Bed bugs are one thing that you never want to encounter in your own home or on vacation. If you have a bed bug infestation, you may not see them at first, but you will certainly notice the bites. The big question is how you will kill them and get rid of them for good. If you are traveling, you certainly do not want to take them home with you, so it’s important to take care of the problem before leaving.
Hot water will kill bed bugs on your clothes and linens if hot enough, but it may not kill all of them in the affected area. You will also need to treat and kill the bed bugs in the room and on the mattress itself which will require additional heat treatment. Heat is the most effective treatment proven to kill bed bugs at all stages of life, from bed bug eggs to adult bed bugs.
How hot should water be to kill bed bugs
As soon as you notice bed bugs, you should place all linens in the room in a sealed bag and take them immediately to the washing machine.
Set your washing machine on the highest heat setting which will typically be around 120℉ (50℃) and run a regular cycle.
These high temperatures are an effective way kill all the bed bugs on your linens.
Newer washing machines will typically have a sanitizing cycle that you can run which provide more extreme temperatures should reach around 140℉ (60℃) and will be most effective. Be sure to wash all linens in the room, even if they were not directly on the bed. After washing all your sheets and other linens, dry them on the hottest setting in your dryer as an extra precaution.
Do NOT take the linens back into the infested areas until they have been fully treated for bed bugs as well.
How to kill bed bugs on a mattress
Once you have washed all your sheets and other linens in hot water, you still need to clean the affected room, including the mattress. Obviously, you cannot throw a mattress in the washing machine, so how can you kill bed bugs on a mattress and box spring?
Heat Treatment
Much like washing linens in hot water to kill bed bugs, the room itself should be treated with heat because not all infested items can be washed. Heat is the only proven way to kill bed bugs, but obviously, this cannot be done with hot water over the entire room. Instead, you will need to raise the temperature of the room to at least 120℉ for an extended time of at least 6 hours. It may seem like a long time, but it’s necessary for best results.
This can be accomplished by placing heaters in the room and using temperature probes to measure and maintain the heat in the room. Check to see if there are local pest control companies in your area that use or rent bed bug heaters.
This is a great non-toxic option without chemicals which can be very important when used in a bedroom that you will need to use again right away. This may be especially important when bed bug treatment is needed in a child’s bedroom, daycare center, or anywhere kids will be using the space.
Diatomaceous earth
This method can take a little longer, often several weeks, and works by dehydrating and eventually killing the bed bugs when they come in direct contact with it. While it can be fairly effective, it should not be used alone to kill bed bugs, especially with a full-blown infestation. Spread this around furniture, bed frame and small cracks where they may be hiding.
Insecticides
You can also choose the route of using chemical treatments if heat treatment is not an option. It is possible to do this on your own by looking for products specifically marked for use on bed bugs. Below are a few different products that you can use on your own to kill bed bugs:
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- Ortho Home Defense Max Bed Bug, Flea and Tick Killer
- EcoVenger Natural Bed Bug killer – a less toxic option that works well
- Harris Beg Bug and Egg Killer – Kills bed bugs that have built up resistance to other traditional pesticides
Vacuum the affected area
Vacuuming alone will NOT kill bed bugs, but should be done after a heat or chemical treatment to clean up and remove all the dead bed bugs and eggs. You should then take the vacuum cleaner outside and empty all contents into a sealed plastic bag.
Be sure to clean the filter, vacuum bag and other parts of the vacuum to ensure you have removed all bed bugs and eggs from the vacuum before taking them back into your home. This is important to stop the spread of a bed bug problem to other areas of the home.
What do bed bugs look like?
Many people know about bed bugs but may have never seen them. The first step in determining if you have a bed bug infestation is to know what you are looking for.
Bed bugs are small insects that and have a flat, brown, oval shaped body.
Their eggs are very tiny and may not always be visible as you inspect the sheets or other areas of the room, but there will be other signs that bed bugs are present aside from spotting the bugs themselves.
Signs of bed bugs
You may be able to spot the actual bed bugs because they hang out in the best hiding places, but if you don’t see any and still suspect that you may have an infestation, here are some other signs to look for that will confirm your suspicions.
- Reddish stains – Bed bugs rely on blood meal as they feed on blood from humans or animals that they bite and they become engorged. If they get crushed on your sheets which can often happen in your sleep, you will notice reddish stains left behind
- Shell Casings – These are yellowish and translucent in color and often may be easier to spot than the bed bugs themselves. These are often a first sign that people notice when checking for bed bugs.
- Bed Bug Bites – This is the most obvious sign that you have a bed bug problem, although bug bites on your skin doesn’t always mean it’s bed bugs. Look for some of the other signs in the list to determine if bed bugs are the problem.
- Strange Odor – Bed bugs often have a musty smell that has been described as smelling like moldy laundry. If you notice a similar strong strange smell it is probably a good idea to check for other signs.
- Fecal Marks – This is not a pleasant sign to discover, but if you have a bed bug infestation, you will probably notice fecal marks, which will look like several very small black marks on your sheets or other linens.
Anyone who has had any experience with bed bugs knows that discovering a bed bug infestation means a lot of clean up and hassle. However, the good news is knowing that you can treat them effectively at home with hot water, heat, or chemicals is reassuring. Heat is the most effective, non-toxic treatment for bed bugs whether it’s hot water or heaters. Vacuuming and cleaning all surfaces after heat or hot water treatment will ensure you get rid of all bed bugs in the room and prevent re-infestation.
If you have tried all of the home remedies, but have encountered a bed bug infestation that is too large for you to handle on your own, the best thing to do is to contact a professional pest control company to help. They offer and integrated pest management approach that will kill all stages of bed bugs along with your diy approach. They also have chemicals and special equipment that have been proven to help with bed bug control.