For the last few years there has been an epidemic of bed bugs in the United States. Why they have become such a nuisance and how they have multiplied so greatly are a subject for a different discussion. What most people want to know is how to get rid of these bugs and keep them out of their lives.
The Most Popular Myths About Treating Bed Bugs
- Turn Up The Heat. There are many people who have read that bed bugs will die in hot temperatures. This information is accurate, but ineffective. While it is true that bed bugs and their eggs will die in extreme heat, you would have to heat your home to a minimum of 120 degrees, and this heat would have to be evenly distributed throughout the home to be effective. You cannot simply turn up the heat and leave. Every inch of the home, including furniture, walls, crawl spaces, and exterior walls would have to reach this temperature and stay that hot for a few hours to be effective. This is impossible and dangerous to try.
- Turn Up The Cold. On the other side of the situation, it has also been shown that bed bugs and their eggs will die in temperatures that are below 32 degrees. Again, you simply cannot turn your air conditioner on and hope for the best, you would have to freeze every inch of your home to effectively rid yourself of these bugs.
- Mattress Covers. Since the epidemic of bed bugs has started, many companies have emerged stating that they sell bed bug proof mattress covers. These products will protect your mattress in two ways. If you have an infestation in your home, the covers will seal them in and they will die. If you do not have an infestation, they will protect your bed from being infested. However, it is a misconception that bed bugs only remain in beds. These bugs will infiltrate all areas of your home, including other furniture. If you have an infestation a simple mattress cover will do nothing to stop these bugs.
- Over-The-Counter Treatments. There are many pesticides that claim that they can kill bed bugs, including ones that are foggers. These may kill some bugs, including bed bugs, if they are out in the open when you treat the house, the will not kill all of them because these products are not professional strength and do not contain enough ingredients. Bed bugs are already developing a tolerance to many ready-to-use products.
- Remove Food Source. A lot of people believe that if thy leave their home and go to a hotel for a few days the bugs will die off. The bugs do eat blood, so removing the food source seems to make sense. Sadly, these bugs have been known to go into almost hibernation when there is no food and have been shown to live for 60 days before dying. Their eggs can last up to 90 days without a food source. Going away for a few days does nothing.
What Treats Bed Bugs Effectively?
The only guaranteed way to treat your home for bed bugs is to have a professional exterminator come in and treat the home. An exterminator will have the latest advances in bed bug treatment and will be able to treat all areas of the home to destroy the bed bug infestation.