Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tools/ideas for fighting bed bugs
Is it OK to rub DE directly on cats?
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tinyvampire
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 30
Posted 5 months ago
Tue Oct 6 2009 18:33:07
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while we wait for the pest control guy to come on thursday morning....i've been foolishly casting a blend of DE and clove oil (that i found at Ace Hardware -- sold as an ant killer) very liberally around my loft.
i just learned on this forum today that it isn't safe to have anything but a *slight* layer of DE around, and that a dust mask isn't sufficient to protect your lungs from damage.
in this case, then, how can it be safe to rub DE into cat fur directly?
i do believe the cats are helping to transport the bugs and eggs around...on our table, kitchen counters...and i want to stop it.
i've seen a couple of short posts where putting DE directly on animals is mentioned, but i'd like more reassurance before i do this to my cats (they're already looking at us with a combination of alarm and concern as we tear our place apart in prep for the first spraying...and as i try to get a couple hours' sleep in the bathtub...).
any help is appreciated...
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Do not rub DE on your cats... You and your cats do not want to inhale DE or get it in your eyes.
It is unlikely that your cats are playing any significant role in spreading bed bugs or eggs around your residence.
Try Frontline Plus for Cats, if you feel that you must treat your pets.... Follow the directions... Do not exceed the label for weight / duration or it can be harmful.
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bedwarrior
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 56
Posted 5 months ago
Tue Oct 6 2009 19:59:55
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I second that-- DE would be ingested by cats, since they are obsessive self-groomers/bathers... and DE is very dangerous to a cats's digetsive system.
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wirehead
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Posted 5 months ago
Wed Oct 7 2009 9:42:05
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I believe I've read that DE actually used to be used as a flea powder, but that would be on dogs, who don't lick themselves as much as cats. I think it IS technically safe to ingest, just not to INHALE -- but I wouldn't coat my cats in it, either.
Cats aren't usually top prey for the BB -- they will prefer humans, who are much easier to bite due to our lack of fur (bedbugs have a hard time crawling through fur, since they don't have strong legs like fleas). I think if you have your apartment sprayed, you shouldn't have to do anything more with the cats, as the residual will do its job. If you're worried about them transporting the bugs from room to room, you can do what we did, and keep the cats isolated to one area of the apartment (we keep ours out of the bedrooms).
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buggyinsocal
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Posted 5 months ago
Wed Oct 7 2009 10:02:19
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Bed bugs prefer to feed on humans instead of other mammals. They will only feed on cats if they can't get to humans.
Unlike fleas, bed bugs do not live on their hosts. Bed bugs won't be living on your cat or laying eggs on your cat (unlike fleas, which do behave that way.)
The biggest challenges that cats pose to bed bug treatment are their propensity for putting holes in encasements if you're using those (which means clipping their claws about every five days if they aren't indoor/outdoor kitties or using Soft Paws) and the fact that they are smaller and more sensitive to many chemical pesticides than we are.
Despite having a cat and having had bed bugs for months before I figured it out, the bed bugs never spread beyond my bedroom. And she's very fond of sleeping on the bed and the couch and various things in the living room.
DE on the cat would be a very bad idea. DE is a significant inhalation hazard, and dusting the cat with it would not only put a lot of DE into the air which neither you nor your cat should inhale, but would continue to spread airborn DE as the cat moved around. (If I put a powder on my cat, I can see her shaking it off, running around like he butt was on fire, etc. which is a great way to spread DE into the air.)
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tinyvampire
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Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 30
Posted 5 months ago
Wed Oct 7 2009 12:09:26
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thanks, everyone...you're Godsends, all of you!
i wish i had partitioned rooms, but my husband and i live in a loft space that is basically one large room, so DE, the cats, *and* the bb have gotten all over everything.
i'm having some congestion and trouble breathing from the DE, but we're trying to air the place out the best we can...and i'm vaccuming (with my brand new hepa filtered dyson) alot.
one more thing about the cats--- (then i should maybe go to another string, since i'm getting off topic, here....) i've noticed a dead bedbug on our dining room table recently (before i first put down the DE -- and it was a fattie), and it *seems* (although i could be imagining it in my sleep-deprived delirium) that the cats have dropped bed bugs off of them while leaping on and off the bed, other surfaces, etc. i just say this because i think i've seen it happen while i've stared at one particular spot for an extended period.
in any event, do i need to worry about washing the DE off the cats at this point?
thank you!
