How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Fast & Permanently: The …

So, youve got bed bugs. Its OK. Bed bugs have been part of human society from the beginning.

They have been found in Egyptian tombs and were mentioned in texts dating back to the time of Aristotle. However, in the fight against bed bugs, you have something that Aristotle didnt have the internet!

Today, you can learn about bed bugs and the most effective treatment methods from experts in the pest management industry.

Lets dive right in

Bed bugs have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years. Bed bugs were nearly eradicated in the United States due to the widespread use of pesticides such as DDT.

Besides, general pest management practices have shifted to only using pesticides indoors only when necessary. In the past hotels would routinely treat guest rooms with pesticides, and this would prevent a bed bug infestation.

Bed bugs have also become resistant to many of the pesticides they encounter in their travels. However, using scientific advancements and a biological understanding of bed bugs, it is possible to get rid of bed bugs and sleep peacefully again.

In this guide, we will explore the best methods for getting rid of bed bugs. We will discuss why they are notoriously hard to get rid of and how long you should expect the extermination process to take.

Now:

There are many different treatment methods utilized to kill bed bugs and you can weigh the benefits and negatives of each method.

We all want a healthy home for our family; with a little boost of knowledge, you can feel confident in the bed bug elimination method that you choose. Whether you are trying to get rid of bed bugs from a single-family residence, an apartment, or even a hotel or nursing home, with the treatment options available today, it is possible to get rid of bed bugs.

The short answer is yes. This is not a problem that can be solved by reaching for the can of roach spray you keep under the kitchen sink.

Even professional pest control companies generally expect at least two treatments to completely get rid of the bed bugs from your home. Why are bed bugs so hard to get rid of? There are several reasons that bed bugs are notoriously hard to eliminate.

Heres the deal:

The current bed bug outbreak in the United States began in the 1990s. It is not yet ingrained in our culture to be vigilant when staying at hotels or vacation rentals, or thoroughly inspecting used furniture that you bring home.

One nights stay in an infested room is enough to bring bed bugs home with you in your bags. Once introduced, it often takes several months to realize the itchy welts on your skin are from bed bugs.

They hide during the day, and the bite itself is painless. An introduction quickly becomes an infestation. Resistance to chemical treatments, their cryptic lifestyle, and rapid rate of reproduction combine to create a situation where bed bugs are hard to get rid of.

Stay with me here while we see how quickly we can get rid of bed bugs:

Getting rid of bed bugs is a process, no way around that. How long it takes to get rid of bed bugs depends upon which elimination method you choose, the severity of the infestation, and the thoroughness of the treatment.

A bed bug treatment using heat kills bed bugs immediately, but there is no residual. A chemical bed bug treatment can take a few weeks, but it leaves a residual which provides continued protection from bed bug re-infestation.

The size and severity of the initial infestation is also a factor in determining how long it will take to get rid of bed bugs. From the time you realize you have bed bugs to sleeping worry-free, do not be surprised if it takes at least 4-6 weeks.

Regardless of the treatment method, you select, finding the right licensed and insured pest control company to partner with can take time. Interview multiple professionals and ask detailed questions regarding their experience, procedures they use, and their success rates.

Before you commit or sign any contract, find out when they are available to do the initial treatment and ask about their practice for follow-up appointments if they are needed.

Another factor that affects how long it takes to get rid of bed bugs is understanding that you will be responsible for preparing the room for treatment.

Bed bugs hide in the smallest of crevices including the joints in your bedside table. Your pest control company will give you a prep sheet of things you need to do before they can treat the room.

Allow yourself plenty of time to accomplish this before they come to treat you. Not only does proper preparation increase the effectiveness of the treatment, but insufficient preparation may also cause the company to reschedule/delay the treatment.

Once you have determined you have bed bugs creeping into your bed at night, you need to act fast. The longer you allow the infestation to proceed untreated the more expensive and time-consuming it becomes to get rid of the bed bugs. But dont panic and throw out your mattress thinking your problem is solved; it is not.

Heres the deal:

Educate yourself on the various treatment options and determine which method aligns with your priorities and budget. Generally speaking, getting rid of bed bugs completely is not a fast, easy, or inexpensive process.

