Searching for Bed Bugs Powders that do kill bed bugs? You came to the right place!
We researched and reviewed dozens of products that are available online to give you our top picks for the Best Powders for bed bugs
Bed bugs powder work mechanically by dehydrating bed bugs. The advantage of powders is, as we previously mentioned, they work mechanically, it is not a chemical method to kill them so they usually will not grow resistant to powders.
Most Bed bugs powder that are recommended are usually including Silica gel dust or Diatomaceous Earth:
- Silica gel dust is pure silicon dioxide which will absorb the moisture from the bugs.
- Diatomaceous Earth is a powder made of fossilized phytoplankton which dehydrates them by dehydrating their skeletons.
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Pros and Cons of Bed Bug Powders
Pros
- Bed bugs powder has a residual effect or long-lasting effect. It means that it will still be efficient against them even several weeks after application. The advantage is that you can kill several generations of bugs. Indeed, to ensure eradication you should also kill the second generation of the newly hatched bugs.
- Due to the residual effect or long-lasting effect., you also won’t have to reapply often to maximize results.
- Bed bugs powders are usually also efficient against other insects so your purchase could find a different use.
- They have a soft spot for cracks and crevices where they want to hide or nest. Due to its texture, powder can be applied and penetrate such areas and kill the bugs hiding in those hard-to-reach spots.
Cons
- To maximize results powder should be applied everywhere which can be an issue as for instance it could be eaten by a pet or a child
- If not applied properly, powder can be a mess to clean up afterwards
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Things to consider to pick the best Powders for Bed bugs
Among the powders that you will encounter you will find a large variety of choices. Here are the points that we consider important when making your purchasing selection.
Efficiency
How efficient is the powder against bed bugs? Some products work fast but they have a low residual effect meaning that they will not work against them for a long period of time. On the other side we have powders that do not give immediate results but will be efficient against bed bugs in the long run. The best is to mix both kinds of products: One to kill as many bugs as possible in a short period of time and the other one with a residual effect that will be effective longer to kill any survivors or remaining eggs that had not hatched.
Toxicity
Basically, you should pick a powder that is poisonous against Bed bugs but is not toxic to humans or pets. You should always read labels as well as manufacturer’s instructions to ensure non toxicity of the powder. In any case you should ensure that children and pets do not eat the powder by accident.
Price
Powders are an affordable tool against bed bugs. Depending on the level of the infestation you may need a large quantity of powder. In such situations an affordable powder will be handy.
How and Where to Apply Bed Bug Powder
Even though you would possess the best powders for bed bugs, you still need to apply the powder properly to maximize results.
First you should locate where the bugs are nesting, where they lay eggs. If the level of infestation is advanced then it may be more than one location.
You should now prepare the room for powder application. Declutter the items in the room and seal them in a plastic bag so that they would not escape if they were to be located in those items. After that you should vacuum thoroughly the floor, carpet and furniture. Then you should seal and trash what you vacuumed in a plastic bag outside your home.
Then you should apply the powder or dust where you suspect they are living. Do not skip cracks and crevices, because this is usually where they like to hide. You should also apply powder or dust under carpets and in empty spots wall voids to catch them if they try to escape the room to move to another location.
Powder should be sprayed and you should not leave any heaps of powder as it might scare bed bugs away.
Best is not to apply powder or dust all over a room as it will waste powder and be difficult to clean up afterwards. You should reapply powder more than once. Depending on the severity of your infestation. It could be 2 or 3 times every few weeks until you do not detect any signs of bed bugs. Make sure to wear gloves and a mask during the treatment. In any case you should follow the application instructions from the Bed bug powder manufacturer.
Best is to purchase a professional powder applicator in order to get deeper into the cracks, wall voids, and crevices as well as wall voids. It will help you spray powder more evenly and thus to use less powder. That will save you some money in the long run.
FAQ
Does Bed Bug Powder Really Work?
Unlike Spray the use of bed bugs powder will take a few days to gradually kill them. The key for success is that the bed bugs should come in contact with the powder or dust. So, the application is key. Indeed, you should spray powder in locations where they have to cross in order to feed at night, as well as cracks or crevices where they could be hiding. Improper powder spreading is the reason why some people do not find success when using powder. Indeed, Bed bugs are smart insects and can for instance walk around to avoid powders or dust when they detect them. Also, most powders work on adult bugs that is why you should wait a few weeks so nymphs and eggs have matured into adulthood.