-tinyv -
wirehead
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Posted 5 months ago
Wed Oct 7 2009 13:25:13
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Since I'm guessing vacuuming the cats won't work too well (LOL)... maybe just wipe them down with a damp cloth? If there's not a lot of it, I wouldn't worry. Like I said, people used to use it as a flea powder (and apparently it IS still used in this way by many farmers).
Wikipedia says: "It is approved by the US Department of Agriculture as a feed supplement. It is also used as a neutral anthelmentic (de-wormer). Some farmers add it to their livestock and poultry feed to improve the health of animals.[4] "Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth" is widely available in agricultural feed supply stores. It is acceptable as organic feed additive for livestock." (Edited to add source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth#Use_in_agriculture )
The main concern, as others have said, is inhaling it -- like any dust, it can build up in the lungs and cause breathing problems.
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That may be so, but farmers do not snuggle up next to their livestock, and they probably don't bed down with the dogs they are trying to de-flea. I think the rules change with house pets.
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wirehead
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Posted 5 months ago
Wed Oct 7 2009 14:24:16
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Well, certainly, but again, that comes down to an inhalation hazard (and skin irritation -- I found it dried my skin out a lot, not sure if that happens to everyone). I was just clarifying that it's not actually harmful if *ingested* -- which is not to say I recommend that you add it to your cat's food or anything, and certainly wouldn't suggest putting any more of it down where it is likely to get on the animals and/or into the air -- but if they do get a small amount on their fur, and lick it off while grooming themselves, it's not going to poison them or anything.
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spideyjg
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Posted 5 months ago
Wed Oct 7 2009 14:30:38
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What is the life expectancy of livestock? Some until they are big enough to slaughter, others until they stop laying eggs, others until they stop producing milk and become pet food or glue.
Long term respiratory health isn't paramount in livestock.
Jim
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cilecto
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Posted 5 months ago
Wed Oct 7 2009 20:42:09
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To critique another element of your approach... I would think that for BB to pick up DE in sufficient quantities to kill, it should be loose. I'd think that mixing with oil would actually keep them from picking it up.
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twitchyscratchy
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Joined: Oct '09
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Posted 4 months ago
Sun Nov 1 2009 3:29:54
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i hope your kitties were okay! :(
i would never think rubbing DE onto a mammal would be a good idea.
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cilecto
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Posted 4 months ago
Sun Nov 1 2009 9:52:11
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I'd assume that when a cat grooms, it also breathes, and will ingest the DE. Now probably VERY off the wall, but what about humans dusting their lower bodies with it, while sleeping with a respirator?
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buggyinsocal
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Posts: 1,259
Posted 4 months ago
Sun Nov 1 2009 10:31:46
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Since I routinely pull my socks off while I'm asleep, and also as someone who has worn an N95 respirator (while awake) who is therefore familiar with how comfortable they are or aren't, I'm pretty sure I would in the middle of the night pull the respirator off so that I didn't have to keep breathing hot air. (I'm one of those weirdoes who likes to sleep with something over my eyes to block light out but who can't sleep with my whole head under the blanket/pillow/etc. because I don't like breathing in the warm air that results when I do. I know I'm odd, but I don't think I'm alone in that.)
In addition, the DE would get onto the sheets, mattress, blankets, etc., so you'd also have to wear a respirator while handling those materials.
It might be fun to see how people responded at the local laundromat while I walked around in one, but I'm not sure most people would be terribly into laundry as a social experiment, esp. right now with the H1N1 anxiety levels what they are.
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cilecto
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Posts: 896
Posted 4 months ago
Sun Nov 1 2009 11:17:27
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What if this approach were integrated as a system, with components specifically created for the purpose?
- plastics to protect the surfaces.
- disposable bedding
- sleep worthy respirator
What if this were combined with clothing that allows the bug to be attracted to the host, but prevents feeding?
David and David, are you reading this?
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