I live in an apartment for senior citizens and we had a few bedbug incidences. They called in an exterminator and they use heat to get rid of them. I was really scared and went and got plastic covers for my box spring and mattress.
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I know this is a creepy subject, but bed bugs are becoming rampant. There is a very save chemical called diatamaceous earth you put under all the legs of every bed and couch in your house so they call in it and die.
If you have a bed bug problem, put down cat litter where the bugs are. Cat litter will kill bed bugs.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
What are the best ways and best products to use to get rid of bed bugs fast? Please be specific. Thank you.
The first thing you have to do is get all your sheets, blankets,and pillows,including any stuffed animals or anything that may be on the floor such as clothes and you need to wash everything in hot water and dry at a high heat. Make sure you vaccum really good around and under your sleeping area or if you have hardwood floors sweep and mop with soapy hot water. If you have any nightstands or tables near your bed they will need to be thouroughly cleaned and any items on them should be cleaned as well. This includes the drawers and items inside as well. After you have isolated all the bedding and all clothing or stuffed animals that could of possibly come in contact with the bedbugs be sure to get it out of the room but be cautious not to mix it in with other laundry until it has been laundered. If it is going to take several loads to wash it all, put it all in a big plastic bag while you are waiting to wash it so you do not spread them to any other areas of your home. After you have gotten all "contaminated" laundry out of your room and thoroughly cleaned the floors and furniture around your bed then you can spray.
I've known all my neighbors for 20 years. We live in a "luxury" apartment building. I don't know how to go about bringing up the subject and telling them. I feel I won't be invited or they will not come close to me.
By Bruno S.
How do you know you have bed bugs? Before you say anything, you should have a pest removal company check your apartment and give you a recommendation for treatment.
We recently stayed at a hotel and now I've got bites all over me. Only, I am being bitten out of the house as well. Does this make sense to anyone? Thanks!
By Kathy
Here is some information on these types of things:
www.earthclinic.com/
They may have gotten in your traveling bags, pockets, or shoes. I had them once and have since gotten rid of them. I had a very old pair of boots that I only wore around the house; they moved into the old cracked boots and seams and under the inside padding. Try shining your shoes with a professional grade oil based shoe polish from an old fashioned shoe repair store.
A month ago we found bed bugs in our new sofa. We continued to search and found a couple more in our bedroom. Needless to say we threw everything out of our house that was not nailed down. We bought all new bedding and furniture and had an exterminator come in twice just to be safe. Since the first extermination we have seen a total of five bugs. I'm pretty sure I saw an adult bed bug the other day while vacuuming our new sofa, but I smashed it so fast with a bobby pin it wasn't recognizable anymore and the only parts left of it were black. We have placed double sided tape around our bedroom and new matress.
I keep getting little red hive looking things on me, but usually only one at a time. My two year old gets them around his outer diaper region. My husband is trying to convinve me I'm crazy because I am always searching for these god awful bugs. I don't sleep lol. Since I'm not able to find any proof of any more bugs do I still have these things? The exterminator is not of much help either since we can't find any alive bugs. I'm constantly itching like crazy. Is this all in my head?How do I get rid of bed bugs?
By poem300 from NYC
My question is how to rid my home of bed bugs. Bugs in the chairs, carpet and outside home.
Thank you,
Michelle
How can I rid a large upholstered chair (chaise) of unseen biting insects (bedbugs, mites)?
Sherelle
Raid kills bed bugs to a certain degree, however we had an exterminator several times and ended up tossing all furniture at the end because it was getting to difficult to keep up. If you know for a fact its only in that chair raid also apparently if you live ina very cold winter climate leaving it outside in at least minus 13 celius can kill them.
This is how I did a chair one time.
You will have to find a bag or plastic large enuff to contain it. Its a hassle but it works. I bought a chair at the thrift store and I wanted to make sure i didnt bring any unwanted visitors into the house. So I used a plastic tarp I got from Walmart and put the chair in the middle. I placed a fogger in there under the chair.(Do this outside) I made sure the top was sealed really well and can set the fogger off thru the plastic.
Burn it! This is a health hazard.
I would give it a good soaking spray with vinegar, probably more than once
I had the same problem/infestation (BAD!) and was told foggers nor cold/hot temperatures kill the Mites because they can endure extreme temps (both hot and cold)...(I tried the fogger first, only to come down the next morning to seeing Mites in the living room looking like they were having a picnic!). I got rid of the furniture & mattresses; vacuumed very thoroughly, very regularly.
My aunt has bedbugs in her apartment and she tried literally everything and nothing worked.
How do you get rid of bedbugs from your home? How do you make something like a recipe from household products? What do you put together to kill them? Does anyone know? If so, let me know asap please.
By whittany from Muncie, IN
There are home bedbug extermination kits. Look for bedbug extermination in a net search. The are really hard to get id of, so use these kits or call in a professional. They do not go away easily!
I know of only two ways that will get rid of them. 1. Heat the room super hot to kill them or 2. Freeze the room to kill them. Either one usally requires Professional extermination.
