Diatomaceous earth - bed bugs can now be exterminated naturally

With diatomaceous earth, bed bugs have nowhere to hide

In recent months, the United States of America has seen a dramatic increase in bed bug infestation across the country, likely to hit epidemic levels if the trend continues. The number of reports has shot up from 20 a day to an average of 150 on bedbugregistry.com, a website which reports occurrences of bed bugs in homes, hotels and other places.

Many different treatment methods have been developed to get rid of bed bugs, which live in the crevices and folds of mattresses, sofas and sheets, breeding fast and feeding on human blood at night, but bed bugs can stay hidden for up to a year without food. Pest management firms often use a combination of methods including traditional pesticide applications, heat treatments and even freezing.



However, bed bugs are very difficult to detect and kill. According to the first Comprehensive Global Bed Bug Study, conducted by the National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky and released in July 2010, over three-quarters of the pest control companies surveyed in the bed bug study said they were the most difficult pests to exterminate, even tougher than cockroaches, ants and termites.

So how can you win the war against bed bug infestation in your home?

Because bed bugs have developed resistance to many chemical pesticides currently used, an integrated pest management approach is needed, according to the Joint Statement on Bed Bug Control in the United States from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued on 5 August 2010. This includes reducing clutter in your home where bed bugs can hide, and the use of diatomaceous earth - bed bugs are highly vulnerable to this natural pesticide.



Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. When they come into contact with diatomaceous earth, bed bugs will start to dehydrate as the fine powder destroys the outer layer of their bodies. The bed bugs then die as a result of water pressure deficiency.

For your own safety, use only food grade diatomaceous earth. You can buy food grade diatomaceous earth from farm supply stores as well as online sites.

And here is an example of how you can apply diatomaceous earth to remove bed bugs from, well, your bed:





FAQs

1. What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are small, flat insects that are reddish-brown in color, wingless, and range from 1 to 7 millimeters in length. They typically feed on the blood of sleeping people and animals every five to 10 days, although they can live several months without a blood meal.

2. Are bed bugs dangerous?

The bites from bed bugs usually cause just an itchy rash. Unlike other harmful pests, bed bugs generally do not transmit infectious diseases.

3. What cause an infestation?

People may unknowingly transport bed bugs into their homes via luggage, clothing or second-hand furniture. Bed bugs are also fast breeders, thus causing an infestation.

4. How do you get rid of bed bugs?

Bed bugs are notoriously resistant and are more difficult to exterminate than cockroaches, ants or termites. Besides taking measures to limit their spread (e.g. removing clutter and other potential hiding places, cleaning bed sheets and clothes in hot water), you can use pesticides including natural ones like diatomaceous earth - bed bugs will hate you for that.