Finding an effective way to kill bed bugs can be tricky at best and nearly impossible at worst. These tiny parasites burrow into bed linens and usually come out at night to feast on the blood of human hosts. If you have them in your home, you need to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Though they are hard to find, they can be seen with the naked eye if you know what you are looking for. Their flat bodies are ovals and they can effectively stuff themselves into the smallest of crevices and cracks. Dark spots found on the bed linens are signs that you may have an infestation of these nasty insects.
The infested area will need to be thoroughly cleaned. Remove the bedding, clothes and throw rugs from the room and clean them as usual. Use hot water and put the dryer setting at the highest level.
While the linens are being cleaned, vacuum the mattress on all sides. Wrap the mattress in plastic and place it out in the direct sunlight for as long as possible. Give the carpets and drapes a good steam cleaning. Run the vacuum along the perimeter of the rug and along the edges of all the furniture. Scrub all hard surfaces with a stiff brush to dislodge any eggs. Seal the vacuum bag in plastic and discard it immediately.
Purchase an insecticide made specifically to control them and, only after you have read the instructions, spray along the baseboards and in crevices where bed bugs may be hiding. Do not use any kind of pesticide on the mattress or any other surface that humans may come in direct contact with.
Contact insecticides will kill these pests on contact but there is a chance that they will become immune to it. Insect growth inhibitor targets very young bugs and eggs and is another type of insecticide used to control these types of bugs. The most potent substance is insecticidal dust but it can be toxic to humans.
Three of the common insect killers used are contact insecticides, insect growth inhibitors and insecticidal dust. As the name suggests, the first type kills the bugs when they come in contact with it but it some instances, they become immune. Growth inhibitors go after bugs that have just hatched in addition to eggs to control the population. These are effective but work slowly. Insecticidal dust is the most potent of the three but it is also poisonous to humans.
Sometimes no matter what you do, the bugs just will not go away. If you find yourself in this position, you will need to seek the help of a professional. More potent insecticides are available to qualified exterminators and they will be trained in their proper use. It is possible that extreme cases will require more than one treatment.
If you are plagued by an invasion of this tiny organism, you want to find a product that will not only prevent bed bugs but will kill bed bugs. At the same time, the treatment cannot be harmful to humans or pets.
