3 Bed Bug Treatments that Work
Realizing your household has had bed bugs is enough to make some feel creeped out and disgusted. Why? First, bed bugs are like minute vampires that survive by consuming human blood. They are most active during the night when their sleeping victim won’t able to perceive or sense their discreet attack. A blood mean is what a bed bug needs so it can grow and become fully mature.
Although bed bugs are never found to spread seriousness illnesses among people like other pests do, their extremely itchy bites can cause so much discomfort and make people feel restless and even depressed. Sadly, bed bugs are so tiny that they are not easily spotted and detected. They also move fast and effortlessly tuck themselves away in the tiniest gaps or cracks on your bedframes, walls, drawers, furniture, and bookshelves. In addition, they possess such admirable hitchhiking ability that they can easily lodge into any items such as clothes, bags, suitcases, shoes, and any material made of fabric. Most of all, bed bugs can multiply their numbers so fast that an infestation is usually noticed late.
However, no matter how challenging it can be to get rid of these sneaky little critters, there are still ways that we can apply to keep these annoying pests away from our property. Consider these three bed bug removal methods that are proven effective when it comes to getting rid of bed bugs.
#1 Bed Bug Heat Treatment
In terms of bed bug removal, one of the most trusted and preferred treatment option is bed bug heat treatment. An obvious reason that pest control professionals recommend bed bug heat treatment is the absence of chemicals when treating an infested area. This treatment method is considered safe not just to people but also to animals and the environment in general. All it takes to realize the procedure is to install specialized heaters all over the infected area and to ensure a temperature of not lower than 130 degrees Fahrenheit is maintained in the room. The bed bugs, including their nymphs, will be killed just within minutes of exposing the tiny bloodsuckers to this temperature. Heat remediation, as it is called, is only performed once and is completed in less than 12 hours. Tip: Pets and items that may be damaged due to heat should be taken out of the room during the procedure. After the treatment is finished, experts suggest the application of residual pesticides to the bed bugs hiding spots to ensure that all the bugs are totally exterminated and that a re-infestation will not likely occur.
#2 Chemical Treatment
Another potent method for bed bug removal is chemical treatment. It does make use of chemicals like pesticides to get rid of bed bugs. Several classes of pesticides are made available for this treatment but pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most commonly used ones. These chemical insecticides surely kill bed bugs although some studies have found that over time some bed bug populations have become resistant to these chemicals. Therefore, experts recommend combining the pesticides with other chemical classes to boost effectivity in eradicating the bed bugs. Unlike heat treatment, chemical treatment requires not just one session. Two follow-up treatment sessions must be carried out in the next two to six weeks to ensure total elimination of the bugs. Tip: The infected must be thoroughly examined and cleaned prior to applying the chemical insecticides.
#3 Heating and Freezing
This treatment is something that can be done at home without necessarily calling in a pest control expert. Bed bugs are not resilient to extreme heat and extreme cold. If you suspect your home is infested by these nocturnal critters, you must get hold of the items you believe to be the pests’ potential hiding spots. Most likely, bed bugs hide themselves within crevices or cracks and in materials made of fabric—beddings, pillow covers, clothes, curtains, linens, etc. Since these are washable items, you can launder them but make sure to use hot water when washing. Afterwards, double the effect of this technique by putting the items in the dryer and dry them in high heat for at least 20 minutes. For non-washable belongings, you can put them in the freezer and let them sit there for 24 hours. Certainly, those pesky pests will have no way of surviving after being scalded or frozen.
Simply putting these three methods into practice is a sure way to kill bed bugs. Bed bug heat treatment is a discreet option for homeowners who don’t wish to broadcast to their neighbors that they are dealing with a bed bug infestation, while chemical treatment is particularly suitable for heavy infestations. The hot and cold technique is a DIY method, which is still effective as long as the infected items are handled well.
