Treatment for Bed Bugs: Get the Facts!

Moving the bed bugs out of your house, dorm, apartment or hotel is on many minds nowadays as bed bugs have taken up residence in more and more cities around the nation. More homeowners, students, and business owners are struggling with how best to go about treatment for bed bugs. Here are some facts that you may want to know so you can say to bed bugs, “You’re outta here!”

Solutions for Bed Bug Infestations
If you have bed bugs in your home or business, here are some strategies to get them out:

• Seal it: Using a mattress liner and even a mattress encasement can help seal mattresses and box springs from bed bugs. While a mattress encasement trap bed bugs already inside, a mattress liner goes on killing any new arrivals for up to two years. 
• Spray it: There are numerous bed bug sprays now available, which claim kill bed bugs on contact. However, they do only that:  kill on contact. That means they have to be found first and all known hiding places must be uncovered and staked out. 
• Steam it: Steam works due to the heat factor, which also kills bed bugs on contact. Again, there must be contact as steam also disappears quickly and cannot hang around to kill any bed bugs that might appear.  The steam must also be very hot which may not be able to be reached in stor bought clothing steamers.
• Douse it: Chemicals used by professional bed bug exterminators are quite effective but again must work on known hiding places. The chemicals can last for a longer time, 

Knowing that all of these can serve as a treatment for bed bugs is very helpful, but it also important to remember the following as well:

• Consider having a bed bug dog inspection to accurately plot out all the places bed bugs are hiding before any of the above treatments are used. 
• Continue undertaking regular inspections with a flashlight to check on all areas that might serve as hiding places for bed bugs. 
• Take other precautions when traveling, going to work, and attending school to ensure that you are not spreading the bed bug problem to new areas.
• Report any cases to neighbors or businesses in close proximity to help contain any infestations.

Bed Bug Treatments in Review
There are many tactics to take when trying to solve a bed bug problem. Put the following strategies to work: 

• There are a wide range of solutions, including mattress liners and encasements, sprays, steamers and chemicals to attack bed bugs.
• It is important to know all the hiding places first as many of these treatments only work on contact and will not get rid of bed bugs with just one treatment. 
• Have a comprehensive strategy that includes more than one type of treatment.
• Get others involved in helping get rid of the bed bug problem.

About The Author

Jeremy Ecker has worked in the pest control industry for the past 17 years. The last 8 years was spent as a Vice President of one of the most well respected regional Pest Control Companies in New York. He is part of a NESDCA Certified Dog Team