Bed bugs are zero fun! They live in your home and sneak out at night to dine on your blood. And they’re not easy to kill, having built up an immunity to a wide assortment of popular insecticides. Luckily, there is a lot of advice out there on dealing with bed bugs from people who have gone through an infestation themselves.
How to Successfully Beat Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are well known travelers. In an interview with CBS News Dr. Ron Harrison, the Technical Director for the extermination firm Orkin said, "They can travel easily from place to place, on people's clothing or in their personal belongings. Once inside a hotel, home or office building, they can spread from room to room - on furniture, through pipes and through housekeeping devices, such as vacuum cleaners. Inspect your luggage after traveling, and for an extra precaution, wash and dry your clothes from a trip on high heat.”
Using Diatomaceous Earth to Kill Bed Bugs
Many people swear by using diatomaceous earth to rid their home of these invaders. One Reddit user commented, “Ya my house is lightly dusted everywhere and I mixed it with water and sprayed it on the wall and places dust won't settle on the bed legs or frame. I haven't seen a bug in 2 weeks.” Diatomaceous earth is comprised of microscopic aquatic fossils that cut through the exoskeleton of the bug, penetrating their skin and absorbing the fat and oils from within to completely dehydrate and kill them.
Combating Bed Bugs with Steam and Interceptors
Many people use interceptors around the legs of their beds and furniture to detect an infestation or to ensure no bed bugs remain following a treatment. One Reddit user offered an additional suggestions to improve their functionality. “I found these things called SuperSliders. They are to help move furniture. They have a rubbery backing and super smooth underside and they have a size just a little bigger than the interceptors. Since it’s a good idea to put something supportive under the interceptors so they don’t crack we thought we’d give these a try. They are a dream. We can slide the whole bed with 7 legs and 7 interceptors all around the room to vacuum as often as we want to.”
K9 Detection Success for Bed Bugs
Many have reported positive experiences using K9 bed bug detection teams to effectively find the colonies in their homes. The dogs enter the house and immediately indicate whether there are bed bugs present. One such report states, “They brought in the dog and the dog pointed ONLY to my bed-frame (obviously) and my box spring. Looks like there might be a place they hid in the box spring that I hadn't noticed. They're going to be doing some professional treatment at my place and in my box spring tomorrow.” The detection let the exterminator know where to focus treatment so complete eradication could take place.
Heat Treatment Success Against Bed Bugs
In choosing a treatment, there are various options available including chemical treatment or heat treatment. While there is ongoing debate about which is superior, this user swears by heat treatment reporting, “It is not, in fact, more effective than chemicals. It's just FASTER. It's more immediately effective than conventional treatment in truly epic, swarming infestations, too, even if it fails. A huge chunk of the population still dies off, leaving you with a much smaller, more manageable infestation.”
If you are dealing with bed bugs, then just knowing that you are not alone in the battle can help. Bed bugs are not easy to eradicate but with persistence, you can successfully overcome them. Seeking out advice and community from those who have gone through the same struggle can be a great addition to your bed bug treatment plan.
Get more information on Bed Bugs:
The Importance of Treating the Whole House in a Bed Bug Infestation