I overlooked the walls. They're all over the damn walls!

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I overlooked the walls. They're all over the damn walls!

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dire

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat Jul 4 2009 13:52:14
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When I initially figured out why I was always itchy, I quickly got rid of the bed. I wish I hadn't, but it's done and the past 1-2 weeks I've been sleeping on the floor, which isn't bad at all (very thick carpet), except the perimeter around my room is covered with DE. I was also spraying BedLam in corners and around where I sleep.

I'm not sensitive to the bites, I may get a little itchy but nothing more. My wife however is damn sensitive, and she "knows" exactly when she has been bit. She'll get up and say "turn on the lights!!" and we'd find one crawling away from her arm. But anyway, we were finding about 1 per day.

This gave me the impression that the infestation wasn't too bad. We had destroyed their colonies weeks back (on my bed post), and so I figured there just wasn't a lot left. However, I decided to just let the next BB I see roam away, trying to figure out where it's going to hide. It ended up climbing the wall (walked on the DE) and then walking across the ceiling of the room. It didn't go anywhere, just stood there, but I had never seen then actually climb walls. I knew they could of course, but I never thought to really treat walls aggressively.

So the next day, I woke up at 4 AM and quickly began inspecting every wall in my room. One, two, three, four... found 6 that day. Brought chills down my spine as I found 1-2 on all the walls in my room, and the mental image of hordes of bedbugs just climbing down from every wall and approaching me in the dark freaked me out.

I put some DE in water to make a slurry, and then pretty much hand painted my walls with the stuff. I primarily focused on covering the outside of any crevice, door frames and corners, and whatever else I had to paint to seal off my sleep area.

putting DE in water creates a thick brown substance. Kinda messy to work with, but when it dries, the DE "goes to work." It doesn't leave marks on the wall when it dries, but it might be a bitch to clean up later on.

DE is safe but probably NOT safe enough to actually cover your walls with. I don't suggest doing what I did, but just putting it out there. I'll let you know of my progress as it unfolds..
Jason1

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat Jul 4 2009 16:02:12
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I hear ya!

Before I started my self-treatment regime 3 weeks ago, I too had those damn things on my walls....and ceiling . Thankfully, I no longer see them on the walls and ceiling.

Good luck with the DE. Iv'e considered trying that also as part of my attack!
cilecto

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat Jul 4 2009 22:57:27
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I'm no expert, but rather than the whole wall, perhaps you could "paint" a 2-3" swath around the perimeter if the room, i.e., just above the baseboard. DE is dangerous to breath, and if you apply it where it will eventually be kicked up, you, or someone you love, will breath it, so, go easy.
F@ Bed Bugs

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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Jul 8 2009 0:16:37
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it's interesting that you've mixed it with water... I also mixed mine, but with water, rubbing alcohol, and sunlight dish soap, as was mentioned in a post before... but I have been getting feedback about mixing it with liquid.. suggesting that it would change the DE powder and render it useless.. I'm wondering if anyone knows either way if the DE would still perform after its been wet and then dried!?
Nobugsonme

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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Jul 8 2009 0:40:02
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Are you using straight food grade diatomaceous earth, or DE+ a pesticide (as many "DE" powders include a pyrethrin)?
cilecto

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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Jul 8 2009 22:32:31
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Nobugsonme - 21 hours ago »
Are you using straight food grade diatomaceous earth, or DE+ a pesticide (as many "DE" powders include a pyrethrin)?

NoBugs: Are you asking because any liquid might affect the pyrethrin (my guess). I'd also be concerned about how soap might coat the DE and actually protect the bugs walking over it.

F@: Remember that alcohol and soap only kill on contact. Bugs walking over the same area later are unaffected.
GW

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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Jul 9 2009 12:27:55
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Hi dire .

You might want to check out this post

http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/four-months-bite-free-steps-taken

regarding to what she did with her ceiling.

I'm guessing she got her info from this site:

http://waronbedbugs.blogspot.com/2006/12/defeating-airborne-bedbugs.html .

Good luck!
F@ Bed Bugs

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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Jul 9 2009 12:44:14
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the link listed above is to the same post where I read about mixing the DE with water, alcohol and dish soap... she wrote that she found the recipe from a bug experts website... the DE I have is just straight up food grade DE... I found mixing and spraying easier/faster than dusting it... but if it is going to be useless after mixing it, than I'll have to reapply it as is

I'm wondering why the bugs would hang out on the walls.. unless the room is always dark, wouldn't the bugs prefer to hide in a dark crevice somewhere? I'm assuming if you can find that many bugs hanging out on the walls, the infestation must be really bad

cilecto: I know the alcohol only kills on contact. but I was assuming that once the mixture dried... there would be a residual of DE, but now I'm concerned that the DE might be useless after it has been wet