Here’s the truth: getting rid of bed bugs is not easy. Because of their size, bugs can easily hide in places which can be difficult to penetrate. If your little boarders are giving you a headache (plus tons of bites), then listed below are the following techniques you can do to eliminate them completely.
Home remedies
Although it is not advisable to put bed bug extermination in your own hands, there are simple ways you can do to at least reduce their number. This includes:
- Did you know that your washing machine and dryer are effective in killing bed bugs found in clothes sheets and other fabrics? Hence, wash and launder all beddings, pillow cases, sheets, clothes and covers using a hot water with a temperature of at least 120F then dry in a dryer with high heat for at least 10 to 20 minutes.
- Vacuum all fabric-type objects in your house such as soft toys and pillows. After vacuuming the items, place them in a plastic bag and seal it for three days. This method will kill any remaining bed bugs and prevent them from multiplying.
- Inspect your cupboard and drawers and see if they have been infested by bed bugs.
- Vacuum your whole home, paying extra attention to nooks, crannies, cracks, beds, upholstered furniture and openings in the wall. To make it more effective, scrape the infested areas as you vacuum.
- Sun-dry items that cannot be washed or placed in the drier. To do this, wrap the items loosely in plastic and place them outdoors in a hot and sunny location for at least 24 hours.
Heat treatment
One of the best ways to kill bed bugs is by heat treatment. When bugs are exposed to high heat and a temperature of more than 45 degrees Celsius, they can be rapidly eliminated. However, it is important to instantly set the heat at high temperature rather than the gradual increase to stop the bugs from infesting other areas in the room.
Heat treatment uses thermal heaters and will be placed in every room of the house where bed bugs are present. This heat will slowly dry out their bodies until the bugs are dead. During the process, make sure to remove pets, oil paintings, plastic materials or anything that is likely to melt. Remove electronic devices such as microwave or DVD players since they can also be affected by the heat and become damaged.
While heat treatment is effective, this can be costly too. Thermal remediation of your entire home can range from $2,000 to $6,000 while heat treatment for one room can cost $400 to $850.
Cold treatment
If you want a chemical-free solution against bed bugs, then cold treatment can be your best option. The idea is that a temperature below zero degrees Celsius can kill bed bugs on four to five days. An example of this is Cryonite treatment. Cryonite is a type of carbon dioxide that attaches to the bugs’ exoskeleton and causes them to freeze, starting from their inside.
Although there is no toxic used, it is advisable to put all your clothes in bags and clean the area after treatment by vacuuming the area and washing your clothes among others.
Steam treatment
Another method that can get rid of bed bugs is steam treatment. Steam heat is a location-specific treatment that can be used to treat large areas such as mattresses, carpets and drapery. Hence, it is important to apply steam heat to every inch of the area to make sure the bugs are killed. Just make sure that the steamer has a continuous flow of heat that is capable of high temperature and low-vapour type of steam blast.
Bed bug mattress cover
Another way to kill bed bugs is by using a protective cover. A bed bug mattress cover encases the mattress and box springs and traps all the bed bugs living inside. Once the zipper of the mattress cover is shut, all the bed bugs inside will not be able to reproduce and die eventually. However, it can only protect you against bed bugs that are trapped inside the mattress and cannot stop the bugs from crawling onto them.
Bed bug spray
Bed bug spray is a type of canned product that contains a form of bug pesticide called pyrethroid. Although this chemical can be toxic to bed bugs and slowly goes inside their body to kill them through direct contact. Over the years, the bugs have developed a resistance against it, rendering most bed bug sprays ineffective. But if you have been travelling too much, then a spray can be your best friend.
Bed bug fumigation
This is also one of the most effective ways to kill bed bugs. It involves sealing the entire area infested by bed bugs and pumping in gas to get rid of them. However, the effectiveness of this method will still depend on the location of the bugs. At the same time, bed bug fumigation equipment is large, bulky and expensive and should be done only by a professional (unless you want to damage your home and the contents inside it).
Bed bug exterminators
When it comes to bed bugs, the best people you can call are bed bugs exterminators. But before they perform their job of eliminating bugs, they thoroughly inspect the place first to check where these pests are hiding.
At the same time, most experienced bed bug exterminators practice Integrated Pest Management or IPM. This means they use a combination of treatment methods such as steam heat and pesticides to effectively eliminate pests. Further, IPM promotes strategies that can manage and prevent pests from coming back such as sealing cracks and crevices or modifying doors and windows.
As to the price, it depends on the size of the area and the degree of infestation. Per room, exterminators can charge from $250 to $900 while the estimated cost for the entire house can reach up to $5,000. If you own an apartment building, extermination fees can cost as much as $80,000.
What are you waiting for?
Try any of these techniques to get rid of them permanently. Otherwise, female bugs will continuously lay their eggs on the surfaces of your bed as their numbers and the consistency of their bites continue to grow.