Bed Bug Products: Which are the Best?

As the bed bug problem expands even amid today’s highly proactive movement to stem what’s become a nationwide epidemic, new businesses and related products have been introduced into the marketplace. However, because there are now so many different options, it can be difficult to discern which bed bug products are best and which are just trying to play on people’s fears and cash in. 

Here is a round-up of some of the available bed bug products that are proven to exterminate bed bugs as well as those that help with deterrence. 

Best for Professionals: Pesticides
Professional bed bug exterminators rely on chemical-based pesticides as their primary product. These have been proven to kill the bed bugs on contact. Despite fears otherwise, these pesticides do not have a negative residual effect or cause harm to healthy adults that come near treated areas. Such chemical treatments might want to be avoided where small children and pets are concerned.

Best Non-Chemical Options: Numerous Products

• Vacuums: Vacuums can physically remove as many bed bugs from an area as can be sucked up. It is just as important to check the vacuum after disposal and find a secure place to put the vacuum bags, such as sealing them in trash bags and placing these outside of the property and as far away from the structure as possible. 
• Steam:  Steam is another very effective product for treating a wide array of items, including beds, curtains, and furniture. Steam machines are available for purchase or rent.
• Mattress and Box Spring Liners/Encasements: A mattress liner or encasement, such as the economical Active Guard Mattress Liner, can seal in bed bugs and eggs and work to protect an area from future infestations. Those bugs trapped inside the encasement will eventually die and those trying to get to the mattress will not be able to breach the liner material and, thus, cannot embed themselves. The liners or encasements must be installed correctly, of course.  
• Heating Unit: A heating unit like the one from PackTite works well for shoes, clothing, and small bags so that you can get rid of bed bugs without resorting to throwing these items away. 

Travel Products to Tote
A great portable devices is a bed bug monitor or trap as these can help you take your bed bug identification and protection on the road with you. In particular, the Climbup Insect Interceptor is a bed bug monitor that is easy to use, inexpensive, and actually works on current infestations and particularly if you have faced bed bugs before. Then, there is the highly accurate NightWatch Bed Bug Monitor, which emits CO2, heat, and a pheromone scent to lure bed bugs.

You can also pre-treat suitcases with Permethrin spray and use inexpensive Ziploc bags to protect clothing and other packed items.

Laundry Solution: Dissolvable Laundry Bags
From GreenClean comes a natural solution for getting potential bed bug-ridden clothes to the washer without spreading the infestation further. While on the road, just put your dirty clothes in and the laundry bag that then dissolves in the wash. 

In Review
Here are the main points from this blog post on best bed bug products:

• There are best bed bug products for various applications, including professional use, non-chemical, travel and laundry.
• It may be that you will need a combination of products as some work for extermination and some are better for proactive prevention of bed bugs.
• Be sure to weigh your need, degree of infestation, and budget when you select a product.

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