Should We Use Diatomaceous Earth on a Mattress?
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Discovering that you have bed bugs can be an absolute nightmare. Fortunately, there are ways to eliminate this problem. One product that provides a solution is diatomaceous earth. It is a natural product that is made of the silica of ancient fossilized algae. This is a great alternative to toxic chemicals or pesticides because it is safe for people and animals. However, it effectively kills insects.
The Problem with Bed Bugs
The problem with bed bugs is that they are very small, and they spend most of the day in hiding. They come out at night when they sense people sleeping in the room. They have their feeding by biting you and drinking your blood, and then they return to the cracks, crevices, or crannies in your room. They spend the next day or two digesting their meal before coming out to feed again.
You will notice them because you will find their bites on your skin. You will see a zig zag row of little bites, and they will be itchy. Once you discover them, you need to determine how to kill them.
Using chemicals and pesticides is difficult and usually not very effective because it is difficult to reach the spots where these pests live. You can’t really spray your mattress or your furniture, and they are likely hiding in these places. Mattresses can be very expensive, so you will probably want to find a way to treat the mattress and get rid of the bed bugs.
What to Do When You Find Bed Bugs
Bed bugs will die in heat above 125 degrees Fahrenheit, so people often either hire an exterminator to take care of this, or they steam clean the home. You should also wash all of your fabrics and then vacuum your entire house before treatment. This process will eliminate many of the bed bugs, but it does not prevent them from returning. In addition, any stragglers will start reproducing, and you will have another infestation before you know it.
Some people have a second treatment, and sometimes even a third, so that they can get rid of these horrible pests. However, you can use diatomaceous earth to eliminate any remaining bed bugs and kill any that try to penetrate your house in the future.
You can use a powder duster to get the diatomaceous earth into cracks in your floor, behind your baseboard, around your bed frame, and under your furniture. In addition, you will apply it to your mattress to kill any bed bugs that remain there. They can hide in the folds of the mattress and even get inside, and they are very small and hard to see.
How Is Diatomaceous Earth Effective on a Mattress?
Diatomaceous earth is effective on your mattress because it is a natural product that is nontoxic, and it will kill bed bugs. The way it works is you spread a thin dusting of it across your mattress (as well as in the other areas of your home), and when a bed bug comes into contact with it, it will attach to them. Bed bugs and other insects have an exoskeleton with a waxy outer coat. This is what holds moisture inside the insect. The diatomaceous earth will erode this waxy layer, and the insect will become dehydrated and die.
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When you apply the diatomaceous earth to your mattress, the bed bug will try to come to have its feeding, but it will walk through the diatomaceous earth. This will cause it to die. It is an effective solution because it is safe for you, your children, and your pets, but the insects cannot survive it.
How to Apply it to the Mattress
The most effective way to make sure that your mattress is no longer a home for these pests is to get a bed bug mattress cover and diatomaceous earth. You can start by dusting the entire mattress with diatomaceous earth. Then, take your bed bug mattress cover and put the mattress inside. It will seal up the mattress so that the bed bugs cannot get to you. We have Reviewed the best way to treat bed bugs with diatomaceous earth.
You can use a mattress cover on its own, and it will also kill the bed bugs because they will not have access to food. However, bed bugs can go from six to twelve months without a meal, so it can take a long time to kill them. If you dust the mattress with diatomaceous earth first, they should be killed within a month. This is a great way to know that you have taken care of it more quickly.
When you use this method to kill the bed bugs, you will need to keep the mattress sealed for at least a month. This will give you enough time for all of the bed bugs, their larva, and the eggs to die. You want to make sure that they are no longer a threat before you remove the mattress cover.
An additional benefit of the mattress cover is that it is smooth, and if any bed bugs remain on the outside, it will be much easier to see them and kill them. You can vacuum the bed and the area around it, and then reapply the diatomaceous earth anywhere they might live. This is a great natural and safe way to eliminate the bed bugs as efficiently and quickly as possible. It is also one of the most affordable solutions.
Final Words
When you discover that you have bed bugs, it may feel as though you are living out a nightmare. However, you can use a combination of diatomaceous earth and a bed bug mattress cover to eradicate this problem. You can start by steam cleaning your room, and then make sure you wash your fabrics and vacuum. Once you are done, sprinkle the diatomaceous earth in all of the nooks and crannies where these pests like to hide. Finally, dust your mattress with diatomaceous earth, and use a bed bug mattress cover to seal the mattress. In a few months, you should be finished with the bed bug problem.
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