How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
We understand dealing with Bed Bugs is not an easy task. Please take a look at our information and partnered providers for all your Bed Bug extermination needs.
OUR PROMISE: To partner with well established, local Bed Bug Exterminators who have been per-screened by our in-house Bed Bug Experts. We then Provide you with a list of Our Partners in your area, so you may quickly and confidently hire a Professional, with a Guaranteed Warrantied Service, and Lasting Reputation in your area. Let us find someone to work for you! We will also provide honest information from years of experience on D.I.Y Bed Bug Treatment.
*WARNING* WE UNDERSTAND HOMEOWNERS MAY ATTEMPT TO PERFORM PEST CONTROL WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL help. THIS IS NOT ONLY DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH, YET ALSO TYPICALLY MAKES MATTERS WORSE, BY SPREADING BUGS DEEPER INTO HIDING DEPENDING ON THE METHODS OF SELF-TREATMENT PERFORMED, HENCE MAKING TREATMENT MORE COSTLY.
WARNING: Some of the bed bug elimination methods below are dangerous to your health and your home. It is your responsibility to take all reasonable precautions when performing any self treatment for bed bugs. You are responsible for your own safety. PERFORM SELF TREATMENT AT YOUR OWN RISK! NEVER TRY TO HEAT FOR BED BUGS YOURSELF!
Bed Bug Elimination Guide
If you have explored the possibility of professional bed bug treatment and you have decided to treat the problem yourself then please carefully read about the different methods that have been used to kill bed bugs. Choose one or more of the methods below to get rid of bed bugs in your home. Many of these methods can reduce the bed bug population but may not eliminate them completely.
Make Sure It's Bed Bugs You're Dealing With
Before you try to get rid of bed bugs you need to make sure that bed bugs are present. If you have found a bed bug and positively identified them we recommend that you do a thorough check for bed bugs. Click the button below to discover the areas where bugs are hiding. Getting rid of bed bugs yourself can be a challenging and time consuming proposition. It is a lot of work! Especially when you have never done it before and you are sleep deprived from worrying about bed bugs.
We have heard many stories over the years of how people got rid of their own bed bugs. We have heard many more stories from out customers about how they tried everything to get rid of them for months. Once again, if you can afford professional treatment it is well worth it!
See the tabs below to see the methods to get rid of bed bugs yourself.
Use Rubbing Alcohol To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
Rubbing alcohol will kill bed bugs on contact. Use rubbing alcohol as a quick way to get rid of a lot of bed bugs. You can purchase rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. You can also pour rubbing alcohol into a clean spray bottle. You must spray the bed bugs directly to kill them with the alcohol. You must find out where the bed bugs are hiding so that you can spray them directly.
Unfortunately one treatment with rubbing alcohol will not solve your problem. You will not be able to find every bed bug because they may be hiding. Rubbing alcohol may or may not kill the bed bug eggs.
Repeat this process every few days and whenever you see bed bugs.
You do not need to spray all areas with rubbing alcohol. It will do no good. Once the alcohol is dry it will not kill the bed bugs when they walk on it. The alcohol should only be sprayed directly on the bugs.
Personal Protection and Equipment
Read and follow all precautions on the label of the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Wear gloves when applying the alcohol to avoid contact with skin. Wear a respirator to prevent breathing fumes. The respirator will also help shield your face from the alcohol touching your skin. Wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants to protect your skin. Wear socks and closed toed shoes to protect your feet. Wear eye protection whenever applying liquid sprays of any kind.
NEVER use rubbing alcohol on or near electrical outlets, electronics, or irreplaceable items. Electric shock can occur and may be fatal.
Using Steam to Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
Use steam to get rid of bed bugs. Many people have used household steam cleaners to help them battle the bugs. Some pest control companies also use steam to kill bed bugs. Steamers usually have a water tank that pumps the water to a heating element within the steamer. The heating element inside the steamer turns the water to steam. The steam is very hot and moist with most types of household steamers.
Using a steamer is one way to kill bed bugs with heat. Apply the steam to beds, couches, and other furniture where you see bed bug activity. Direct the steam into cracks, crevices, and seams. Focus on areas where you have found bed bug eggs. The steam must be HOT to do any good. If your steamer produces cool steam it will not work.
