Bed Bug Pesticide

Fire retardants, present in almost all bedding, except certain organic materials that are naturally retardant, are known to give off chemical fumes that can be harmful to your health. Stain resistant solvents are used to keep food spills or bodily fluids from staining your expensive mattress, sheets or comforters. A great idea until you realize that fumes from those same solvents may be absorbed into your skin or breathed in as you rest through the night. Pesticides can be present in bedding to help keep bugs out of your bed. Again a good idea you may think, except when you realize that you are lying there breathing in their fumes all night even if only in microscopic amounts.

And then there are the materials from which the bed is made. There is polyurethane foam as well polyester fiber in sheets and pillowcases which are again made from petrochemicals. It is true that some polyesters are natural but most that are used in bedding materials are synthetic and people with sensitive skin should be wary of bedding materials containing polyester.

The chemicals in bedding most often cited as potential sources of concern are pesticides, herbicides, fire retardants, stain-resistant solvents, the various substances in synthetic fibers, and formaldehyde. Quoting Doctor Rosalind Anderson of Anderson Laboratories Inc., after studying some of the best-selling mattresses, who knew that most mattresses are chemical "wastebaskets" full of potentially health damaging material, For instance most mattresses contain polyurethane foam and the chemicals from which polyurethane is made are known carcinogens.

Over the years we have been told that materials manufactured from petrochemicals are safe but, are they really. It seems to me that staying with natural and organic materials is a safer alternative. Natural and organic wool, organic cotton and latex foam provide all the comfort you could want without the risks of chemicals seeping out of your bedding and into your body, either through your skin or in the air you breathe, as you rest.

To make you bed safer, keep your current bed and use barriers such as mattress covers made of high quality organic cloth to separate you from the harmful chemical filled mattress or replace your bedding altogether with a natural organic sheets, pillowcases comforters or duvets and even an organic mattress.

Do you want to know how safe your bed is? Go to http://www.care2.com/greenliving/quiz-healthy-bed.html# and take the quiz. To purchase Organic bedding, organic sheets or organic duvets go to http://www.organicbeddingplus.com and get a better and healthier night's sleep.

To begin with, the utilisation of leaves that fall to the ground or grass freshly cut from the lawn is important as it saves you so much money. Any plant material of this nature is very close at hand, you can get it from your yard or even sawdust from the local mills. Once this is done a compost heap is the way to go. Nothing more complicated than a good old heap of plants, animal droppings and soil that is watered regularly to promote decay. With time the grass plants will die down and this is when you take a garden fork and carefully throw it in your lettuce, cabbage or spinach patch. Don't forget to mix it with the soil with shallow cultivation.

What is even better is that garden manure feeds not only your plant but the environment in which your plant grows. When the soil structure is improved with time by organic matter, helpful micro-organisms that get rid of disease causing bacteria and viruses also survive and flourish. This promotes a healthy plant environment and the same micro-organisms release nutrients when they die. Manure is also good at keeping waterlogged soils well drained. But that's not all.

Adding leaves and grasses that haven't decayed is a method of conserving soil moisture for plant growth. Mulching will ensure that the direct sun has very little contact with the soil, allowing in just enough to sustain photosynthesis. By so doing your garden remains well watered, and the vegetables grow with no growth strains that affect produce quality. Yet another aspect of mulching is that it discourages the growth of weeds by blocking them from the sun.

But wait, there's more. If you go all out with organic gardening you will soon discover a way to apply nitrogen to your soil without having to waste money on organic fertilisers with nitrogen extracted from plants. Green manure is where you plant green beans or clover and then plough them into the soil when they're smallish. Beans and clover possess nitrogen-fixing bacteria that will boost your soil nitrogen and the greening of your vegetables. Whilst on the footing, growing certain pest repellent plants like neem can work as pesticides for you at a close to zero cost.

The next step is to encourage the breeding and nesting of beneficial insects like lady bugs and hover flies and their corresponding plant associates dill and zinnia. On top of that, the crop rotation cycle is a unique way to protect your plants from pests and diseases that harbor in particular vegetable beds. This is done through growing plants in different vegetable beds all the time: grow peas where you grew carrots.

The use of natural plant and animal material to nourish your garden can be very interesting and exciting. Apart from being healthy alternatives to synthetic materials it gives you the peace of mind that your vegetables are pure of dangerous chemicals. Once you have selected an area with good and well aerated loamy soil and with adequate exposure to the sun and water, go ahead and venture into organic gardening.

Matt Sumerstone enjoys writing about many topics, including sports, gardening, and home improvement. Visit his latest web site where he covers what to look for in outdoor party lighting and outdoor party lights.