How To Kill Bed Bugs

If you are wondering how to kill bed bugs, the good news is that it is possible. The bad news is that there is no easy fix. Bed bugs are a huge problem especially now as DDT has been banned. It was once an effective solution.  There are many products on the market today which say they will get rid of these pests once and for all but not all of them are effective. You have to buy the right one and not one that is more likely to make you and your family ill than to kill these nasty creatures.

So What kills bed bugs?

Old fashioned hard work will kill bed bugs but it will take persistence and determination.  Some people believe that you will see bed bug bites if you have an infestation but that is only partly true.  Some lucky people are immune to the venom so their skin will not react when they are bitten. This explains why two people can share the same bed and one can end up covered in nasty bites while the other seems unaffected.  As soon as you spot any signs of an infestation you have to take action.

You can kill bed bugs yourself

Buy a hot air gun as bedbugs do not like extreme heat.  Some people will suggest that you can use a hair dryer but it is not hot enough to be effective.  Strip the bedding from the bed and put it in the washing machine at the highest temperature possible.  Dry in a dryer again as the high temperatures will kill the bugs.    It is not just the bedding you will need to treat. Although these pests are called bed bugs they actually live in a variety of places including anywhere there is materials so drapes, cushions, carpets and cuddly toys are all potentially infected.  They also hide in cracks in walls, under wallpaper, in the wooden bed frame as well as the more obvious places like the mattress and pillows.  You will have to treat every surface in your home.  Anything that cannot be washed needs to be stored outdoors in a tightly sealed bag for a few days as this will kill the bugs.

You need to use the hot gun on every section of the room.  Cover the entire mattress, pillows, bed frame, skirting boards, inside your wardrobe, shelving etc.  After you have done this you need to apply a solution of rubbing alcohol and ammonia 80/20 to everything you have just used the hot gun on.

Repeat the rubbing ammonia every two weeks and vacuum your mattress and pillows regularly and under the beds on a daily basis at least.  Keep washing and drying all bed linen at the highest possible temperatures and store your laundered bed linen separately to those that need to be washed.  Be vigilant for a return of these critters.

Getting The Professionals In to Kill Bed Bugs

Most people will not carry out the above steps properly and are likely not only to continue to suffer but to spread the bed bugs to their family and friends.  These pests will travel on clothes.   It is much easier and in the long run, generally more cost effective to get the professionals in to kill bed bugs.  These exterminators know what they are doing and will have dealt with similar infestations before.