Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida residents: do not use the DE from your pool Date April 10, 2007
Oh dear, yesterday¹s news round-up missed the Tampa Bay CBS news website¹s article about bed bugs, which kindly directed many Tampa residents here.
Well, I wish I¹d seen it yesterday, so I could have warned more of the folks from Tampa. The CBS article isas originally posted, was wrong: do NOT use the diatomaceous earth (DE) designed for pools in your home to fight bed bugs. It¹s dangerous. Use food grade freshwater DE instead. See our FAQ on the subject. (CBS 10 has now updated its article to reflect the dangers of pool grade DE.)
We also have FAQs about what to do if you think you have bed bugs. Hint: the first step is not, as the article states, to treat yourself, the second is not to have a PCO apply one aerosol, as the article also states. Bed bugs are serious and you¹d do well to have a Pest Control Operator who knows bed bugs come in and treat your home properly from step one. Don¹t believe me? Ask people in the forums.