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September 28, 2006

Comments

bartelby

In folks living in Latin America prevent Malaria by eating fava beans. Eating fava beans regularly prevents malarial infection. African folks with sickle cell trait are also immmune to malaria. Perhaps providing for a diet, including fava beans, in places where malaria is common. I think that might present fewer health risks than using an organochlorine like DDT. The cure for bedbugs is of course bound up with the cure for paying outlandish rent for a shoebox of an apartmment and even simpler still.

Steve PMX

Ever since I saw the Dateline special (I think it was Dateline) about bedbugs in hotels - I'll never be able to comfortably fall asleep in another hotel room for all eternity.

Kim Scarborough

I love how there's zero effort in this post to actually refute Crichton's point. Why bother engaging in argument when you can just call people you disagree with "nut-jobs"? Then everybody will just understand what you mean, and you don't have to trouble yourself with this messy "thinking" stuff.

Bat Guano

I spent 20 years growing up in the boonies of southwest Michigan. In that space of time I went from maybe seeing a buzzard now and then to often seeing hawks. It's a swell thing to be walking around the farm and hearing the scream of a rabbit and turning to see it nabbed by a raptor.

DDT killed birds off by weakening eggshells. Birds ate DDT treated bugs, then birds of prey ate those birds, and got DDT concentrated in their systems. Birds of prey began dying off.

It's no coincidence that the bald eagle and other raptors are making a big comeback in the decades after DDT was taken off the market. And that's why those who want to bring it back are nutjobs.

Etherealpr

Back in 1990 in Nigeria, I routinely encountered guesthouses and private homes where the rooms were sprayed every few days with the stuff. Nevermind its potential for bird genocide -- DDT's horrifically piercing artificial-grape-bubblegum scent should be enough reason to ban it forever.

Listener_Paul

Bedbugs? Pshaw. Fire Ant bites are where the real pain is.

Emmett

Sounds like fake grass roots efforts created by Dow and Monsanto to increase manufacturing business.
Next we will hear how good Agent Orange and Dioxin are as artificial sweeteners.

Richard

It seems the only really bad thing about DDT was that it was overused. Instead of spraying every few days (as the poster above recounted), a spray every few *months* would have sufficed.

Here's an excellent overview of the matter (with references, so doubters can check for themselves):

http://www.junkscience.com/ddtfaq.htm

Dale Hazelton

What was that stuff in Combat that basically wiped out cockroaches in NYC? I wouldn't want to go back to the pre-Hydramethylnon era of coming home, turning on the lights and watching the walls crawl again. (Yes, I took my garbage out!) I'm just sayin'.......

Ken Gray

Check out our bedbug website (still under construction). You must understand something about bedbug abatement. The chemicals used now are worse than DDT, with the exception of diatomaceous earth. Why? If you don't get rid of an infestation, which is damn difficult, period, you have to keep reapplying and reapplying.
DDT, if used properly, which is to say only indoors, would have a negligible effect on the environment and total devastation to bedbugs. DDT was used ridiculously in the 1950s, where tons were dumped into the ocean, etc. Remember, ever time you use Comet cleanser, you are putting chlorine, a very toxic substance, into our water. Please, a little rationality and discretion. By the way, these are my opinions and not those of the Bedbugger site.

jen campbell

i have bedbugs, and am currently searching where i can buy DDT- it is my last option as i have tried everything else in the two months since i bought my new house, which came with the nasty lil critters!!! i have 4 children and have lost most of my furniture because of this problem, i say bring it back asap!!! if anyone knows where i can get some DDT please let me know!!! thanks!!!

Laura

Bring it BACK! Regulate it strictly, but please bring it back!

joey

There are those of us who are covered in bites, already sprayed a long list of chemicals I can't remember, and don't give a flying fuck about eagles because I spend all of my caring time scratching. Fuck eagles. Seriously. Dead African kids or not, I'm spraying Ddt as fast as the undernet grey market can ship some here.

Lonny The Diatomaceous Earth food Grade advocate

Your writing style is great. I do not like using chemicals other than some ethanol and soap and hot water and diatomaceous earth food grade to rid the house of those nasty critters. I really do not want my family or my pets exposed to DDT or any other hazardous chemicals!

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