10 ways to kill bed bugs yourself, or at least control them

Killing bed bugs yourself can be a daunting task. They can be hidden under base boards, the back of dresser drawers, behind light switches … almost anywhere. The adult bed bug is about the size of an apple seed and is flat, until it feeds. While bed bugs are not a health hazard – they do not carry or transmit disease – they are enough to keep you awake at night just by thinking about them. A single bed bug bite can easily be mistaken for a mosquito bite and discarded as such, giving them time to multiply. Once you find one, you can be sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, more.

In the long run, a full infestation may require a professional exterminator. After all, how many are many? Before making the decision to act, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Bed bugs can live for a year without feeding on the blood of a host (usually you). An adult female can lay 200 to 500 eggs in her lifetime. Generally, an egg takes 50 days to mature. So whether you’re a DIYer or hiring a professional, it will take several treatments and constant observation. That being said … If the problem hasn’t gotten too out of hand, there are a number of ways you can win the fight against bed bugs. The first 3 listed here are required no matter what you do next

1 * Wash everything on site with the hottest water you can find. Bed bugs begin to die at around 114 degrees F. Then use a dryer on its highest setting. Not on the line to air dry. Temperature is key. In hot, dry climates (Phoenix, for example) it is just as effective to remove bedding and clothing in a black garbage bag and expose it to the sun for an afternoon.

2 * Empty. Vacuum all nooks, crannies, and crevices. Vacuum curtains, box springs, furniture, etc. Breathe in like your life depends on it. Bed bugs are not unclean creatures. They don’t care about crumbs or old food like cockroaches. But they need to vacuum and then take the whole vacuum outside to change the bags … Vacuum again.

3 * Steam cleaning. Now that you have your attention, combine n. 1 and No. ° 2. Put HOT hot water in the steam cleaner and go around the room again.

4 * As effective as heat, cold works too. The problem is, it needs to stay below freezing for 2 weeks for it to work.

5 * Biological warfare. Before World War II, begging bugs were all but eliminated. Around that time, the government banned DDT. I felt then that the numbers have been increasing and they have forced traps and chemicals to domesticate. There are numerous chemicals on the market, but most of them are not intended to touch the skin. These are best designed for non-traffic areas, box springs, curtains, etc.

6 * Mattress bags. Depending on the level of bed bug infestation, the best thing to do is dispose of the mattress entirely. For milder cases, chemicals from No. 5 can be sprayed and injected into the mattress before sealing it in a waterproof mattress bag. They start at around $ 60 and go up to size.

7 * Diatomaceous earth. This is the alternative to harsh chemicals. It is an all-natural powder ground from small single-celled algae fossils. They even put it in dog food as a preservative. At the microscopic level, it has jagged edges that cut and kill bed bugs as they crawl through it. It’s basically just dirt.

8 * Traps and tape. This is more for monitoring, but fly paper, roach traps, and the like will allow you to monitor the effectiveness of your efforts thus far. And then at any shipping supply store, you can pick up double-sided tape to wrap the sides of the mattress. Yet another way to catch and monitor bed bug traffic.

9 * Thyme and tree leaf oil. These are more repellent than anything else. It does not kill them. They smell it and head the other way. But remember that bed bugs can live for a year without feeding, so they are still reproducing.

10 * Neem. Neem oil and neem extract. If you find that you have been attacked by bed bugs, this will soothe the itch and hydrate the skin. In fact, it is good for your skin whether you have bed bugs or not. The advantage is that it keeps the bed bugs away from you while you sleep.

There we have 7 ways to kill bed bugs and some ways to monitor your progress in controlling bed bugs. The more you combine the recommendations above, the better luck you will have in the need for an exterminator. Just a warning job though … if you break down and need to hire an exterminator, they’ll ask you to clean up anyway before they show up. Get rid of clutter. Zip-lock bag for all cloths, bedding, sheets, etc. Vacuum and basically do all of the above in 1-3.

In closing, know that before you begin, it will take weeks and months of constant cleaning, washing, monitoring, and vacuuming over and over again to successfully kill bed bugs throughout their life cycle. And hopefully you can catch it before it spreads through the house. All you need is a couple of stowaways in the laundry room, luggage, sleeping bags or whatever cloth you carry with you.