Using the crevice attachment, vacuum along all bed seams, cracks, crevices, and baseboards. If you have a strong heat steamer, you can kill bed bugs quickly making slow passes on your bed and bed frame with steam. Stay away from the wall outlets with steam!

Launder all the bedsheets and linens and dry on the hottest setting your dryer has. To quickly kill bedbugs toss shoes, stuffed animals/plush toys, blankets, pillows, seat cushions, and fabric bags in the dryer for at least 1 hour.

Consider placing a mattress and box spring encasement on your bed and bed bug traps on the feet of your bed. Each of these actions will get rid of some bed bugs quickly, but will not solve the problem without other intervention.

Likewise, too much heat can destroy electronics and sensitive items. The appointment for this service will take about 8 hours to complete. Although heat kills bed bugs quickly and efficiently, there is no residual effect.

Unless a residual pesticide is applied in conjunction with the heat, any bed bug that may hitchhike from another part of the house can begin the infestation again.

Yes, you can get rid of bed bugs on your own. With patience, perseverance, knowledge, and the right products, you can get rid of bed bugs without an exterminator. Do it yourself bed bug control can fit nicely into your budget and schedule, but it is a large undertaking.

Be warned though, if you make mistakes during a DIY bed bug treatment you will find yourself in a cycle of continual treatment. This means you will spend quite a bit of money repurchasing pesticides and applying more pesticides to your bedroom and mattress than if you had called a professional.

There are many products very cleverly marketed for bed bugs that will not solve your problem. As all DIY homeowners know, success is found in the planning and learning phase. Know the products you are purchasing and how and if they interfere with one another.

Have realistic expectations, but with diligence and consistency, you can get rid of bed bugs yourself. Here are the steps we recommend if trying to get rid of bed bugs yourself.

Once you have determined an active bed bug infestation and the severity and locations of the infestation, you need to order your chosen pesticides and prepare the room to get rid of bed bugs yourself.

As Youtube has shown us, we can do anything, including getting rid of bed bugs ourselves. With thorough inspections and applications, and re-treatments as soon the need arises, expect 6-8 weeks to a bedbug-free home.

When treating a bed bug infestation, it is understandable to be concerned about the chemicals being sprayed on and near your bed. How to kill bed bugs naturally is a very common question with a somewhat complicated answer.

Bed bugs are hard to kill; if the answer was as simple as spritzing lemongrass oil around your bed, the professional bed bug industry would not exist. A study conducted in 2018 found that professional pest control companies performed over 1 million bed bug exterminations in the United States with gross revenue of over $600 million.

Bed bugs reproduce very quickly in the ideal environment of a temperature-controlled bedroom with a blood meal available nightly. A bed bug population can double every 16 days.

They are small, elusive, and hide during the day, making it impossible to physically remove or kill every individual bed bug. Natural products like essential oils and other home remedies cannot kill bed bugs as quickly as they reproduce.

There are many natural ways to kill bed bugs, some work, others do not. Completely getting rid of bed bugs naturally will take a combination of products and treatments. If you dont eliminate the bed bugs, the infestation will continue and become more difficult to control.

Before you attempt any natural home remedy for bed bugs remember that even natural and organic substances can cause skin irritations and reactions, especially if used in excessive quantities. We do not recommend using any products to kill bedbugs that are NOT approved by the EPA.

Research on Aprehend also suggests that bed bugs transfer the disease-causing spores to other bed bugs that have not yet come into contact with Aprehend.

Bed bugs live together in tightly packed harborages which facilitates the spread of the fungal spore. A significant advantage of Aprehend is the long-lasting residual effect.

An Apprehend barrier remains active for up to 3 months if it is left undisturbed. An Aprehend bed bug treatment is a natural bed bug remedy that should be considered. Something like Ortho Home Defense Max may also work.

There are natural ways to get rid of bed bugs without chemicals, however for the most part it requires the assistance of a licensed pest control company. These methods utilize specialized equipment and are not considered home remedies for bed bugs.

A bed bug heat treatment is most successful when used with other bed bug elimination procedures such as mattress and box spring encasements, active monitoring and trapping, vacuuming, and if circumstances allow a chemical treatment for a residual effect. Without a chemical residual barrier, your room is not protected from a reintroduction of bed bugs.

