Eliminating Bed Bugs

" Eliminating bed bugs is not easy and depends on the size of the problem, and whether you live in an apartment or home. This guide to removing bedbugs provides all of the information you need including home remedies and products you can purchase. We'll explore the costs of hiring a professional and of doing it yourself." "

Do it Yourself or Hire a Bed Bug Pest Control Professional?

Removing bed bugs involves a combination of knowing where bed bugs hide, and having the right supplies to kill both bed bugs and their eggs.

Hiring a Professional Bed Bug Exterminator when Eliminating Bed Bugs.

The advantage of a pest control expert is that they have the experience to attack the problem. Professionals also have access to equipment that a home owner may not have.

The disadvantage of a professional is the eliminating bed bugs cost. Some pest control firms charge for both an on site bed bug inspection, which can cost anywhere from $75 to $500, the high end is if a bed bug sniffing dog is used. As mentioned, bed bugs can be hard to find, and a dog can be an easy way to detect their musty raspberry like odor. The cost of the treatment itself can be $750 or more depending on the size of the problem.

Treating several floors in an apartment building can cost upwards of $10,000. If hiring a professional for eliminating bed bugs, be sure to get a written outline of chemical and non chemical approaches used and a guarantee that the problem will be taken care of. Removing bed bugs from a home can take several treatments.

Ask the exterminator about the need to remove children and pets from the home.

Eliminating Bed Bugs Yourself

Eliminating bed bugs yourself is best accomplished with a do it yourself kit such as the one offered by Dermisil for bed bugs. The kits provide the 3 or 4 critical products needed for the project and cost approximately $160. The typical kit includes:

Mattress Safe Spray: Use either a Permethrin, Benzalkonium chloride, or spray based on plant extracts. Some believe that a small percentage of bed bugs are starting to develop a resistance to Permethrin. Sprays come in a pump and aerosol form. If you use the aerosol form, such as Pronto Spray ($5.25 per can)do not smoke when applying the product to avoid fire.

Sprays alone will not solve the bedbug problem as they DO NOT kill bed bug eggs. To kill the eggs you need to apply high heat directly to the shells.
Hand Steamer: A hand held steamer will provide the heat needed to super heat a bed bug eggs. Bed bugs and their eggs are killed at approximately 114F. Sprays cannot penetrate the shell. Professionals often seal and superheat a treated room or move personal belongings to a heat chamber located on the back to a truck to ensure that all bed bugs and bedbug eggs are killed.
Fossil Dust: Fossil dust or diatomaceous earth is a natural product made up of ground fossils. It is used or spread around a room and into cracks after treatment in order to kill any late hatching bedbugs that weren't killed previously. This type of product can be purchased as part of a kit or from Amazon.com - Bedbug Insect Control Dust. After you apply the dust, do not vacuum the room for 2 weeks.
Mattress Covers: Bed bug zippered mattress covers are used after treatment in order to trap any remaining bed bugs inside the mattress and box spring. Studies show that 50% to 80% of bed bugs that are in a room are within 5 feet of where the human host sleeps. The bugs are trapped inside the mattress, and will die within a year without feeding. You do not have to throw out a mattress. If it in good condition, it pays to invest in a cover such as the collection offered by Amazon.com

Preparing Your Home When Eliminating Bed Bugs

The key to eliminating bed bugs is to be thorough. This means a complete inspection of every inch of the room being treated. Here are the steps that will help the room be ready for either the do it yourself approach or if you are hiring a professional. If hiring a bed bug exterminator, as if they have a printed list, since different extermination techniques may require different levels of preparation.

The first thing to know is that nothing should be removed from the room that is going to be treated, unless it is bagged or sealed in a plastic crate. The reason is that simply moving items out of the room can drop bedbugs throughout the house.

