I have had bed bugs for the last 6 months, slowly getting rid of them, and I have not had to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive exterminators. When I first realized I had an infestation I read everything I could find about them. I took the bed apart and found that they were mostly in the mattress itself. The infestation was so bad that my husband and I decided to ditch the mattress/boxspring all together.
We went to discount mattress store and purchased a relatively cheap set. I bought a plastic cover for the mattress (didn't even think about the box spring) Before setting up the bed again I spent several hours spraying rubbing alcohol in all the cracks and holes in the bed frame. I followed that up with the hair dryer-mak sure you have a paper towel in hand because some of them came flying out and I had to squash them!
I went around and around the bed till there weren't any more.(Don't forget the beams that go across the bed. I found a bunch in them also)
After that I got a container of Vaseline and filled the cracks and holes. It seems the bugs can't breaath through the rubbing a;cohol or the Vaseline. I haven't had any more bugs in the bed frame since then, the box spring is another story! There are only a few left, much better than before, and I am working on getting rid of them.
I've read stories about people spending hundreds of $ on exterminators, and seen ads stating I have to call them in order to get rid of the bugs. But most the people say it didnt work!! NO THANKS!!! Bottom line is I've been using rubbing alcohol and a hair dryer and I am just about bug free!! Yes it's taken hours of time and many back aches but the day i say I am bug free will make it all worth it!!! The most expensive purchase Ive had to make was for the new bed set, which wasn't more than 200$. Go to the Dollar store and get a spray bottle, a couple bottles of rubbing alcohol, and Vaseline.
Editors Comment
First thank you for sharing your story. It shows that the key to killing bedbugs is to find them, and then kill them with some type of spray.
Alcohol can be used to kill bed bugs. We prefer to use an alcohol based spray such as Sterifab as a knock down spray (kills on contact) for both bed bugs and bed bug eggs. In addition to the alcohol it contains a synthetic pyrethroid that is highly effective. It can be purchased for under $20 and could help kill more of the bed bug population.
It would also help to supplement this effort with a residual longer lasting spray product such as Phantom. This would provide several weeks of protection.
Again, thanks for sharing your bed bug home remedies. I'm sure your hard work will pay off with a bed bug free home.
