Bed bugs are probably the most annoying of all the bug species. They attack you on your sleep leaving behind itchy, inflamed reddish blisters on your neck, shoulders, face, arms and legs. Although bed bugs do not transmit diseases, they become detrimental to people who have weak immune systems due to a higher risk of developing secondary infections from the bed bugs bite. That aside, the horrendous itching and sleepless nights are enough reasons to detest these horrible pests. What could be the best way to totally get rid of bed bugs? Simply – kill them.
However, killing bed bugs is not as simple as you think. Trust me, even people from thousands of years ago can attest to that. Bed bug infestation has been a lingering problem to most households for generations. People have come up with various methods such as alcohol, botanical oils, dust and pesticides. While these methods work efficiently at first, bed bugs were able to adapt themselves to these remedies. Over time, these methods have been deemed ineffective in killing bed bugs. And worse, bed bugs have evolved to become more resilient against pesticides.
How did they build resistance against pesticides? When we spray pesticides on contact with bed bugs, it can kill some of them but not all of them. Bed bugs have to be exposed to these compounds for a week or two in order to die. The effect of pesticides can only hang on for 24 hours, enough to kill the weaker bugs but not enough to kill the stronger ones. These survivors are able to develop greater resistance against pesticides. Now, imagine these tough bed bugs reproducing a hundredfold, producing offspring that can also withstand the power of pesticides.
Although considered useless, people never gave up on pesticides. They were able to come up with better formula with higher potency guaranteed to instantly kill bed bugs on contact.
Alongside the use of pesticides, several bed bugs treatment options have emerged. The modern era has produced state-of-the-art methodologies that can help human win the never-ending battle against bed bugs.
Here is the list of the bed bugs treatment options that you can use and see for yourself which method works for you:
Hire a professional exterminator
Seeking the help of a professional is always the first thing in mind when you’re at loss. This may be the most convenient way if you want to save time and effort. Other treatment options demand extensive know-how about the procedure and will eat most of your time and energy to be able to do them. When you opt to hire a professional exterminator, you don’t have to worry about anything. They will provide the necessary equipments, knowledge and resources to flush out all the bed bugs from your home and kill them all.
This option is, of course, expensive. The only thing that you will be worrying is the financial cost of hiring a professional service. Fortunately, the rise of bed bug infestations also gave rise to the number of pest control companies offering services at a more competitive price. Ah, the beauty of competition! This cuts down the cost of pest control services, making it more affordable as compared before.
Bed bug sprays
Bed bugs evolve, and so are pesticides. The fight between pesticides and bedbugs isn’t over just yet. The development of pesticides has introduced new innovations where people can choose what form of pesticides to use. While powder insecticides are becoming more and more prominent, bug sprays in liquid-form or aerosol-form are still widely-used today.
Bed bug sprays kill bed bugs on contact. Spray areas where bed bugs usually hide. The effect of the chemicals does not last long and there is a high chance that some bed bugs might run away from the pesticide. Using sprays alone may not be enough to wipe out the entire population of the infestation. You can use a combination of different insecticides. For example, after spraying their hiding places, let it dry then sprinkle powder insecticides on the same spots.
Some chemicals used in bed bug sprays can be hazardous to your health if used improperly. It is important to follow instructions on how to use these products. If you have children or pet at home, look for a botanical-based natural spray as an option.
Heat treatment
When exposed to a temperature of 140°F for 90 minutes, bed bugs die. The use of heat is another treatment option for bed bug control. Unlike sprays that need to be used in contact with bed bugs, heat treatment allows heat to fill every corner of an enclosed room or building, reaching even the smallest of space where bed bugs may hide. To conduct this treatment to an entire house, you will need an expensive heat treatment system composed of multiple heaters installed in each room of the house. These heaters are simultaneously set up to a temperature high enough to kill hiding bed bugs. A smaller, less expensive portable heater unit can also be used to kill bed bugs clinging on clothing, pillows, sheets, and luggage.
Bed Bug Vacuums
Your regular vacuum can be used to suck in bed bugs from their hiding spots. However, bed bugs may stick on the vacuum bag and you are likely to transport the bugs to other parts of your home instead.
Bed bug vacuums are specially designed equipments to suck in and kill bed bugs. However, using this lets you capture bed bugs that you can see, most bed bugs are probably hiding in hard-to-reach places where you can’t see them. It is advisable to use this vacuum in conjunction with other treatment options such as sprays and heaters.
Which of these treatment options is the best?
Choosing your best weapon against bed bugs should not give you a difficult time. The solution is simple – you can use them all. Success rate is much higher when multiple methods are used together. After a heat treatment, it never fails to make sure no single bed bug is left alive by spraying pesticide on previously infested areas. After the work of a professional exterminator is finished, it never fails to vacuum their hiding places to make sure leftover eggs and shells are removed.
