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Set dryer to its hottest setting; it might be a good idea to pre-heat the dryer, but some dryers can’t be run empty. Carefully load bedding into dryer—do not overfill or else it won’t get sufficiently hot. Run dryer on hot for at least an hour or so. Check the lint trap—look for bugs, shells or eggs.
- Overview
- Can you get rid of bedbugs on your own?
- Step 1: Identify all infested areas
- Step 2: Contain the infestation
- Step 3: Prep for bedbug treatment
- Step 4: Kill the bedbugs
- Step 5: Evaluate and prevent future bedbugs
- Step 6: Get the pros involved
- Step 7: Keep the bedbugs out
Bedbugs are often tough to get rid of, so you may need to try a few different approaches to kill them all. Once you identify and contain all infested areas, you can combine chemical and non-chemical treatments to kill the bugs.
Bedbugs measure just 5 millimeters across, which is smaller than a pencil eraser. These bugs are smart and tough, and they reproduce quickly. Bedbugs know where to hide to avoid detection and can live for months between meals. A female can lay 500 eggs in her lifetime.
You can get rid of bedbugs. Try to be patient, as removing bedbugs often takes some time and effort. You may have to try a few different chemical and nonchemical approaches, especially if you have a large infestation.
Certain factors can make bedbugs harder to remove. You may have a tougher time ridding your home of them if you have a lot of clutter or you travel often and bring new bedbugs home in your luggage.
If you’ve got bedbugs, you want to find them early before they start to reproduce. It’s much easier and cheaper to treat a small infestation than a big one. But smaller infestations can be harder to detect.
Search for bedbugs yourself or hire a professional to do an inspection. Some inspectors use specially trained dogs to hunt down bedbugs by scent.
Bedbugs’ small and narrow bodies enable them to squeeze into tiny spots, like the seams of a mattress or couch and the folds of curtains.
Also, look for them:
•near the tags of the mattress and box spring
•in cracks in the bed frame and headboard
Once you know you have bedbugs, you need to keep them contained so you can get rid of them. A quick and easy way to trap bedbugs is with your vacuum. Run the vacuum over any possible hiding places.
This includes your:
•bed
•dresser
•carpets
•electronics, like TVs
Before you start treating your home, do a little prep work to maximize your odds of success. Make sure all your linens, carpets, drapes, clothing, and other hiding places have been cleaned or thrown out (see step 2).
Next, get rid of bedbug hiding places:
•Pick up books, magazines, clothes, and anything else that’s lying on your floor and under your bed.
•Throw out whatever you can.
•Do not move items from an infested room to a clean one — you could spread the bugs.
Seal up any open areas:
How to get rid of bedbugs at home
You can first try to remove bedbugs without chemicals. These bugs are pretty easy to kill with high heat at 115°F (46.11°C) or intense cold at 32°F (0°C). Here are a few ways to treat bedbugs using these methods: •Wash bedding and clothes in hot water for 30 minutes. Then put them in a dryer on the highest heat setting for 30 minutes. •Use a steamer on mattresses, couches, and other places where bedbugs hide. •Pack up infested items in black bags and leave them outside on a hot day that reaches 95°F (35°C) or in a closed car. In cooler temperatures, it can take 2 to 5 months to kill sealed-up bugs. •Put bags containing bedbugs in the freezer at 0°F (-17.78°C). Use a thermometer to check the temperature. Leave them in there for at least 4 days. Once you’ve cleaned all visible bedbugs, make the area inhospitable for the rest of them. Place bedbug-proof covers over your mattress and box spring. Zip these covers up all the way. Bugs that are trapped inside will die, and new bugs will not be able to get in. If these methods do not wipe out all the bugs, you may need to try an insecticide.
