Bed Bug Control

Adam Bjerk

Identification

Adult bed bugs are brown or rust colored, oval, flat, and about the size of an apple seed (5 mm long, 3 mm wide). After feeding, they turn red and their rounded hind end becomes more pointed. It helps to study a few pictures of bed bugs (below).

Bed Bug

Size of Bed Bug

Bed bug control is difficult. These pests are hardy, resistant to insecticides, and they hide in the smallest, darkest places throughout the day. Bed bugs are also ambitious reproducers and their eggs are difficult to see, let alone destroy. Hard pressed by your control methods, they can live up to a year without feeding. Still, it can be done. Nothing motivates insect genocide like sleep loss and the thought of being feasted upon by a host of vampiric insects. Begin with the understanding that no single bed bug control method is going to work by itself. You must use an integrated approach, employing both chemical and non-chemical strategies to exterminate this most wretched of all pests. Read, learn, and (hopefully) rest easy.

Controlling Bed Bugs

First, ransack your bed. Dismantle your bed completely—headboard, baseboard, box spring, dust cover. Everything. Pay special attention to tufts and seams, but thoroughly inspect every inch. Small bed bug infestations are sometimes wholly confined to the bed. These pests are social, congregating in disgusting piles during the day. Yes . . . gross, but there is a chance you could catch them all or reduce their numbers significantly with one large find. And what do you do with the ones you find? Any vacuum with a HEPA filter will work. Bag vacuums are best, just be sure to dispose of the contents in a sealed bag (or bury or burn). In a pinch, you can also just crush and flush with tissue.

Next, make sure you can sleep at night. Move your bed a few inches away from walls or furniture. If you're going to keep your mattress and box spring, buy bed bug‒proof coverings (see right). Leave these on for a year to ensure all hidden bed bugs have suffered and starved. Lastly, deny bugs access to your bed by placing all four bed legs inside smooth glass jars or polished metal cans (dog/cat food). Bed bugs can't gain traction on these surfaces. The ClimbUp Insect Interceptor (right) will also work, and it has the added benefits of trapping and killing bed bugs, which allows you to monitor your progress.

Time to search and destroy those bed bugs. Bed bugs usually hide within 15 feet of their food. That means you. You'll want to look around the edges of carpeting (sometimes underneath), as well as behind anything wall or ceiling mounted, including picture frames, lighting, ceiling fans, light switch plates, and power outlets. Cracks in walls or flooring will need investigating. Search through piles of clothes or clutter, and thoroughly inspect furniture. Trim, door frames, and cracks can be investigated with a putty knife or credit card, but remember to keep a vacuum or paper towel handy to catch the bugs. Reddish-brown spots (bed bug feces/vomit), the straw-colored shed skins, or a sweet smell may indicate a pile of bed bugs is hiding nearby.

Use bed bug sprays and and dusts to treat cracks and crevices. You'll need a long lasting bed bug spray such as D-Force HPX or Bedlam Insecticide—convenient aerosol, bed bug control products. Another good option is PyGanic 1% Pyrethrin Dust. Bed bug sprays and dusts are mainly used to treat cracks and crevices created by trim, baseboards, floor cracks, carpet edges, outlet coverings, furniture, and the nooks and crannies discussed above. READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. These products are only labeled as safe if used exactly according to the instructions, and bedrooms are an incredibly sensitive area to be using any chemicals.

Kill bed bugs with heat. The washer and dryer are essential tools for bed bug control. Wash bedding and clothing often, and dry thoroughly on high heat for 20–30 minutes. This will kill all hidden bed bugs and eggs. Similarly, toys, shoes, backpacks, and other items that can be put in the dryer should be heated. Even wool and silk can usually be put in the machine for this amount of time (not wet, of course). If you have carpeting, it's not a bad idea to rent a steam cleaner to roast any bed bugs or eggs hiding beneath.

Become a clean freak to control bed bugs. Sanitize bed bug infested areas with soap and water. Bust out the vacuum and its neat attachments on a near-daily basis. Massage those corners, cracks, and crevices with the suction wand to snag the random bed bugs, bug parts, eggs, and so forth (HEPA filter required). Lastly, fight clutter and aim for a minimalist atmosphere. Bed bug control is much more difficult in cluttered homes. Piles of clothing, scattered belongings, stacks of pornographic magazines—these are all potential hiding places for bed bugs.

Enlist the aid of bed bug pest control professionals. Even if you're consistent, disciplined, and knowledgeable, total bed bug extermination can elude you. Don't hesitate to get help. Some pest control firms are using sniffing dogs to detect bed bug hideouts, and as they hide in groups, a lot can be accomplished with one visit. Bed bug control professionals will also have access to chemical-free heating and freezing bed bug treatments, as well as stronger bed bug sprays and dusts.

How to Prevent Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are the greatest hitchhikers in the insect world. Sure, they can crawl from your house to your neighbor's home, but when they travel, it is almost always in suitcases, luggage, clothing, packaging, or on used furniture. Here are some things you can do to avoid another bout of bed bugs:

Investigate for signs of bed bugs while staying at hotels, hostels, and other places with a lot of human traffic. If you've already spent some time in a bug-infested room, place any luggage in a sealed plastic bag, and launder using hot water and dry on high heat immediately upon returning home. Suitcases, which provide for many hiding places, are better off being thrown out, sealed in bag labeled "bed bug infested."
Used furniture should be inspected top to bottom with a flashlight before being brought into your home.
Used clothing should be inspected thoroughly, as well. Washing in hot water or using a clothes dryer can ensure any eggs or bugs are killed.
Keeping birds and bats out of your home will prevent infestations of certain species of bed bug.

Bed Bug Control Products

Bed bug‒proof mattress and box spring encasements. I don't see the point in spraying mattresses and box springs with chemicals. Some bed bugs or eggs may survive, and bed bugs hiding elsewhere will re-infest eventually. Encasements are a better, chemical-free option. The Protect-A-Bed AllerZip covers are 100% cotton terrycloth, comfortable, and they keep bugs out of your mattress. Pillow encasements are also a good idea.

ClimbUp Insect Interceptor. It's the only bed bug trap I would buy. You place one of these under each of the legs of your bed. The bed bugs crawl in on their way to the buffet, but they get stuck and die. This product will defend your bed, kill bed bugs, and allow you to monitor the progress of your bed bug control methods.

MotherEarth D (diotomaceous earth). Using a handheld duster, you lightly spread the DE along trim, inside outlets, along the edges of carpet, inside wall voids, around your bed—anywhere the bugs may hide or travel. They crawl across it, get torn to shreds, and dehydrate. Long lasting and completely harmless for children and pets, it's the most effective natural bed bug control agent.

D-Force HPX. It's a powerful, long-lasting (residual) aerosol for cracks and crevices. Apply behind trim, baseboards, inside of cracks in flooring and other voids. It can also be sprayed behind furniture and on surfaces the bugs crawl over, but extreme caution must be taken to avoid poisoning non-targets, such as yourself. Read the directions!