How to Kill Bed Bugs

Bed bugs were once thought completely eliminated in the U.S. However, since DDT was discontinued, bed bugs have been making a come back. The increase in international travel has also led to an increase in bed bug infestation. Many hotels throughout the U.S. have bed bugs due to the increased international travel. Bed bugs cling to clothes and luggage which makes it easy for them to be transported unknowingly.

Bed bugs usually hide in the mattress, box spring, or sheets – basically anywhere that’s close to their food source. They come out at night and feed on their host before going back to hiding. When they feed on you, they also inject an enzyme so that you won’t feel the bite. Only after the bed bug is gone and the enzyme wears off will you feel irritation. Although they are not particularly dangerous, it can be very annoying to get bed bug bites since they feed every few days.

In order to kill bed bugs, you have to know what you are doing and understand these pests. Bed bugs can live up to 6 months without feeding. So your plan of moving out of your residence for a few days to starve the bed bugs won’t work. Bed bugs not only live in your mattress, but they can hide in furniture, cracks in the wall, and any other crevice you can think of.

A few ways you can kill bed bugs is to first try using a mattress encasement. The mattress encasement is a plastic bag that you put around your mattress thereby trapping bed bugs in your mattress. After more than 6 months, the bed bugs should be dead due to starvation.

To kill bed bugs that are hiding in crevices around your house you’ll have to be thorough. Since bed bugs hide in every nook and cranny you have to check everywhere. If you feel that you cannot be thorough in your check, you may want to just fork out the money and hire a bed bug exterminator. Exterminators know exactly how to get rid of bed bugs since they have strong pesticide sprays and know where they are hiding.