Many people choose to try and treat bed bugs themselves. While this can work for a time, often bed bugs will not be completely exterminated and will reappear and the infestation will grow.

After multiple unsuccessful DIY treatments, we find that people often spend as much money on treating bed bugs themselves as if they had called a pest management professional early on.

We recommend speaking to professional pest control companies and getting quotes for the service. Some companies even offer to finance a bed bug treatment. Successful bed bug treatments require a combination of multiple products, methods, and reapplication.

If you choose to get rid of bed bugs yourself, take your time, treat thoroughly, and retreat as often as necessary until there are no signs of bed bugs for at least 30 days.

When you realize you have a bed bug infestation, a very normal reaction is to want to toss your mattress and box spring out the front door.

Unfortunately, that will not solve your problem. Bed bugs are not only living in your mattress and box spring, but they are also living in your furniture, behind your baseboards, and in your walls behind the electrical outlets.

They congregate in small crevices and come out for a meal every 3-7 days. You have to treat not only your mattress but any other area where they may be hiding. With perseverance and the right tools, these tips can help get bed bugs out of your mattress.

You can successfully get bed bugs out of your bed by carefully vacuuming, steaming, or freezing (Cryonite treatment) bed bugs rather than applying a pesticide. After any treatment to your mattress, you should immediately encase it in a bed bug proof mattress encasement. By keeping pesticides off your sleeping surface, you limit your exposure to pesticides.

Do not treat sleeping or contact surfaces with this dust as it can cause skin and lung irritations.

Silica-based dust is a vital tool in treating a mattress and boxsprings for bedbugs but they should be reserved for inaccessible areas.

If you chose not to encase the mattress and box spring, you should complete the treatment process every 7-10 days until there are no signs of bed bugs.

Treating your mattress and box spring for bed bugs is an important part of the bed bug removal process, but you must treat the other areas of the room as well.

By integrating chemical treatments with encasements, and vigilant monitoring, you can save your mattress and box spring from bed bugs.

Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers and they can go months without a meal. Bed bugs can infest furniture, especially sofas and recliners where people tend to sleep, and bedside tables, and dressers.

Be especially careful when bringing a used piece of furniture into your home, bedbugs can hide in the smallest of cracks in furniture. If you have bedbugs in your living room sofa or recliner that is usually a sign of a more severe infestation.

With careful inspection and treatments, you can get rid of bed bugs in furniture; follow these tips to succeed.

If you choose a ready-to-use aerosol product make sure to use the crack and crevice straw that comes with it. This straw is a valuable tool for applying chemicals to the deep folds of the fabric where bed bugs like to hide. Give the furniture time to fully dry before applying insecticide dust for bed bugs to the inaccessible areas.

If the dimensions of your couch or recliner allow for it, we highly recommend purchasing a bed bug proof encasement for your couch or recliner. If the design of your furniture allows for it, place bed bug traps/monitors under the feet of the sofa and recliner.

By checking the traps to monitor the infestation, you will know and when you need to retreat. A heat chamber is also a viable bed bug treatment option for sofas and chairs (see below). With a thorough inspection, treatment, and monitoring you can get rid of bed bugs in your couch and recliner.

As the bed bug infestation progresses there may not be enough room for them in your nightstand or headboard and they have to wander further. Bed bugs are very mobile. Getting rid of bed bugs in your bedroom furniture is an integral part of eliminating the infestation. The first step to getting rid of bed bugs in your furniture is to clear the clutter.

You can use our bed bug prep list as a guide for this part of the process or watch our video that we send to our bed bug customers to help them prepare for a professional treatment:

Anything that can be thrown away, should be sealed in a plastic bag, and taken immediately outside.

Anything that can go through the laundry should be washed and dried on the highest heat possible. Carefully check laundry bins for bed bugs so you dont accidentally spread them and make your problem worse.

Vacuum the inside of drawers and the underside of the furniture with the finest crevice attachment you have. Immediately clean the vacuum bin outside or throw away the vacuum bag. Treat the inside of drawers and all the cracks and crevices with a residual spray.

Pay special attention to the legs, posts, any casters or wheels, and where these pieces connect. You may have to disassemble some pieces of furniture to thoroughly treat for bed bugs. Apply insecticide dust if you are able and place traps or monitors under the feet of any furniture.

