The only way to fully control bed bugs is with a thorough inspection, treatment and monitoring. This may require a combination of several products.
Avoid using foggers, which spread insecticide throughout your living space and can cause skin irritation. They also can damage furniture, especially in the deep folds and pleats of upholstered items.
1. Vacuuming
Vacuuming can be an effective way to remove bed bugs, especially when they have gathered in a clump, or when they are hiding in rips and tears, crevices and cracks. If you have a vacuum with strong suction, you can make short work of the pests and their eggs. Thoroughly vacuuming the mattress, furniture and baseboards will help to reduce the number of visible bed bugs. Vacuum the seams of the mattress and the bed frame, the tufts and folds in the mattress, and the interior of the box spring. It is also a good idea to vacuum upholstered items and any other possible hiding places in the room.
You can use a vacuum cleaner attachment with a stiff brush to dislodge eggs in hard-to-reach areas. Emptying the vacuum bag into a plastic bag and sealing it before disposing of it is important. If your vacuum has a removable container, you should empty and clean it as well.
A mixture of cayenne pepper, oregano essential oil and grated ginger can repel bed bugs as well. Mix equal parts of the ingredients with water to create a spray. Apply the solution to all entry points of the home, and the spiciness should deter bed bugs from entering.
Another option is to apply insecticide dust to a room with an infestation. There are products on the market that contain non-toxic silica which causes abrasions in the exoskeleton of the insects, causing them to dehydrate and die. If you apply these products correctly and regularly, they can be a useful supplement to other home remedies for bed bugs.
2. Heat
If a home has a serious bed bug infestation, the most effective method to kill the bugs is heat treatment. This involves bringing the entire home to a temperature that kills the insects and their eggs.
Before the heat treatment, homeowners should declutter their homes as much as possible. This will give the heat more places to penetrate. It’s also a good idea to put away items that may be damaged by the extreme heat, such as candles, aerosol cans, flammable liquids, and some electronics. It’s also a good idea for homeowners to clean out their closets and garages. This will allow the heat to reach areas that might be hard to reach with vacuuming or Cryonite.
In addition, the homeowner should vacuum their furniture to remove any bed bug nymphs and eggs that are hiding in cracks and crevices. It’s also a good idea if the homeowner can, to vacuum the seams of mattresses and their frame as well as baseboards and couch cushions. This will also help to remove any dead bed bugs and shed skins that might be hiding in the tiny cracks of these pieces of furniture.
Lastly, it’s important to have the right equipment for the job. Professional pest control companies use special heaters that can heat a home up to 118 degrees Fahrenheit. This will not only kill the pests but it will also destroy their eggs and nymphs.
Homeowners can also try their hand at homemade heat treatments using a mixture of cayenne pepper, oregano essential oil, grated ginger, and water. The solution should be heated to about 118 degrees and then applied with a spray bottle to the surfaces of the rooms that are infested with bed bugs. This solution will not only repel the pests but it will also help to keep them from returning to these areas.
3. Cryonite
Cryonite is a carbon dioxide spray treatment developed in Europe that uses an ultra-cold freezing method to kill bed bugs and their eggs. It is also environmentally friendly and nontoxic. When sprayed onto surfaces from its patented applicator, CO2 snow quickly and easily infiltrates mattresses, box springs, cracks, crevices and under furniture, killing the pests instantly. This method is safer around electronics than heat treatments and can be used even where food prep surfaces may need to be kept free of contamination.
The extreme cooling causes the water in the bugs’ cells to crystallize, killing them instantly. Cryonite particles are optimized to reach the bugs and cling to them, killing them even in their eggs, which other insecticide treatments cannot do. This method also does not leave wet or sticky residues, which makes it safe to use where food is prepared and stored.
Professionals using cryonite have reported success in eliminating severe infestations of these pests in homes and commercial buildings. This is an effective, rapid and affordable way to rid the home of these unwanted guests, and it can be followed by using other preventative measures such as mattress and box spring encasements and monitoring with traps or monitors.
Another option for treating an infestation of bed bugs is insecticide dust products. These are available as a powder that can be mixed with water or spray and applied to the interior joints of furniture, on the tufts and folds of the mattress, and the inside framework of the box spring. It can also be sprayed around wall voids, behind electrical outlets and baseboards. Some of these products contain silica, which abrasively scratches the exoskeleton of the bed bug, causing it to dehydrate and die.
4. Insecticides
Using insecticides to kill bed bugs is typically done by your PMP (pest management professional) to treat large or widespread infestations. Bed bugs are very difficult to eliminate from well-established populations, so treatment must be aggressive and thorough, or you can try an effective homemade solution for fighting bedbugs is rubbing alcohol.
The first thing to do is clear all clutter from the home and put it in a trash bag to be taken outside immediately. This will reduce the number of places where bed bugs hide and help your treatment methods work better. Vacuum the entire home using a powerful vacuum and the crevice attachment to get all surfaces. Make sure to vacuum carpeting, mattresses, box springs, beds and other furniture as well as rugs, curtains, baseboards, non-washable upholstered furniture, and cracks in the walls.
If you have a heavy steamer, use it to kill bed bug eggs in all areas where they are hiding (steam the mattresses, cracks and crevices around basesboards, etc.) and launder all bedding, sheets, pillowcases and mattress protectors (as needed). If you have a heat chamber, consider putting any hard-to-reach pieces of furniture into it while still sealed in plastic bags, to be heated at high temperatures to kill the bed bugs and their eggs.
Consider a low-risk pesticide such as pyrethrins or pyrethroids, if your infestation is not responding to other treatments. These are relatively low in toxicity to pets and people, but they require careful application by your PMP as they must be applied directly to the bed bug nests, which can be hidden inside cracks and crevices. They will also require repeated applications over time. In some cases, your PMP may recommend the use of desiccants such as diatomaceous earth (made from fossilized shells of algae) to dry up and kill bed bugs. EPA-registered pesticides are the best choice, as they are safe and effective.
5. Traps
Homeowners can make or buy traps that are specifically designed to catch bed bugs. These traps are usually made of a dish with concentric walls that trap the bug as it climbs up from furniture legs or into cracks and crevices. Alternatively, interceptor traps (Figure 1) consist of a sticky surface that captures the bug when it climbs over it. Both of these traps work best if placed near beds or other potential harborage places and if they are regularly checked, cleaned and replaced.
Other traps use CO2 or pheromones to emulate the behavior of a sleeping human and lure bed bugs to them. Some use a glue or pitfall to trap the insects when they climb into the traps. Glue traps are small and inexpensive, and they are effective against most pests, including spiders and cockroaches.
Various desiccants also may be used to remove bed bugs. Diatomaceous earth, a naturally occurring mineral that is pulverized from fossilized algae, works by absorbing the oils and moisture of the insect. It is available at pool supply and pet stores in powder form. However, it is hazardous to pets and humans when inhaled, so only use food grade or pet-safe product and avoid using it in areas where people breathe.
Space treatments with aerosols, often referred to incorrectly as fumigating*, can kill bed bugs by raising the temperature to levels lethal to them. However, they are generally ineffective against well-hidden infestations and they can present a health and safety hazard when used improperly. This treatment should only be done by an experienced professional.