Repeat this steaming procedure every few days. One treatment with a steamer will not eliminate all bed bugs.
NEVER use a steamer on walls, electrical outlets, electronics, or irreplaceable items. The moisture from the steam could cause electric shock if used near outlets or other electrical devices and could also damage walls. Electric shock can be fatal. Irreplaceable items may be damaged by steam.
Kill Bed Bugs With Diatomaceous Earth Dust
Diatomaceous Earth Also Known as “D.E.”
Diatomaceous Earth, A powder made of crushed diatoms, is a product commonly used to kill bed bugs. Diatoms are collections of small fossilized creatures that lived long ago. The diatoms are very sharp when you look at them under a microscope. When bed bugs walk through the powder it cuts their outer layer. The powder kills bed bugs that are exposed to it when their outer layers are cut. The bug will lose fluids and die. Although DE does not have a chemical active ingredient, it is still a pesticide if it is used to kill bugs.
Application Equipment
You must use a duster to apply dust according to the label directions. There are several different styles of dusters available. The two main styles of dusters available are hand dusters and electric dusters.
Application Tips
The key with dust application for bed bug elimination is “Light, not White”. Only apply a very small amount to the target area. You do not want to be able to see the dust. If you can see the dust, you are using too much. Never apply product to areas where people and pets may come in contact with it.
Diatomaceous Earth is non-toxic, however it is harmful to the skin, lungs, and eyes. Avoid skin contact by using proper protective equipment. Wear a respirator to prevent inhaling the dust. Always wear eye protection.
Use Dust Pesticide To Kill Bed Bugs
There are hundreds of different pesticide dust products. Only some of these products are labeled for bed bugs. Always remember that every product is unique. It has different active ingredients that each work against bed bugs differently. In the field, we have seen it all. A majority of the customers who call us for service have already used D.E. or Dust pesticides trying to kill bed bugs themselves. We have met customers who have been fighting bed bugs for months or years on their own. The bed bugs will disappear for a short time, and then reappear in another part of the home. Please consider hiring a professional bed bug company before applying pesticides yourself.
Many different types of pesticide dusts labeled for bed bugs are available. Choose the best dust pesticide for you by comparing the labels of the pesticide. On the label you will find how to apply the dust. The label will also tell you where you MUST NOT apply the dust. You must read the entire label and understand it before using any pesticide product.
Application Equipment
You must use a duster to apply dust according to the label directions. There are several different styles of dusters available. The two main styles of dusters available are hand dusters and electric dusters.
Bed Bug Elimination Tips From the Pros
The key with pesticide dust application is “Light, not White”. Only apply a very small amount to the target area. You do not want to be able to see the dust. If you can see the dust, you are using too much.
Do not rely on pesticide dust alone to get rid of the bed bugs. Dust is just one tool in the tool chest. We recommend that you only apply dust in areas where you can not apply other products. Do not apply dust in areas where people or pets may come in contact with it.
WARNING: PESTICIDES CAN BE HARMFUL TO PEOPLE AND PETS. ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE PRODUCT LABEL BEFORE PURCHASING A PESTICIDE. ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE LABEL BEFORE APPLYING A PESTICIDE. ALWAYS USE PRODUCTS ACCORDING TO THEIR LABEL DIRECTIONS. THE LABEL IS THE LAW. USING A PESTICIDE IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH ITS LABELING IS A VIOLATION OF THE LAW.
Will Bed Bug Bombs Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
Have you ever heard of “bed bug bombs”. Bed bug foggers, or Total Release Aerosol Pesticide, are sold in most hardware stores nearly everywhere in the United States. These products are pesticide that have very specific directions for use on the label. Always follow label instructions. Most versions of this product are an aerosol can of pesticide with a nozzle at the top end of the can. When activated, the can will spray all of the pesticide out of the can in a “fog”. The pesticide fills the entire room with
some of these products. All people and pets should be out of the area to avoid breathing in the pesticide until the area is ventilated and dry.
Professionals Recommend Not To Use Bed Bug Bombs.
