Vaseline or Mineral oil for bed legs? « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

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Vaseline or Mineral oil for bed legs?

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Bites44

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Posted 12 years ago
Tue Nov 6 2007 9:35:51
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Am getting my new metal bed frame with legs today. I have seen here that one can use vaseline or mineral oil to spread on the legs. Not sure what to use. Any experiences with this? I think I read that mineral oil is better, as it doesn't dry up as fast.
pleasehelp

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Posted 12 years ago
Tue Nov 6 2007 9:57:55
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Bites, I think you're supposed to use dishes of mineral oil under the legs/feet? to isolate the bed, and the vaseline you smear on the legs. I haven't done it...
mrbill0626

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Posted 12 years ago
Tue Nov 6 2007 10:18:32
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Bites:

I have smeared vaseline on the legs of my bed, about an inch or two of it all around each leg, near the bottom. Haven't seen any bugs in my bed since then. They can't crawl through vaseline and even if it dries up, just put some more on. Mineral oil, you have to put in a small bowl and place each leg in a bowl of it. It works too, I hear, but seems like a lot more trouble than using vaseline, I think. Because the bowl needs to be glass and the weight of the bed with you in it could smash the bowl and spill mineral oil all over, I would think. Unless it's pretty thick, strong glass bowl. I guess the reason it should be glass is because the BBs can't crawl up a smooth surface, so it could be metal I guess too.

Hope this helps

Bill
pleasehelp

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Posted 12 years ago
Tue Nov 6 2007 10:36:40
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The bowls can be metal because even if the bug cans crawl up, the moat of oil will stop them.
parakeets

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Posted 12 years ago
Tue Nov 6 2007 12:33:53
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I have big circular feet on my bedlegs so I didn't want to get pans that big and fill them with mineral oil. I just use Vaseline.

Be aware that the weight of the Vaseline tends to pull it down and it might not start to cover the bedleg 100%. Even if it is via the longest most circuitous route possible, bedbugs will be able to climb the leg if they can crawl from one minute connected non-Vaseline-covered portions to another.
Bites44

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Posted 12 years ago
Tue Nov 6 2007 12:55:47
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Thank you, thank you, all!!! Will do just what you say. Find bowls, not enough glass right now for 4 legs, but will use plasic ones, and fill will mineral oil. Then will either put mineral oil or vaseline on the legs themselves.

Just picked up my Mattress Safe brand mattresses at Orkin company here, spoke to them at great length, and they were very helpful and supportive. I was so impressed.

Thanks, I love all you New Yorkers!!!! And everyone else here too!
Bites44

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Posted 12 years ago
Wed Nov 7 2007 8:42:54
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Yippee!!!! Finally! Threw out very heavy wood captains bed frame. It is in the garden far away from the house, for now, and we are having below freezing weather at nights now.

Installed new bed frame and new box spring. Got my new bug free mattress cover.

I did the legs using both mineral oil and vaseline. Everything looks good.