Feverfew for bed bugs

There are so many products on the market today for the destruction of bedbugs, and most of them contain powerful synthetic insecticides. However, what if there is a small child in the house or a pet sticking its nose everywhere? After all, most insecticides are to some extent toxic to warm-blooded animals.

In these cases, you can try using a natural remedy - feverfew powder for bedbugs (which is often called simply - feverfew). We will talk about it in more detail later ...

 

What is pyrethrum powder?

The insecticidal properties of pyrethrum, or chamomile, have been known to man for a long time. From the dried flowers of this perennial plant, the hostesses prepared a powder for the future, which successfully got rid of parasites such as bed bugs, fleas, cockroaches and mosquitoes.

Pyrethrins in the composition of pyrethrum powder block the transmission of nerve impulses in bedbugs, resulting in paralysis and rapid death of the insect. In addition, the unique properties of pyrethrum powder, also called the old Persian or Dalmatian powder, made it possible to fight not only bedbugs, but also ticks, and even helminths.

It is interesting

To kill scabies mites in animals in large farms, a small pit was filled with water with diluted pyrethrum powder, after which animals were driven there for bathing. The death of ticks, as a rule, occurred on the same or the next day.

Needless to say, the manufacture of such a powder from bedbugs or other harmful insects was a very laborious process. Industrial analogues of pyrethrum, created in the 40s, required less time and labor and were more efficient, so the production of natural powder has since been practically discontinued.

However, even today, the main advantages of pyrethrum powder are:

• low toxicity to humans and other mammals with pronounced effectiveness in the fight against bed bugs;
• naturalness and environmental friendliness, high decay rate in the light (valid for no more than 1.5 days). For the same reason, it is convenient to use it in a house where there is a child or a pet, without fear that the remnants of the product that are not completely removed from the surfaces of the sofa or carpet will cause poisoning and other troubles;
• pyrethrins in the composition of the powder practically do not cause addiction in insects;
• the range of application of pyrethrum powder is not limited to bed bugs, it can be successfully used to combat cockroaches, fleas, mosquitoes, feather-eaters in indoor birds, as well as pests of garden crops.

At the same time, some of the advantages of the powder are at the same time its disadvantages. So, the insecticides in its composition quickly disintegrate in the light, and therefore do not have a sufficiently long-term effect to destroy all the larvae and adults of the bugs.

Accordingly, it is advisable to use the powder with a small number of parasites.Another disadvantage of this tool can be called the fact that it is quite difficult to buy feverfew from bedbugs today in free sale.

It is interesting

A detailed study of the properties of pyrethrum was carried out in the laboratory as early as 1908. However, only by the 1920s was the structure of natural pyrethrin insecticides reproduced, and their production began to improve. The drugs proved to be very expensive and also very unstable. Only in the 1940s was it possible to synthesize in large volumes more persistent insecticides - allethrin and tetramethrin - called pyrethroids. Today, many remedies for bedbugs, fleas and ticks belong specifically to the pyrethroid group, they have sufficient effectiveness against these parasites while being relatively safe for warm-blooded creatures.

 

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Where to find feverfew for bedbugs?

Anyone who sets out to buy feverfew for bedbugs will find that this is not easy to do. You can try to look for it in pharmacies, but pharmacists, having heard the name, will most likely offer capsules of pyrethrum maiden instead of it as a biological supplement to strengthen the body.

If you have experience ordering goods abroad, you can try to buy pyrethrum powder on the Amazon website, where it is sold in the form of dust with a special spray called pyrethrum dust.

In Russia, feverfew for bedbugs in small packages can be found in individual online stores. In some of them, delivery is possible both in Moscow and in the regions. In extreme cases, instead of pyrethrum powder, you can use pharmacy chamomile, which can be bought at any pharmacy in the form of dried flowers or in the form of filter bags with powder. True, pyrethrins in its inflorescences contain much less than in Dalmatian chamomile, which means that this remedy will not be as effective.

 

 

How to make such a powder at home?

In Russia, Dalmatian chamomile and its relative Caucasian chamomile are quite popular garden plants. They are actively used in landscape design due to their unpretentiousness to weather conditions and pleasant appearance. If you look at the dacha to yourself or to your neighbors, then for sure you can find these flowers there, decorating the flower beds.

Insecticidal substances called cynerins and pyrethrins that act on bedbugs are found in all parts of the plant, but most of them are found in inflorescences. Harvest them during the period of active flowering.

Drying is best done in the attic, that is, not under the open sun. Dried inflorescences should be stored in a dark, dry place. You can grind them into powder as needed in a regular coffee grinder or in a blender.

If, nevertheless, there is no opportunity to grind the flowers into powder, then an aqueous infusion can be prepared from the crushed raw materials. For this, the inflorescences are poured into a container (for example, a bucket) up to half the volume and filled with water. A day later, strained infusion can be used to treat surfaces affected by pests. Immediately before processing, it is recommended to add a little soap or washing liquid to the infusion.

It's important to know

Despite the fact that feverfew is a completely natural remedy, pyrethrins themselves can be quite powerful allergens and cause contact dermatitis, tearing, and even an asthma attack. However, such consequences can occur after the use of almost any medicinal plant. The risk of allergic reactions to feverfew increases in those who are already allergic to plant pollen, such as ragweed. For this reason, very young children should not be allowed to come into direct contact with this powder.

 

And further: Proven methods for the destruction of bedbugs, which have shown high efficiency

How to use feverfew powder for bed bugs?

To apply the powder to hard-to-reach places, a special sprayer or even an ordinary rubber bulb is used, with which pyrethrum can be blown into various cracks. To process the mattress or floor under the carpet, it will be enough to distribute the powder in a thin layer over the surface.

As for the prepared pyrethrum infusion, you can spray it with a conventional household spray gun.

The action of the product in a lit place lasts about 1-2 days, so after this period it is necessary to apply fresh powder. If the number of bugs is low, then daily treatment for 5 days may be enough to get rid of parasites.

However, it must be understood that with a high number of bedbugs in the room, not only pyrethrum powder, but often powerful industrial insecticides will not be able to quickly cope with the problem that has arisen.

 

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