Pest control professionals cringe when they see the empty cans of bed bug foggers at their customer’s homes. They know that bed bug foggers complicate the bed bug infestation. It seems to spread the bed bugs from one room to another. They will disappear for one week and then reappear in another room the next. We are always surprised when we inspect a home that has been getting rid of their bed bugs with bed bug bombs. We find bed bugs in very strange places. The bed bugs will be hiding at the edges of the ceiling. The bed bugs will be hiding behind wall hangings and inside the blinds. We will find bed bugs in the hallway and bathrooms. We will find bed bugs in the kitchen and dining room. We have even found bed bugs in the freezer. One time we even found bed bugs nesting on the outside of the home in the grout lines of the brick. We have met customers who have spent many hundreds of dollars on bed bug foggers and other pesticides. Getting rid of the bed bugs in a home after many bed bug fogging treatments is very difficult, even for pros.
Use Liquid Pesticide To Kill Bed Bugs
There are hundreds of different liquid pesticide products. Only some of these products are labeled for bed bugs. Always remember that every product is unique. It has different active ingredients that each work against bed bugs differently. In the field, we have seen it all. A majority of the customers who call us for service have already used liquid pesticides trying to kill bed bugs themselves. We have met customers who have been fighting bed bugs for months or years on their own. The bed bugs will disappear for a short time, and then reappear in another part of the home. Please consider hiring a professional bed bug company before applying pesticides yourself.
Many different types of pesticide dusts labeled for bed bugs are available. Choose the best dust pesticide for you by comparing the labels of the pesticide. On the label you will find how to apply the dust. The label will also tell you where you MUST NOT apply the product. You must read the entire label and understand it before using any pesticide product.
Get Rid of Bed Bugs With Liquid Pesticide
You can get rid of bed bugs with pesticide if the right products are used in the correct way. We have met countless customers who have applied pesticides to get rid of their bed bugs with no success. They were using the wrong products or using the products incorrectly. Even pest control professionals have a hard time getting rid of bed bugs with pesticide alone if they are using the wrong product, or applying the product incorrectly.
Bed Bug Pesticide Labels
Read the labels of pesticides when considering what liquid pesticide product to use. Make sure that the product you choose is labeled for bed bugs. Consider the active ingredients in the pesticides shown on the label. Each pesticide has different amounts of active ingredients. Each active ingredient works differently to kill bed bugs. Understand how the label says the product must be applied. Understand where you Can and Can Not apply the pesticide. Understand what application equipment you will need to apply the product correctly. Understand the protective equipment you will need before handling the product. Understand what first aid procedure to use if you are exposed to the pesticide. All of this information and more is required by law to be on the pesticide label.
THE LABEL IS THE LAW. IT IS A VIOLATION OF THE LAW TO USE PESTICIDE IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH ITS LABELING.
WARNING: PESTICIDES CAN BE HARMFUL TO PEOPLE AND PETS. ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE PRODUCT LABEL BEFORE PURCHASING A PESTICIDE. ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE LABEL BEFORE APPLYING A PESTICIDE. ALWAYS USE PRODUCTS ACCORDING TO THEIR LABEL DIRECTIONS. THE LABEL IS THE LAW. USING A PESTICIDE IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH ITS LABELING IS A VIOLATION OF THE LAW.
WARNING: Only Experienced Pest Control Professionals Should Use Heat to Kill Bed Bugs
Use a Heat Gun or Blow Dryer to Get Rid Of Bed Bugs
Use a heat gun or blow dryer to kill bed bugs and their eggs. Direct the heat to areas where you have found bed bugs. Apply the heat to cracks and crevices of wooden or metal furniture. Heat guns are especially good to use for killing bed bug eggs. They do not work as well for killing the bugs themselves because they will run from it. Also the air produced by the fan inside the heat gun or blow dryer can blow the bugs away. The fan inside a blow dryers produce more air than heat guns. Heat guns produce less air but get hotter than blow dryers.
Heat is known to kill bed bug eggs and prevent them from hatching. This is why heat guns, steamers, and heat treatments are used by professionals for bed bug treatment. Heat is the best way to kill bed bugs. You must point the heat right at the eggs to kill them. You must work slowly so that each area gets hot enough to kill the eggs.
Be careful not to get the heat gun too close to what you are heating. Keep the heat gun far enough away to prevent burning the surface that you are heating. Heat guns can melt or burn fabric, furniture, and other belongings. Never leave a heat gun unattended. Always unplug a heat gun when not in use. Be careful for hot surfaces.