fear of bedbugs seriously cramping my scavenging - Page 3

[WorldsBestMom]

Originally Posted by simple living mama 

Havent read the other post so sorry if it's been suggested.  You can get some diatomaceous earth, very cheap, at your local hardware store.  Before you bring in any furniture bought second hand, paintbrush the d-earth in all the cracks of the  furniture you purchased.  Do this out side as you don't want to breathe in the fine powder.  Let sit for a day before bringing in. If you want an extra bit of assurance, buy some cedar oil and between the two, I guarentee you will not have any living bedbugs in your house.  We brought in a bed loaded with bedbugs from freecycle.  It was hard work but finally got rid of them with these two non-toxic bed bug killers. 

So true about using a paint brush to dust especially in the cracks of the furniture.

[matey]

I read this thread the other day and have obsessed about it ever since. I am driving my dh crazy!!!

[simple living mama]

No reason to freak but be diligent.  If you think you have them, make it a nightly thing to do a bed bug check in the creases of your bed.  THEY LIKE TO LIVE CLOSE TO THEIR FOOD SOURCE.  If they aren't anywhere in your bed but you know you are being bit, check the furniture around your bed.  If nothing comes up, I have to think you are getting bit by something else.  

If you don't have them but feel fear at getting them, don't.  No need stressing over something they may never happen.  Waste of time I say.  

If you bring in any used furniture, make sure you check for them.  Dust the furniture outside with D-earth (see my previous posts) and that should kill them and their eggs.  Diatomaceous Earth is made up of fossilized water plants and what it does is sticks on to the bugs. They have a waxy back.  It cracks their shell open and they cant hold in their moisture any more and they die.  It's non toxic and safe but use with a mask or out side.

 I put some around the posts of my bed when we had bed bugs but have since vacuumed it up.  I have to admit, we had a bad problem and it took us about one half a year to get rid of them but we did it.  We had nightly inspections, then when we couldn't find any any more, we had weekly inspections.  It seemed like 6 weeks would go by and one of us would find one.  It brought our mood down but we carried on with the cedar oil spraying and the d-earth dusting and eventually they all died.  It's been a few years now and happy to report no bed bugs in this house.