Bed Bugs Remedy

Things to Know

• Bed bugs are tiny, reddish-brown, oval-shaped bugs that are nocturnal, and the species known to most people tend to live on mattresses because they survive on human blood. While they can infest other parts of the home, and even live outside, it is their presence in the bed that is most common and troublesome. And although they gravitate toward mattresses, they'll hitch a ride between hosts on just about anything, so your mattress isn't the only thing to worry about.
  
  

Cleaning Techniques

• The foundation for ridding your home of bed bugs is to wash all bedding that may have come in contact with them. This includes pillows, sheets, pillowcases, blankets, bedspreads and any other linens that may have come in contact. Wash these items in hot water, then dry on high heat. Do the same with just about any other fabric in the effected room, including blankets and clothes. If you take care of the bugs on the bed but there are others in the room, they'll eventually come back to the bed again.
  
  Vacuum your home and bedding completely. Once you have thoroughly run the vacuum throughout the house, take the bag outside and dispose of it in an outside garbage can. If you use a canister-style vacuum, clean out the canister and rinse with bleach to clean up any residue.
  
  Steam cleaning is another option to consider when trying to get rid of bed bugs. Heat higher than 120 degrees will quickly kill the bed bugs, and steam cleaners can be rented and used all the home to kill bed bugs. Dry-steam cleaning is another option that will eliminate the risk of mold developing in bedding.
  
  Alternatively, exposure to extremely cold temperatures sometimes helps to kill bed bugs. Place items outside in temperatures below freezing. The outside temperature should ideally be below zero to reliably kill the bed bugs.
  
  

Treatment Options

• Consult a professional exterminator to treat your home with pesticides necessary to kill the bed bugs. This process may include sprays, foggers and dusting. Baiting does not usually work in the treatment of bed bugs.
  
  Invest in a zippered mattress cover. These are available in tightly woven cotton fabric or vinyl, and slip around the entire area of the mattress. Zippered on, they prevent staining, and are sometimes treated with small amounts of insecticides to kill of bothersome bed bugs. Likewise, pillow covers are available that will encase your personal pillow with protection.
  
  Diatomaceous earth is a natural remedy for dealing with bed bugs. This is a type of dirt that comes in powder form and can be sprinkled around the perimeter of the bedroom to help eradicate the bugs. It is made of little tiny fossils of single-celled algae that have jagged edges. The sharp edges of the dirt help to kill the bugs. In addition, the powder can be sprinkled inside the mattress and in cracks and crevices to further eliminate bed bugs.
  
  Spray rubbing alcohol directly on bed bugs. Citronella oil and pyrethin can also be used safely around children and pets to help kill bed bugs.