best option for most people.
If you have to pay for treatment and cannot hire someone, then you need to do a lot of research. The Comprehensive Guides I recommended to you in another thread just now will help. Read our FAQ on steam and FAQ on DE, which will help you find out about some options that can work, and find additional resources on those topics.
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cilecto
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 14:41:24
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Silica/DE is an important tool for BB control. Here's a great FAQ on it.
http://bedbugger.com/2007/03/30/faqde/And for a comprehensive look at BB and how to beat them.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/Bed_Bug_Manual_v1_full_reduce_326605_7.pdf -
gatbedbugs
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Joined: Jun '11
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 14:51:15
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I'd love to know myself. I used Heat treatment in conjunction with DE. One week later I found a bite I'm sure wasnt there a week ago. It looks very fresh too. I photographed it and put it on another topic I started. I'm a bit scared to say the least.
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your host
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 16:09:36
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gatbedbugs - 1 hour ago »
I'd love to know myself. I used Heat treatment in conjunction with DE. One week later I found a bite I'm sure wasnt there a week ago.First, did you have structural heat treatment, where your home is professionally heated throughout? If so, I would call the service provider.
Second, DE does not kill bed bugs instantly. We're told it can take ten days for them to die after they walk through it -- but they have to walk through it in the first place. It's not a miracle cure, and most people seem to use multiple methods to treat bed bugs for this reason (as it seems your service provider did).
Finally, bed bug bites can take a while to develop -- although many people who react to bed bug bites seem to react within hours or a few days, we've heard a week is possible, and some have said it can take as long as two weeks.
I do not want to sidetrack John's thread, but I did want to respond to your comments.
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johnstudent11
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 22:53:22
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"...after they walk through it ", so you mean eggs will remain. that is why i am not sure if DE is a fad.
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spideyjg
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 23:14:45
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Dusts remain effective and if surrounding an unhatched BB egg, the nymph hatches and has no safe place to go.
Dusts, DE, Drione, Tempo, Alpine, etc aren't instant killers but kick mega bug ass. They aren't a fad.
Jim
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cilecto
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 23:26:02
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> and if surrounding an unhatched BB egg, the nymph hatches and has no safe place to go
Or, I'd think, if the egg is not surrounded, but the nymph needs to cross dust on the way to/from feeding, it's likewise "toast".
Also, JohnStudent, I'm guessing (from the "tags" on top) that by "heat", you mean application of steam to a surface. Bear in mind that even if correctly done (and many don't), steam will only kill bugs (and eggs) on the surfaces that have been treated. If you steam your mattress, but there are bugs hiding in your nightstand, you have not solved your problem.
But read that FAQ and guide. Repeat. But read that FAQ and guide.
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johnstudent11
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jun 16 2011 23:28:38
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upon reading the michigan report, looks like the only sure way is to use dry heat to 120F, rest of the methods are not reliable
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Joined: Sep '08
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Posted 1 year ago
Fri Jun 17 2011 9:05:49
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It isn't all about active ingredient, it's mostly about how and where it is applied. Two people with the same chemicals treating the same bedroom will get vastly different results if one is inexperienced and the other is. DE is great and will kill bed bugs, but if it is applied with a spoon and literally dumped everywhere, like many of us have seen firsthand, it will not work, they will just leave those areas and avoid the product. Application, skill, experience, knowledge all play much bigger parts in effective bed bug control than just pesticide selection.
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johnstudent11
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jul 21 2011 22:17:38
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There is a study by Dr. Potter? on DE that shows why it works etc. Can someone point me to the link?
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 1 year ago
Thu Jul 21 2011 23:44:26
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There is a research study linked from the DE FAQ: http://Bedbugger.com/faqde
Have you read it yet? -
IThinkIHaveBugs
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Joined: Jul '11
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Posted 1 year ago
Fri Jul 22 2011 17:45:09
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Is DE safe? I am a dental student, and it is the main ingredient in the impression material we use (alginate). They made a big deal about always wearing a mask and not breathing it in. Apparently it's safe once mixed with water, but if you breath it is is kinda like asbestos, and is associated with cancers like mesothelioma. Are we using a different DE? If not, that does not seem like something I want all over my floors.
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