Best Type of Treatments for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are on the rise these days even in Connecticut, thanks in part to increased travel and mobility. After all, since the bugs are only about the size of an apple seed, they can easily hitch a ride on someone’s stuff and make their way from town to town, from state to state, or even from country to country.

In addition, the pests are not just found in beds. According to a recent survey by the National Pest Management Association, the pests have been found in every U.S. state, including Connecticut, in a variety of locations, including hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, taxicabs, movie theaters, and even restaurants. This 2013 Bugs Without Borders survey said that “throughout much of the country, bed bugs are as much, if not more of a problem today than they were a few years ago” with the bugs continuing “to plague people wherever they go.”

So what treatments work best at eradicating bed bugs? Here are some of the types of methods for eradicating the insects:

Do It Yourself (DIY) Methods

There are mixed results here, with some working well, and others being downright dangerous. If you recently traveled, and are worried that bed bugs hitched a ride on your clothing, putting all your clothes from the trip in the drier on high heat for at least 20 minutes will kill the bed bugs.

But that method has limited use – after all, you cannot put your entire bed in the clothes dryer! So some people think over the counter pesticide sprays and defoggers are the way to go when it comes to getting rid of bed bugs.  Unfortunately, these products do not work, as a recent study by Ohio State University looked at the efficacy of such over the counter sprays showed. Susan Jones, an entomologist and the lead author of the study, said that “If you use these products, you will not get the infestation under control, you will waste your money, and you will delay effective treatment of your infestation.”

Freezing bed bugs

Some people and pest control companies use freezing methods to eradicate bed bugs. That is because, as the University of Kentucky notes, bed bugs will “succumb to cold temperatures below 32°F.” However, the college says that “the freezing temperatures must be maintained for a longer period (e.g., one to two weeks)” in order to be truly effective. Due to the length of time involved, this may not be a practical method to get rid of the bugs.

Using bed bug extermination heat methods

Another way to eliminate bed bugs is by using bed bug extermination heat technology. Dini M. Miller, an entomologist with Virginia Tech, says that “heat is an excellent bed bug killer.” With heat treatment, temperatures in the affected area are increased to at least 118°F for 20 minutes to an hour or more to kill the bed bugs. Pest control companies who do this bed bug extermination heat method use a hose that goes from an external heating facility, like a truck or van, into the home or business. This heat method is safe and has no harmful fumes. In addition, customers should be able to keep household items after the treatment, instead of having to destroy the items.