Monthly medication prevents fleas and mosquitos from harming dogs.

[MoonRiver]

Why aren't there equivalent medications for humans to prevent pests, such as bed bugs and lice from harming, or, even better, biting, us?

[Warpy]

1. Yeah, especially bedbugs. Those things are tenacious and nasty

Unfortunately, we live just a little too long and things that a short lived critter like a dog or cat can survive will accumulate in our systems and kill us before our natural time.

It looks like extremely limited use of both chlordane and DDT will have to come back, with residues retrieved after treatment in order to preserve the environment.

The bugs are fighting back against everything else.

[MoonRiver]

2. Do you mean the medications could kill us?

I travel about 4 times a year and am becoming paranoid about this bed bug issue.

[Warpy]

5. If you find yourself getting bitten in a hotel room, assume the worst

leave your suitcase outside your front door. Strip as soon as you get in and drop your clothing outside the door on top of the suitcase.

Take a hot shower and put on clothing that has remained in your home.

Go to a laundromat. Launder your soiled clothes and then run all the clothes plus the suitcase through a hot dryer cycle or two. That kills the bugs and their eggs and larvae.

The guy in the article just let it go too long and lost everything. You have a choice. Deal with it fast and there isn't a problem.

Bedbugs hide in seams and cracks in the daylight. You're safe just hauling the suitcase and clothing to a laundromat during the day to get rid of any that have hitchhiked home with you.

However, things like airplanes and trains, especially, are going to have to be cleared of infestations and extremely limited use of strong insecticides will have to be the method.

[Cleita]

3. I don't know about that.

I live out in the boonies and as a city person I was overwhelmed with the insect population that wanted to live in my house. I tried the toxic pesticides first but found out I was killing the beneficial bugs along with the undesirable ones. Some, like spiders, will get rid of a lot of undesirables like cockroaches if you leave them alone to do their job. I found citrus oils, particularly orange oil to be effective. It also comes in a variety of cleaning compounds. I found cleaning with them regularly and using the oil itself wiping it around windows, doors and screens have kept the bugs away. I don't know about bed bugs, but I'm sure there is a natural deterrent for them. Putting cedar chips in pet bedding has been effective for me in the past to keep fleas away from the the beds. Maybe people should try using some cedar products on the bed bugs.

Just a thought. :shrug:

[Warpy]

4. I cultivate my Daddy Longlegs spiders

and while I don't like walking into their webs, I do love to see them getting big and fat because I know they're eating all the bad stuff like grain and wool moths. I have a can of Raid. I've used it once in 15 years because there were too many black beetles in the tub to scoop up and put outside.

I don't even know if there's any propellant in it any more.

[david13]

6. I don't like pesticides and chemicals. Too dangerous, and you

never know the side effects.
Besides, the bed bugs live ... on the bed ... not on the person.
dc

[MoonRiver]

7. Well, the bed bugs will hitch a ride on the person,

and while they're traveling munch and crunch. :(

[Cleita]

8. Bed bugs live on human blood only according

to the news right now.