Can You Get Rid of Bed Bugs Using Only Powder?
Best is to combine the use of bed bugs powder with other methods such as vacuuming, encasing your bed or steaming, as well as using bed bugs traps. You will find here a complete do it yourself guide on how to eradicate bed bugs using different tools to ensure complete eradication. The bed can for instance be where the nest is located so in that case encasing your bed will be necessary to ensure none can escape through the mattress and in that case, you could not rely only on powders.
Bed bugs are smart and they can sometimes avoid walking through powder in some instances. Also, they can survive several months without food and they can hide in very tiny spots. On top of that they reproduce very quickly. This is why it is indeed necessary to opt for a strategy involving different weapons to deal with such creatures.
Which is more efficient: Silica gel dust or Diatomaceous Earth (DE)?
Unlike Diatomaceous Earth which cuts the skeleton to wait for dehydration, Silica gel dust will directly absorb the humidity from the Bed bugs. As a result, Silica gel dust will work faster than Diatomaceous Earth (DE).
Also, Silica gel dust contains no crystallized form of the powder unlike Diatomaceous Earth so it is safer to inhale. From the published scientific reviews, it seems that Silica gel dust is more effective. Because they need to have more than one contact with Diatomaceous Earth in order to effectively dehydrate. Whereas a unique contact with Silica gel dust will cause dehydration.
Anyway, both are good tools to integrate to ensure complete eradication of bed bugs.
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Are Bed bugs powders more effective than sprays?
Ideally both should be included to fight effectively against Bed bugs. The advantage of powder is their long-lasting effect which will ensure several generations of Bed bugs are killed. Also, powders are better than sprays to fill cracks and crevices where they like to hide. However, unlike spray, powder will lose some of its efficiency in a humid environment. Also, sprays are able to treat items that would be hard to use powder on such as bed, some furniture or luggage.
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Reviews of the best Powders for Bed bugs
Best Diatomaceous Earth powder: HARRIS Bed Bug Killer
The Harris Bed Bug Killer contains Diatomaceous Earth which will damage the bug shell and will provoke death by dehydration. When entering in contact with it, they will die within 48 hours. It also will have a long-lasting effect by killing weeks after first application as long as the room is not humid. It is eco-friendly and registered with the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) and the Organic Minerals Research Institute as safe to use.
The Harris Bed Bug Killer also comes with a powder duster. That will allow penetration of product in hard-to-reach areas like cracks and crevices around the mattress. One of the perks of having this high-quality Diatomaceous Earth powder is that it will also kill other repelling insects that have become resistant to pesticides.
Pros
- Effective to apply in hard-to-reach areas (such as cracks and crevices) with its powder duster.
- Is Long- lasting and will kill them on contact weeks after initial application.
- Safe to use and eco-friendly: EPA Registered & OMRI Listed.
- Is also effective with other repelling insects.
Cons
- For it to be effective you have to make sure bugs come in contact with the powder.
- Must be kept dry to remain effective after initial application
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Best Silica gel dust product: Rockwell CimeXa Insecticide Dust
Rockwell Labs is a renowned company in the pest control industry. Their CimeXa Insecticide Dust is their most effective powder against bed bugs.
The Rockwell CimeXa Insecticide Dust is made of Silica gel dust, which will absorb moisture from bed bugs and will cause quick dehydration and death. It showed noticeable results in the first days of use. It will have a quick dehydrating effect on bed bugs when they come in contact with it. However, its residual effect will be effective against bed bugs for years after application. It also has other purposes such as control of other repelling insects such as fleas, ticks, dry wood termites, roaches, ants, firebrats, mites among others.
Pros:
- Kills quickly and with high effectiveness bed bugs from each stage of life from adults to nymphs
- Have a long-lasting effect and will kill bed bugs for years
- Effective against parathyroid or neonicotinoids resistant bed bugs
- Odorless and non-staining
- Suitable for application anywhere bed bugs could hide such as cracks and crevices, voids, diverse furniture or under carpets
Cons:
- The CimeXa Insecticide Dust is not shipped to many countries.
- Application could be a bit messy for beginners