Diatomaceous earth, garden grade, not pool grade. Available at garden depts, feed stores, etc. It is even fed to livestock to help keep them well. Dust anywhere in the house or yard, even on pets. The only caution is to not breathe it in, as it is a fine dust. It is good for all kinds of bugs, it cracks their skin and they dehydrate.
Pat
I heard that rubbing alcohol will kill bed bugs. True or not?
Has anybody ever heard of Bed Bug Chasers? Has anybody had any success treating an entire house with heat to get rid of bed bugs? Rather than chemicals I would like to treat the whole house rather a room or two just to be safe.
By Mike from Huntington, NY
I don't know if there is a remedy that you can do yourself for bed bugs. From every thing I have heard it takes an exerminator and more than one treatment.
I read that tea tree oil will get rid of them. Maybe spraying it on the floors will help.
Bed bugs can survive for up to a year without feeding on a blood source, so figuring out how to kill bed bugs is a real challenge. These parasites are able to hide in small cracks and crevices, are difficult to find, and even harder to eradicate. Females can lay up to 300 eggs, which hatch within ten days, thus creating an ever-growing population.
Once an infestation has occurred, patience and persistence is the key to ridding the area of bed bugs.
When choosing a professional bed bug exterminator, be careful! Many companies that only specialize in how to kill bedbugs aren't as qualified as full-service pest control companies. Your best bet is to find an established pest control service company that has been in service for at least five years, and you might also ask around and see if anybody you know or look at review sites (like yelp.com) to see if there are recommendations for any specific pest control services.
Make sure the pest control company you choose is certified in your state. Exterminators can be pretty expensive; expect to pay between $250 to $1,000 per room. You'll also want to make sure you choose a pest control company that will make follow-up visits, these are usually necessary for bed bug elimination. Bed bugs are nasty critters and can cause serious illness. There is an apartment complex near me that had to have the tenants throw out ALL of their furniture and rip up the carpeting before the exterminator began his work because they are so difficult to kill.
I would urge you to beg, borrow or steal (well, not steal) the money to hire an experienced exterminator. It will be well worth it.
Do a search on Diatomacous Food Grade. According to the reviews it will get rid of about anything and will not harm people or pets. It's sold on the internet or at Home Depot, or Garden shops and is reasonably priced.
I'm trying to find out if baking soda kills off bed bugs. Does anyone know? I want to get them before they infest my apartment, I detected them early. They are here due to a neighbor who brought in road side furniture.
By Chris
We have bedbugs in the apartments where I live. They haven't reached my apt yet. How do I get rid of bedbugs or prevent them?
By Dollie from Tucson, AZ
We don't know were they came from, but they have invaded my leather couch and the store bought sprays are not working very well. Does anyone have a better idea?
By Karen
Are there any natural remedies for getting rid of bed bugs, that really work?
By IsadoraD from Boston, MA
Bedbugs are difficult to get rid of on your own.Best to hire an exterminator to do it correctly. No natual remedies or cheap way to get rid of them.
Hi,
you can keep bed bugs at bay using tansy. Its an herb with many uses, one of which is repelling bugs. I have used it on mission trips various places to keep various creepy crawlys at bay, including bed bugs. I would suggest filling socks with tansy and putting them in your bed.
Sprinkle tansy leaves around the perimeters of all the rooms in your house, under all the cushions on couches and chairs, on your mattress etc. Then you must seal all the cracks, corners etc. This is how people dealt with them a hundred years ago before the discovery of DDT, bad as that was it did get rid of them. Then wash all your bedding, clothes in Hot water, I would boil anything that you could like sheets etc.
You can find a recipe for vinegar of the four thieves (an extremely effective all natural herbal insect repellent) at www.bulkherbstore.com, you can purchase tansy there as well. I am not affiliated with them in any way they are just a source for herbs for me. Spray this everywhere, including a diluted version on you, spray on bed posts, mattresses etc! Doing this will help, but you might still want to consider an exterminator as bed bugs are extremely hard to get rid of but it can be done.
Try this first and see what happens replacing tansy as often as necessary. I also recommend putting diatemaceous earth around all perimeters this kills all insects good and bad by cutting into their bodies bed bugs hide in walls and mattresses anywhere it is dark so using a mixture of tansy and the diatemaceous earth might be best in all the places named above. You can buy it for the the bulk herb store too. It is completely non toxic and harmless to humans. Hope this helps and good luck.
What are the steps to kill bedbugs? How do you clean the sheets with splattered blood and feces from bedbugs?
By Millie W.
When traveling how do you prevent bed bugs from coming home with you?
By audrey vanwyk from Bedford, PA
Use the luggage rack or the desk to put your luggage on. Hang up your clothes. Don't put your clothes on the floor or on the bed for bedbugs to hide in and for you to accidentally pack them home with you.
Don't set your luggage on the floor. Put it on a chair, table or luggage rack if there is one, anything but floor and bed.
Are bed bugs red? What should I do about it?
By Deborah from Westland
What do bed bug bites look like and how to I get rid of bedbugs?
By Kay B.
How do I get rid of bed bugs myself? I'm not infested yet, I think my neighbor down stairs brought them here. I saw him bring in used furniture and now I'm suffering for it.
By Chris S
