Bedbug epidemic ... Will DDT be unbanned?

[LiberalAndProud]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10987651/

Bedbugs biting their way across the country
New York City the hotbed of nationwide epidemic, experts say

-snip-
“There’s an epidemic going on throughout the country, and New York seems to be the hotbed,” said Jeffrey Eisenberg, a pest control expert


-snip-
The current generation of exterminators has been caught unaware by these pests, which were all but forgotten for decades. They blame the comeback on several factors, primarily increased global travel and the banning of potent pesticides like DDT.

[havocmom]

1. Depends whose bed gets bugged

People might wanna worry about phone bugs too.

Back in the day, people used to put bay leaves in with the bedding. There are other plants which deter creepy crawlies. We should spread the knowledge of those solutions before condemning a lot of species to extinction so we can live in unnatural ease from the real world.

The world of THX 1138 was bug free but unappealing just the same.

[LiberalAndProud]

3. I suspect Hannity & PuffFish Rush will pick up on this story.

I'll be interested to hear their spin.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Funny they would say that exterminators have been caught unawares

I know for a fact that pest control magazines, which cater almost exclusively to the pest control industry, have been talking about this problem for at least a year. There are several pest control products, including various chemicals and even mattress vacuums, out on the market to handle the problem, and, if memory serves, none contain DDT.

[benburch]

4. My waterbed is not likely to ever need any such attention...

but DDT in tiny amounts (not sprayed on crops) and applied only by those specially trained licensed to do so. would probably not be harmful to the environment.

[havocmom]

5. Hey, how many bugs are we importing along with all that stuff

from places which don't have as many laws about safety/health standards?

And how many hitchhikers on all the foods we import? We used to import about 40% of our foods at the beginning of the junta. One of the first things the Congress did was ditch the law requiring foods to be labeled with country of origin. I would suggest, that without that little speed bump to allow consumers to make informed decisions at the market, the percentage of imported food has risen quite a bit

[Maraya1969]

6. I am a firm believer in Borax. Use Borax soap powder in your laundry and

sprinkle some in the cracks. There is even a product that is just little borax pills that you put around your house. They keep out Cock Roaches too.

But then I don't think I've ever had bed bugs. I do use allergy mattress covers and pillow covers to keep away from the dust mites.

I am sure there is a better way to go than DDT. Check an allergy store on the net.

[amerikat]

12. Baking powder may work also.

I know it sounds strange but baking powder kills fleas. Although fleas need blood to live they will also eat other stuff if they can't get a blood meal. They eat the baking powder and it gives off gas(like it does when it makes dough rise) when digested....boom! no more flea.

[doodadem]

7. Funny...

My understanding, is that bedbugs are essentially FLEAS. If you've ever battled these critters in your house before the advent of pet products like Advantage, Frontline, etc., it can be horrendous. But it is pretty easily controlled. Exterminators and the like should not be making more out of this than it really is.

[MadisonProgressive]

8. They are not fleas

http://medent.usyd.edu.au/fact/bedbugs.html#intro

[blindpig]

9. I got nailed by the filthy little buggers.

Two years ago in a run down Motel 6 in Tuscon. Mysterious little dots of blood on my chest in the morning.

[Odin2005]

10. EWWWW. Keep both the bugs and the DDT away from me.

[MrMonk]

11. Bedbugs!

Long time ago, my sisters and I brought back bedbugs from our camping trips. We found them in the boxsprings, on the back of the headboard, in the cracks of the floor, . . . On the recommendation of a local handyman, we covered the affected areas with a couple of sheets of plastic wrap and went to work with portable hair dryers. Before things cooled down, we pulled up the plastic and went over the areas with a vacuum cleaner, then dusted the entire area with pyrethrum (sp.?). Bedclothes and camping stuff were washed in hot water and dried hot. The bugs were gone and they never came back. No DDT needed.

[Porcupine]

13. Sigh, Boric Acid and Diatomaceus Earth wlll kill any walking insect

with virtually no effect on people. So will heat over 120 degrees fahrenheit. So will cold below zero degrees. (there are no ants in Alaska) Most cannot tolerate bay leaves, cedar shavings, rosemary or lavender. Or orange peel, neem, tobacco or tea powder.

In fact a hell of a lot of things kill bugs. That's why the plants make themselves all stinky so that most bugs won't eat them. I would bet there are certain kinds of ants which cultivated would rid your abode of bedbugs in a jiffy also. Ants are annoying but rarely do they bite or affect the sanitation of your house. Mostly what they want to do is eat your leftovers.