How much DE kills 'em? « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tools/ideas for fighting bed bugs

How much DE kills 'em?

(6 posts)

Tags:

diatomaceous earth

pleasenotme

member
Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 135
offline

Posted 4 years ago
Tue May 19 2009 23:26:46
#

Login to Send PM

How much or how wide a patch of diatomaceous earth does a bug have to crawl through to be fatally wounded? Anybody know? I would love to hear an experiment on this.
Thanks!
spideyjg

oldtimer
Joined: Jul '08
Posts: 3,201
offline

Posted 4 years ago
Wed May 20 2009 2:02:19
#

Login to Send PM

It isn't how much, it is how little. If they detect the hazard, they will avoid it.

If they don't detect it, they do more damage each trip. Light dusting into the crevices creates harborages of death.

Jim
lieutenantdan

oldtimer
Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 1,222
offline

Posted 4 years ago
Wed May 20 2009 11:37:14
#

Login to Send PM

A little DE goes a long way. Bed bugs will not avoid DE they will crawl through clumps as well.
This was told to me a couple of years ago by one of our Nation's top entomologist who has been researching bed bugs. Of course if one places a large amount into a screw hole a bed bug may not
enter that hole only because it is blocked by the DE, they do not dig.
spideyjg

oldtimer
Joined: Jul '08
Posts: 3,201
offline

Posted 4 years ago
Wed May 20 2009 12:03:51
#

Login to Send PM

Hey Dan,

Are you guys bug free now?

Jim
Nobugsonme

your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 13,697
offline

Posted 4 years ago
Wed May 20 2009 13:41:40
#

Login to Send PM

lieutenantdan - 2 hours ago »
A little DE goes a long way. Bed bugs will not avoid DE they will crawl through clumps as well.
This was told to me a couple of years ago by one of our Nation's top entomologist who has been researching bed bugs.

Be this as it may, I would advise to use a slight dusting because it also means less DE getting kicked up and inhaled.
lieutenantdan

oldtimer
Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 1,222
offline

Posted 4 years ago
Wed May 20 2009 14:38:47
#

Login to Send PM

It is said that many will not state if they are bed bug free because of the belief that one may jinx it.
Yes, less is better because that means less in your environment. It is a little difficult to place DE and sometimes you put down a little more than you had wanted to but a slight dusting is always advised but rest assure that the bed bug will crawl through a clump or a slight dust.
Note that roaches will avoid boric acid, they will crawl around it, so that may be the where the belief may of come from that a bed bug avoids DE.