Anyone have any advice for keeping a chinchilla safe with a bed bug infestation? They are in a bedroom so I've been letting him out in the bathroom as much as I wish he had more room. He's used to being let out in the room. Any information would be so welcome! :facepalm:
UGH Bed Bugs!
- Thread starter Meeko
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TaylorMadeChinchillas
Well-known member
Get some diatomaceous earth for the cage. It kills bugs by absorbing all of the liquid in their bodies. BUT it is perfectly safe for you and your chins. You can mix a little bit in their dust bath. I wouldn't trust any chemicals.
Thanks for your help! I read online that diatomaceous earth is the same as their regular dust bath? I'm not sure if that's true or I should run out. I've dusted all the baseboards with the dust bath. Many people online are saying it's a great chemical-free way to try to get rid of them.
Do you think I should let him out in my room or am I just spoiling him worrying about how much room he has?
Do you think I should let him out in my room or am I just spoiling him worrying about how much room he has?
halfstache
Beware the 2 headed chin
As a licensed pest control technician, I would advise you to hire a professional immediately. Bed bugs are extremely difficult to control. Your best bet is to hire a company to perform a heat treatment. They'll have to heat the house to above 115 degrees at the very least for a period of time. Expect the cost to ve around $1600 plus even for a small home. Chemical treatments are way less effective in my experience. I had one home that I had to treat 12 times before satisfactory control was obtained. This is a problem that you will not be able to treat with at home remedies. If you do the heat treatment you'll have to be out of the house and take your pets with you, but you should not have to throw out furniture or other possessions.
Yeah, right now I'm just trying to keep us at the least irritated we can be. I'm in an apartment complex and I'm waiting on my landlord to get in an exterminator. But when I told her today it was Saturday so I'm sure it's likely we won't see anyone until Monday.
TaylorMadeChinchillas
Well-known member
Most dust bath here in the U.S. is volcanic pumice. You can get diatomaceous earth from most feed places and it is fairly cheap. Good luck getting rid of them as most apartment complex really don't care.
halfstache
Beware the 2 headed chin
No. Do not let him out in a room with bed bugs. If you have a ferret nation or similar cage you could smear vasoline along the upright supports below the bottom cage to help prevent the bed bugs from climbing the cage and getting inside. Keep the cage away from the wall or other surfaces.
Vyxxin
RAF Chins
Bed bugs terrify the crap out of me I mean, they are taking hold in more and more places in the US...and while I live in the country, I'm sure they'll eventually branch out to the rural areas at some point. If you get a chance to update this, let us know your results! You never know who it will help in the future
I mean, they are taking hold in more and more places in the US...and while I live in the country, I'm sure they'll eventually branch out to the rural areas at some point. If you get a chance to update this, let us know your results! You never know who it will help in the future
