Bed bugs are parasitic insects that infect the sleeping areas of humans and feed on their blood. They are small and difficult to spot; an infestation is usually discovered due to a rash or allergic reaction on the people they are feeding from. Getting rid of them can be tricky, especially in areas with a lot of adjacent dwellings such as apartment blocks as the bugs can move back in to a treated area from an untreated one. However, there are a range of approaches that can be tried and are often effective.
Chemical Treatments
It is thought that the drop in the bed bug population in the 1940’s and 50’s was a large part due to DDT treatments for cockroaches which also killed the bed bugs. However, this chemical is now banned, and the bugs had developed an immunity to it by the time it was outlawed in the 1970’s. This means that many other over the counter pesticides are also ineffective as they work in a similar way to DDT by acting on the nervous system of the bugs. A growth in immunity is likely with any pesticide, and bed bugs are becoming more resistant to modern pesticides all the time; chemicals that previously killed them may now only knock them out.
Change the temperature
Freezing or heating bed bugs are both very effective ways to kill them, as well as their eggs and adolescent stages. These methods are safer than chemicals and non toxic, so less disruption to your home is required. Freezing bed bug involves using CO2 gas to reduce the temperature to less than -100 degrees which kills the bugs on contact, they are then vacuumed up and removed. Freezing treatments can be used safely on all types of upholstery and décor without risk of damage. Heat treatment involves raising the temperature of the infected area to above 118 degrees to ensure that all the bugs, including the eggs, are killed. Heat treatment can damage some substances, and it is also necessary to disconnect heat sensitive fire alarms to avoid setting them off, and be very vigilant for fire risks.
Clean up your bed
Physical methods of removing bed bugs can be done by anyone; vacuuming mattresses and all the crevices around your sleeping area can remove a good quantity of bugs and eggs, just be sure to empty the vacuum right away and dispose of the bugs before they can crawl out. Bedding and clothes can be treated in a clothes dryer, and furnishings can be steamed, as can gaps behind skirting boards and other places the bugs may be lurking. Preventative measures such as checking any new furniture and bedding carefully, and treating clothes in the dryer after visiting anywhere that may have bed bugs can also help.
Bed bugs are nasty things to share your bed with, but it is possible to get rid of them. There are positives and negatives to every bed bug treatment, so it is likely that a combination of the possible options will give you the best results.
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