Bed Bug Treatment: What NOT to Do

When it comes to bed bug treatment, there are a wealth of on and offline resource that tell you what you should do to identify and treat an infestation. However, this well-intentioned information often overlooks things one should not do in an effort to combat bed bugs.  And, bear in mind that some information, including much found on the Internet, related to bed bug treatment can actually be incorrect all together. With this in mind, we’re offering a few tips on what NOT to do when it comes to getting rid of bed bugs.

Bed Bug Treatment No-No’s
Want to avoid risky situations or overall failure when it comes to eradicating bed bugs? Consider this:

• Be very careful or simply avoid using propane-powered convection heaters. Often, exterminators may set up many of these in a house or business. And, if care is not taken, this could lead to a fire if not closely monitored. A better option is to use electric heat and ensure that the situation is being monitored constantly – optimally by an expert.
• Do not use foggers or bug sprays. These are not intended for bed bugs. Using them could simply lead to spreading the bed bug problem farther as they will scatter into other areas of a structure rather than be killed by the fogger. 
• Do not throw out or donate furniture, mattresses, or bedding and think this bed bug treatment strategy has been successful. Bed bugs will likely still lurk in cracks and crevices in your home, patiently waiting to crawl into your new furniture or mattresses you purchased as part of a very faulty strategy. Or, they’ll simply move to other items like soft window treatments, couches and the like. Also, someone else will also likely take your donated items to their own home, simply spreading the bed bug problem.  
• Do not just hire a regular exterminator as they may not specialize or understand the specialized nature and habits of bed bugs. You will pay a lot and not get the results you need. Instead, to first properly identify a problem, consider a bed bug dog inspection company to nail down all the bed bug hiding places. You can attempt your own at-home treatments but, it’s far more effective to enlist the services of a bed bug exterminator. 
  

Bed Bug Treatment Options that DO Work
There are a wide array of treatments, both home and professional, that are quite effective at treating bed bugs, including mattress covers, mattress liners, bed bug ovens, bed bug sprays and steam solutions. Also, just as important as the actual treatment is the need for accurate detection as well as vigilance in ensuring that the bed bugs do not come back post-treatment. 

In Review
The main points in this blog post are:

• Just because the information is posted on the Internet about a particular bed bug treatment does not mean it is accurate. Research is necessary to weed out the fiction from the fact.
• Do not use propane-powered convection heaters, foggers or bug sprays, or exterminators that do not specialize in bed bugs. 
• Throwing out furniture and mattresses is not the solution. It will spread the problem and not get rid of all the bed bugs that are hiding elsewhere in your home or building. 
• There are many treatments that do work, including mattress covers and liners, heat and steam treatments, and sprays. However, most important is accurate detection and vigilance in re-inspecting on a regular basis.

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