Nonchemical and chemical treatments
Insecticides can help rid your home of bedbugs. Look for products that are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are specifically marked for use on bedbugs. Here are a few types of insecticides you can try: •Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common chemicals used to kill bedbugs. However, some bedbugs have become resistant to them. •Pyrroles, like chlorfenapyr, kill bedbugs by disrupting their cells. •Neonicotinoids are versions of nicotine. They damage the bugs’ nervous system. This type of chemical works on bedbugs that have become resistant to other pesticides. •Dessicants are substances that destroy the bugs’ protective outer coating. Without this coating, the bugs dry out and die. Two examples of dessicants are silica aerogel (Tri-Die and CimeXa) and diatomaceous earth. The advantage to dessicants is that bedbugs cannot become resistant to them, but they work slowly. These products can take a few months to kill off all the bugs. •Foggers or bug bombs kill bedbugs, but they cannot get into cracks and crevices where these bugs hide. They can also be toxic to humans if you use them incorrectly. Read the label carefully. Leave the room before you set off a fogger. •Plant oil-based products, like EcoRaider and Bed Bug Patrol, are less toxic than chemical insecticides, and they work well against bedbugs.
Bedbugs can take some time to wipe out. Before you can ensure that your treatment has worked, you need proof that the bugs have moved on. Check the infested areas about once every 7 days for signs of activity.
To make surviving bedbugs easier to spot, place bedbug interceptors under each leg of the bed. These devices will trap bedbugs before they can climb up into your bed. You may need to keep checking the interceptors for a full year.
If you cannot wipe out bedbugs on your own, it’s time to get the pros involved.
Pest control companies have the advantage of using chemicals and other treatments that are not available to you. They have insecticides that both kill bugs on contact and that stay inside furniture and cracks to kill bedbugs in the long term.
Pest control companies can also use whole room heat treatments. They bring in special equipment that heats up the room to a temperature between 135 and 145°F (57.22 and 62.78°C) — high enough to kill bedbugs.
Before the pest control company arrives, they should give you instructions for prepping your home. Follow their directions carefully and you’ll have the best chance of wiping out the bugs.
Professional treatments take two to three visits to start working. After each treatment, you may have to stay out of the treated rooms for a few hours until the insecticides have dried.
Keep reading: What’s the difference between flea bites and bedbug bites? »
Once the bedbugs are gone, you’ll want to make sure they stay gone for good:
•Clear up any clutter. Do not leave papers, magazines, clothes, or other items on the floor.
•Cover your mattress and box spring with a bedbug cover and zip it up all the way.
•Vacuum and wash bedding, furniture, curtains, and carpets often.
•Seal cracks around light sockets, baseboards, and electrical outlets so bedbugs cannot sneak in.
•Check for bedbugs in hotel rooms when you travel to avoid bringing them home with you.
- You’re Safe From Bed Bugs if You Have a Foam Mattress. Truth: While bed bugs can’t live in foam, they can stash themselves in any crevice that’s close to your body while you’re inert, such as in the small cracks of your bed frame.
- Bed Bugs Travel Only by Hitchhiking on Clothes or Other Fabric. Truth: Fabric is only one mode of transport. Bed bugs get around on their own just fine.
- A Bed Bug–Sniffing Dog Is the Best Way to Identify an Infestation. Truth: There are reputable handlers with well-trained bed bug–sniffing dogs and there are scammers with untrained dogs.
- You’ll Need to Throw Out Everything You Own if You Have Bed Bugs. Truth: Most likely you won’t have to leave your expensive TV or computer—or much else—on the curb after a run-in with bed bugs.
It is imperative that you install a door sweep and caulk all areas so that the bugs cannot travel between units. The simplest way to determine if your treatment was a success is to watch for the following signs: Fecal Matter: Red flecks on your pillowcases, bed sheets, bedclothes, baseboards, or walls that the insects leave behind after feeding.
Bedbugs are very hard to get rid of. If you do have bedbugs, it is strongly recommended that you hire a licensed professional pest control operator. If you are a tenant and have bedbugs, you should tell your landlord right away. Tenants who have bedbug-related issues should speak with a public health officer for help in dealing with the ...
Jan 5, 2024 · Laundering. Washing items in water that's at least 120 F (48.9 C) can kill bedbugs. As will putting them in a dryer on a high setting for 20 minutes. Placing items in an enclosed vehicle. If you live in a very hot place, bag up the infested items and place them in a car parked in the sun with the windows rolled up for a day.
People also ask
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How Do I Know Bed Bug Treatment Worked? When you work with our team, we’ll let you know if multiple treatment cycles are needed. This could be required based on the size of the infestation and the type of home. If your bed bug problem has spread from room to room, you may require additional treatments. However, if the bed bugs are caught ...
