If bed bugs are ruining the peace in your home, it might be tempting to use a bed bug bomb. But there are better ways to manage an infestation. The best option is to contact a pest control professional. Pest control specialists have the expertise and tools to get the situation under control.
Are Bed Bug Bombs Effective?
Do bed bug bombs work? They may seem like a fast and convenient way to eliminate pests in your home. But unfortunately, they’re ineffective against bed bugs. They might even do more harm than good.
Bed bug bombs are aerosol cans that contain pesticides. Once you activate them, they spray the pesticide as a fine mist. They’re indiscriminate, meaning the pesticide will land on all exposed surfaces. But they don’t work for the following reasons.
Bed Bugs Are Usually Hiding
When bed bugs aren’t feeding, they are hiding. Bed bugs prefer to hide in dark and discreet places where they can mate and reproduce. They usually hole up in mattress seams, cracks in furniture, behind outlet covers and under carpets. When they are in their hiding spots, bed bugs are safe from the pesticide in bed bug bombs. Their eggs are out of harm’s way, too. You can’t use bed bug bombs to target nooks and crannies. They will release the pesticide into the air, and the chemicals will fall on whatever surface is underneath.
The Pesticides in Bed Bug Bombs Are Weak
Bed bug bombs usually contain synthetic pyrethroids like permethrin. It is a pesticide that has been around for decades, and bed bugs have developed a resistance to it. What makes bed bug bombs even more ineffective is that they only hold a small amount of this product. That is because it is unsafe to diffuse an enormous dose of potent pesticide inside the home. Bed bug bombs may be enough to eliminate other insects, but they won’t do much to bed bugs.
They Pose Safety Risks to Humans
Bed bug bombs cover all surfaces with a fine layer of pesticide, including kitchen countertops. If you forget to clean your home after a treatment, you might come in contact with or even ingest the production the bed bug bomb.
The best way to handle a bed bug infestation is to contact a pest control professional. They will be able to locate bed bug hiding places and create a targeted pest treatment plan.
Can You Use Baking Soda for Bed Bugs?
Baking soda can clean up many kinds of messes at home. But they won’t do much for bed bug infestations. Some people believe that baking soda dries out bed bugs. Some think it is abrasive enough to cut through their bodies. But these are all myths. Even if baking soda does rid a few bed bugs here and there, these pests reproduce rapidly. Losing a few won’t make a dent in their population.
What Homeowners Can Do to Control Bed Bugs
Baking soda is not the answer to your infestation problem at home. But there are alternative methods you can try that are more effective in containing these pests, including the following.
Extreme Temperatures
Bed bugs don’t do well in extremely hot or cold temperatures. One way to get rid of bed bugs in your clothes and bedding is to throw infested items in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes. You can also throw rugs, shoes, backpacks, stuffed animals, toys and similar objects in the dryer to target any bed bugs hiding in these items.
Alternatively, you can try putting your clothes, pillowcases and blankets in the freezer. Set the temperature to 0 degrees Fahrenheit and leave them for at least four days to ensure the bed bugs don’t survive. However, the temperature method isn’t suitable for all materials, so consult the care labels first.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming is another great way to help reduce the number of bed bugs around your home. While your items are in the dryer, vacuum your mattress and box spring, taking extra care around mattress seams, bed frame and headboard. Pull your bed away from the wall to be extra thorough.
You should also vacuum furniture such as couches, recliners and upholstered chairs. Then, move to vacuuming carpets and wooden floors throughout your home. After vacuuming your home, dispose of the contents of the vacuum into a bag, tie it up and throw it in the trash outdoors.
While all of these methods will help, the surest and fastest way to free your space of bed bugs is to contact a pest control specialist. They will visit you, assess the situation and restore peace in your home.
How Many Legs Do Bed Bugs Have?
How many legs do bed bugs have? How can I tell them apart from other insects? You’re probably asking yourself these questions if you’re trying to identify the pests in your home. Here are some traits you should look out for.
- Bed bugs have small and flat oval-shaped bodies.
- They have six legs but no wings.
- Adults are brown but become red after feeding.
- Adults are three-sixteenths to a quarter of an inch in length, around the size of an apple seed.
Knowing how to inspect for bed bugs and an active infestation is also helpful. Confirming their presence in your home will help pest control specialists do their job. Here are some things you should look out for:
- There are red or rusty stains on mattresses and bedding.
- There are dark spots on the bed, sofa or other fabric. These are bed bug feces that bleed like a marker stain would.
- There is pale yellow dried skins on surfaces. Nymphs shed as they transition into adulthood.
- There are eggs and eggshells around your home. Bed bug eggs are tiny and are about the size of a pin head.
- Live bed bugs on your mattress, wall cracks and other spots.
You have to go beyond the bedroom when looking for bed bugs. These tiny pests can fit anywhere, creating various harborages around the home. When they are not feeding, you can find them in these spots:
- In the seams of mattresses, sofas and cushions
- Between curtain folds
- Behind outlet covers and inside electric receptacles
- Behind loose wallpaper
- Along window frames and wall crevices
The Final Verdict
While a bed bug infestation is a severe problem, it doesn’t mean you have to throw everything out. A pest control expert can save your home from these tiny blood-sucking insects. They’ll gauge the severity of the issue, carve out a plan and get things back to normal.
ABC Can Control Your Bed Bug Problem
Bed bugs are annoying pests that are hard to control on your own. When you notice an infestation, contact ABC Home & Commercial Services for pest control services. We have multiple strategies to control bed bugs, so you and your family can be comfortable again.