Remove clutter from the room: Bed bugs like to hide in cracks and crevices. This includes tears in a mattress, the joints of a bed frame or along the wall where a carpet meets the molding. Removing clutter will remove potential hiding places. Start by throwing out newspapers and magazines. Bed bugs could be hiding between the pages. Bag, tie and dispose of these types of items out of the home.
Bag and wash clothes, linens and sheets: Clothes that can be washed should be bagged and left in the room for the time being. For big infestations empty the closet and drawers if you suspect that the bugs have spread that far. When ready, wash clothes in hot water and then place in the dryer for at least 30 minutes. This will eliminate any bed bugs and eggs hiding in the clothes.
Loosen the bed frame: A favorite hiding place, particularly in wooden frames, is where the joints of the frame come together. Make sure you can access all the possible hiding places when eliminating bed bugs. You'll need to spray into the cracks.
Loosen Wall Plates: Any cable or electrical outlet plates are hiding places if they are not tight against the wall.

Eliminating Bed Bugs from a Room

Vacuum: The vacuum is the first line of defense. It will not pick up bed bug eggs, as these are cemented to whatever surface they are deposited on, which is why they are difficult to find and kill. Use the crevice tool to vacuum along the edges of the mattress, the bed frame and along the edges of the room. When fininshed, remove the vacuum bag in the room treated, seal in a plastic bag, and dispose out of the home.
Spray: Use a pump mattress safe spray. The spray will either kill the bed bugs on contact, or they will die shortly after. Spray gently on the mattress, without soaking it to avoid mold. Spray into all cracks. As a reminder, spray will not kill bed bug eggs.
Steam: A hand steamer is a helpful way to kill bugs and eggs. Avoid the electrical outlets when using any liquids. Steam inside all cracks, around the bed, frame, drawers etc.
Apply Fossil Dust: Fossil dust acts as a barrier around the bed and the walls. New construction in cities such as New York are now including Fossil dust in the walls to keep bedbugs from spreading from apartment to apartment. The dust is a natural product and works by burning through the back of the bed bug. It's a helpful step as part of your eliminating bed bugs plan.
Cover the Mattress: Buy zippered mattress covers that specifically state that they are made to protect against bedbugs. Any bed bugs that you missed will be trapped inside the bed. This is a perfectly acceptable way to save your mattress from disposal. Cover the mattress and box spring. Some people also cover the pillow.

The following can provide an added level or protection in your effort when eliminating bed bugs:

Bed Bug Bowls: Bed bugs look for their human hosts just before sunrise. They are attracted to phermones and carbon dioxide given off the the human host. A home made bed bug remedy is to take 4 large mixing type bowels. Glue fabric on the outside so that the bed bug has a way to climb up the side. They prefer rough to smooth surfaces. Place approximately 2 inches of rubbing alcohol in the bowel. Prepare 4 bowels and place each leg of the bed in each bowel. The bedbugs will climb up the outside, and since the inside of the bowl is smooth, they will fall into the rubbing alcohol and die. It is also an excellent way to see how many bedbugs you collect in order to determine the extent of your problem.
Double Sided Tape: Wrap double sided tape around each leg of the bed. The bedbugs will get stuck to the tape as they climb toward the bed.
Clean the Carpet: If you have a carpet cleaner, steam clean the carpet on the hottest setting. Add a disinfectant to the cleaner in order to kill any eggs that were deposited. Consider a disinfectant such as Puracleen RX.
Test in an out of the way area to make sure it doesn't stain your carpet.
Move the bed away from the wall: Move your bed 6 inches from the wall. This will keep bed bugs from climbing up the wall and then moving onto the bed.

Not Sure You Have Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are often confused with other parasites. If you are unsure, a sample can be sent to the Harvard School of Public Health for evaluation. Harvard University bed bug information can be used before you make an investment in treatment.

You can also tell if you have bed bugs based on the pattern of bites. Bed bugs bite skin areas that area exposed when sleeping. Look for bites primarily on the arms, legs and neck. The bed bug bites themselves are actually two small skin punctures. Any redness that appears on the skin is actually an allergic reaction. You can check your reaction against our library of bed bug bite pictures.

eliminating bed bugs
Picture of Bed Bug on Human Hand