Bed Bugs ~ How To Get Rid of BedBugs

The only sure-fire way to get rid of bedbugs entirely and be sure they are not coming back anytime soon, is to hire in the professionals. Nevertheless, there are still a number of tried and tested techniques that are worth a try; for getting rid of them in the very early stages of an infestation, for the benefits of bed bug prevention and for peace of mind in the interim period whilst you are waiting for the professionals to arrive.

A really effective technique is the use of an industrial or home-style steam cleaner. The extreme heat from the steam gets right into the pores of mattresses and upholstery, killing the bedbugs and their eggs instantaneously.

An old wives tale was to wash a mattress, then wrap it in bin liners and leave it in the sun to dry out, supposedly killing the bugs in the process. Tests have shown that this technique won’t work because the heat is not consistent or intense enough and the moisture in the mattress, will more than likely turn to mould.

There is also one very extreme way of locating bedbugs and that is with the use of specially trained sniffer dogs, these are a very modern development in bed bug detection techniques, but also incredibly effective. The dogs work in exactly the same way as crime scene sniffer dogs tracking drugs and criminals, by accurately sniffing out the bed bug infestations. This technique is terribly expensive so it is only really used by large businesses such as hotel chains or residential facilities, as opposed to personal dwellings.

One of the things that first inform bed bugs of the presence of human blood is the smell of carbon dioxide on the individual’s breath because bedbugs actually breathe carbon dioxide in order to live. An ironic twist of fate for the bed bugs is that highly concentrated levels of Carbon dioxide can actually kill them within 24 hours when sprayed over them in the form of "snow”.

An environmentally friendly way to kill bedbugs is by using a substance called diatomaceous earth, which is considered humane in the way it dries up the waxy coating of the bedbug’s body and causes the bug to die of dehydration after a couple of days.

If you want to catch the bedbugs red handed, you should wait until an hour before sunrise, as this is when they will be at their most hungry. Use a bright light such as a torch to startle the bugs without forewarning them of your presence, you could then brush them into a bowl of water, where they will drown very quickly. You can then disinfect the mattress and surrounding floor and objects.

In the olden days, plants were used to eradicate bed bugs and the most effective were Eucalyptus (which is still used to this day in oils and insect repellents), Black Cohosh and a special ‘home-brew’ consisting of Turpentine, Flowers, Henna and Alcohol, which was especially good at destroying the bedbug eggs.

Bed bugs will die at temperatures of 45°C (113°F), or more, but if you are using high temperatures as a means to get rid of them you really need to start no lower than 49°C (120°F), at 20-30% relative humidity, for at least 20 minutes to ensure you get them all and none escape into slightly cooler crevices.

Other less effective techniques include coating your bed legs in petroleum jelly to trap the bugs as they creep up or down the bedstead. Taping all along the bedside and mattress in double sided sticky tape to catch them as they crawl, (this has to be super-sticky to actually work). Insecticide Sprays such as Sterifab are a temporary solution to at least reduce the number of bugs slithering around in your bed. Still, in order to fully eliminate the bed bug problem, there is no surer way than hiring an Exterminator, who is a fully qualified expert, ready to fight these problematic creatures in less than an hour with specialised equipment and plenty of determination.