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Bed bugs are truly nature’s way of bugging people; the tiny red micro-organisms make life extremely difficult if they infest your home or office. And once they make their presence felt, there is no getting rid of them unless you resort to extreme measures. You will know that there are bed bugs in your living space when you notice red bite marks on your body or on the body of your pets.
But it is important that you begin treating your entire house for bed bugs before they spread further and cause severe forms of infection. It is a fact that bed bugs are hard to eliminate but by performing regular and extreme form of treatment you can get rid of them completely.
There are many remedies that can be done at home to kill the bugs and their eggs; however, the remedies have to be done regularly until the bed bugs are all gone. In this section we will look at some of the best home remedies that are available to us for treating the problem of bed bugs.
Home Remedies For Bed Bugs
Hot Sun Treatment
Extreme temperature is the enemy of bed bugs and exposing them to direct sunlight will ensure that the bed bugs along with their eggs are eliminated. Spread mattresses, bed sheets, clothes, upholstery, carpets and even soft toys under the sun.Even place your furniture out in the open to expose it to sunlight; many times the bed bugs are found cozily nestled in the cushions of sofas and under the mattresses. This may sound tedious but doing it for a week will get rid of the problematic micro-organisms entirely.
Hot Water Wash
Washing clothes, bed sheets, soft toys and upholstery in very hot water is an excellent way to get rid of the bed bugs completely and in one go. Soak all the infested clothes in extremely hot water in which strong detergent has been mixed.Soak the clothes for at least an hour and then transfer the contents of the tub into another tub filled with hot water and leave for another hour. Then wash as usual. Hang the clothes to dry under hot sun. While this is the best way of eliminating bed bugs you will not be able to use it on your furniture unless your furniture can withstand the hot water treatment without being spoiled.
Hot Iron
Another extreme form of treating the bed bugs is by hot ironing everything that can be ironed in your house. This may not sound like a practical remedy but it is worth the effort. The heat generated from the iron is enough to kill the bed bugs and their eggs. Perform the treatment every day for 15 days to get rid of the bugs forever; however, be careful lest you burn your clothes.
Hot Dryer Treatment
Putting clothes in the dryer tub of the washing machine will also help get rid of the bugs but you will have to do this treatment at least thrice a day for a period of three days. Place all the infested (dry) clothes in the dryer and let the machine work as usual. Wait for five minutes before re-working the dryer. Repeat the treatment three times and then hang the clothes in the sun.
Freeze
Bed bugs cannot withstand extreme cold temperature just like they cannot bear hot temperature. Sealing the infested clothes in a plastic bag and placing the bag in the freezer is a good way of eliminating the bed bugs though it will not work if you have less storage space in the refrigerator. Instead you can prepare buckets of ice cold water and soak the clothes in the water for 30 minutes.
Hair Dryer
To get rid of bed bugs nestled in the crevices of beds and cushioned sofas use hair dryer. Set the dryer to maximum heat and focus the hot air over the crevices. Hold the dryer in place for 2-3 minutes before turning off; wait for half a second and then re-start the dryer. Repeat this procedure for 15 minutes.This is tiring but it is the best way of getting rid of the bed bugs that hide themselves well in the crevices of furniture. These hidden bed bugs are the hardest to get rid off and if not eliminated they multiply rapidly in number infesting the entire area again.
Plastic Bags
Once your clothes etc have been treated for infestation pack and seal them in plastic bags so that the bed bugs that are still around cannot infest them again. The sealed plastic bag will protect your clothes until your house is completely free of bed bugs.
Insecticides
Many times bed bugs are hard to get rid of especially if the area they have infested is large and has many crevices where the bugs can hide easily and go undetected. In such cases the best solution is to get the entire space treated with chemicals meant specifically for bed bugs. There are many professional services that will do the job for you at very minimal costs.
These days the insecticides contain many natural ingredients hence; there is zero risk to your health. Many of these insecticide spraying companies work on contract basis; they visit your house every 2-3 months to ensure that the infestation has not recurred. At the slightest hint of infection, they immediately perform the treatment to ensure that the problem doesn’t get out of hand.
Remember, to get rid of the bed bugs completely you have to be very regular in the treatment. Many times the home remedies do not work because people are unable to follow them through completely. Unless the bed bugs and their eggs are fully eliminated there will always be chances of the infestation occurring again.
Besides, while treating your house don’t forget to perform appropriate treatment on yourself as well as on the bodies of your pets. Many times the bed bugs present in the fur of the pets go untreated resulting in recurrence of the problem. Therefore, complete and thorough treatment of the bed bugs is very important.