By regularly checking the traps you can monitor the infestation and confidently know when the bed bugs are out of your furniture.

Carefully inspect all picture frames and take them apart to clean and treat them if necessary. Attention to detail and thorough inspection and treatment as detailed above is the only way to get rid of bed bugs from furniture and beds.

Consider Using a Heat Chamber for Furniture The design and construction of many types of furniture renders bed bug harborages inaccessible. If you can not access areas of the furniture to treat with chemicals, steam, vacuum, or Cryonite, consider a heat chamber. Heat chambers are available in various sizes.

Some smaller ones are designed for homeowner use; they fit your luggage. Some pest control companies have larger heat chambers that they can put a piece (or multiple pieces) of furniture in. The heating chamber is then heated to a temperature at which bed bugs die. This is an excellent option for particularly difficult-to-access pieces of furniture.

Bed bugs do not prefer to burrow and congregate in carpet, but they are very adept wanderers. If you see a bed bug walking on your carpet, they are more than likely traveling in search of a blood meal.

Getting rid of bed bugs in the carpet is challenging because you can not simply spray a chemical on the carpet wall to wall. Pesticides that are labeled for use indoors usually have crack and crevice or spot treatment (not to exceed 2 square feet) on their label.

For example, when you treat the room for bed bugs, you can spray the crevice where the baseboard meets the carpet. This is very commonplace for bed bugs to congregate. But, the label states that you can not apply the product to the entire floor. It is a violation of federal law to use pesticides in a manner other than how the label allows.

Frequent laundering of clothes and sheets will not get rid of a bed bug infestation on its own, but it is an important step in gaining 100% bed bug elimination.

Washing and drying your clothes on high heat will kill any bed bugs in your clothing. By taking a few precautions, you can get rid of bed bugs and their eggs in your clothes.

Bed bugs are frequently introduced into your home after a stay at a hotel or with a friend. Once you have fought a bed bug battle and won, you are pretty motivated to prevent a future infestation!

Savvy travelers are becoming more aware of ways to prevent and get rid of bed bugs in their luggage. If you suspect you encountered bed bugs on a trip or want to prevent a bed bug infestation, follow these tips to get rid of bed bugs from your luggage.

Getting rid of bed bugs permanently takes patience, thorough inspections, and often multiple treatments. Working with an experienced Pest Control Company that specializes in Bed Bug Treatments and incorporates the principles of IPM, or Integrated Pest Management, you can permanently get rid of your bed bug infestation.

The IPM Institute of North America defines Integrated Pest Management as, a sustainable, science-based, decision-making process that combines biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools to identify, manage and reduce risk from pests and pest management tools and strategies in a way that minimizes overall economic, health and environmental risks.

A quality pest control company implements IPM practices into their bed bug procedures to ensure you get rid of bed bugs safely and permanently.

An IPM approach to bed bugs means low-risk pesticides will and should be used but in minimized amounts. IPM bed bug procedures recognize the value of vacuuming, steam, heat treatments, Cryonite or freeze treatments, trapping and monitoring to permanently get rid of bed bugs.

Another foundation of effective IPM is communication with your PMP and customer education.

Bed bug IPM relies on the homeowner to be vigilant in checking bed bug traps and communicating their findings to their Pest Management Professional.

In turn, the PMP will ask questions and investigate how the infestation may have been introduced into your home. In determining the source of your bed bug infestation you can make adjustments to your routine and avoid a future bed bug infestation.

Successful bed bug IPM requires a relationship with excellent communication between PMP and the homeowner; that is why your choice of pest control company is very important. Using these principles, you can get rid of bed bugs permanently.

The best exterminators get rid of bed bugs for good by using a variety of methods. Bed bug elimination is never accomplished by simply spraying one time and expecting 100% elimination.

The best approach includes an evaluation of the construction and structure of the room to be treated, the history of the infestation, and the customers concerns and expectations.

There are many tools in an exterminators toolbelt for battling bedbugs, including chemical treatments, heat treatments, and steam, Cryonite or freeze treatment, and mechanical treatments such as vacuuming and laundering bedding, curtains, and clothing.

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How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Fast & Permanently: The ...