There are alternatives to calling a bed bug exterminator. Doing your own treatment can be as effective if done right. Of course, bed bug extermination experts will have all the right tools at their disposal and will be more prepared than you ever will be.
Do It Yourself Bed Bug Treatment
If you’re not ready to call a professional, have a look at the following at-home solutions and remedies that could help you erase these pests from your life.
Bed bugs will establish a home in any hole or crevice they find anywhere in your home as long as humans frequent there. That’s why you will never find them living in the ceiling. You will find them in seams on your mattress, joints on furniture, and pretty anywhere else you love to relax. Finding bed bugs or eggs in your hair is possible, but is not a cause for concern.
Vacuum to Collect And Dispose
Use a vacuum to suck the bed bugs and their eggs off your furniture and pretty any other surface. Remember to discard the bag far away from your home. This method works for reducing the size of the colony living within your home. It can help to slow down their population growth, especially if you vacuum lots of eggs or recently-fed bed bugs, as they would be ready to lay more eggs.
Steam Cleaning to Kill Them Quick
No bedbug would survive scalding water at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Follow the instructions provided by the maker of your steam cleaner for how to use it on the surface you plan to steam. Bed bugs despise heat and prefer to remain cool. This will not only make it very uncomfortable for them but it can kill them in the process.
Washing all Bedding and Clothes
Wash every fabric in your home in hot water then tumble dry. Further extermination may be required on the bed and furniture. Washing and drying your clothes and bedding is a very effective way to expose bed bugs to extreme temperatures. It is an effective way to kill any bed bugs or eggs that may be living in these fabrics.
Stiff Brush to Remove Bed Bugs
Take a stiff brush and run it along with your sofa, mattress seams, clothes, or any other fabric. It should dislodge any clinging eggs and live bed bugs. Be sure to dispose of them responsibly so they don’t start spreading elsewhere.
Hair Dryer to Kill or Reveal Bed Bugs
As stated before, bed bugs hate heat. When exposed to enough heat, they will die. You can use a hair dryer to apply heat directly to a small nest of bed bugs, forcing them to vacate a particular area or kill them from the heat. Be sure to remove all dead bed bugs from affected areas.
It’s not be most effective method for killing, but if your goal is to check for bed bugs with hair dryer then you’ll be less disappointed.
Double-Sided Tape
Take some double-sided tape and wrap it along the entire circumference of your bedposts on the floor. This causes the bed bugs to get trapped on their way up to your mattress when they prepare to feed on their host.
Although double-sided tape is not the most effective method to prevent feeding, it can slow them down. In a long-lasting battle, any advantage can help you.
Use Natural Repellents
Scents and repellants made from essential oils – blood orange oil, silicone oil, paraffin oil, and spearmint oil – are the best.
Silica Gel
Crush those little packets of beads (dryers) you find in shoeboxes and food products[1] and spread the powder on surfaces infested by bed bugs. Avoid this method if you have pets and kids as they might inhale them. Silica gel packets are extremely toxic and should only be used if you are confident in your ability to clean up after using them.
Rubbing Alcohol
Start by pouring rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle, then begin spritzing it away. Rubbing alcohol kills bed bugs on contact, but it can be difficult to make any real difference. Bed bugs are very small and it is not easy to hit them with rubbing alcohol.
Other Repellents
You can also consider buying some repellents that are commercially available. Read our guide for natural bed bug repellents you can use on your own body to prevent bites and feeding off your blood. Try these other repellents:
- Diatomaceous earth
- Peppermint oil and leaves
- Black walnut tea
- Petroleum jelly
- Baby powder
- Dryer sheets
- Soap
Starve Bed Bugs to Death
You actually can starve bed bugs to death but will take longer than you think. Whether you choose to abandon the living space for some time or zip the mattress and furniture to limit the contact between you and them, make sure it lasts for more than 3 months (99 days). Evidence shows that bed bugs can’t live past this period without a blood meal.
Time To Make The Call
The cost of professional treatment is going to depend on an array of factors, including the extent of the infestation and the location.
Here are some baseline estimates:
- National average cost – $400
- Average cots range – $350 to $500
- Low-end cost – $175
- High-end cost – $1,235
The price of your extermination service varies on several factors, which can be read about here. You can expect to pay based on the size of your home, the number of rooms, how much furniture you have, and how serious your infestation is.