How to Fight Bed Bugs and Win

“You want me to do WHAT???  For how long?”

These are the words of my dear friend who was recently told how she needed to comply in order for her apartment to be treated for bed bugs.  This were the orders she was given before the fumigation began:

• Run ALL her clothes through a high heat dryer cycle and bag in sealable bags – or dry clean all applicable wardrobe pieces.
• Strip all beds, clean and launder sheet and also place in sealable bags.
• Break down and safely dispose of unwanted beds, furniture, mattresses and more.
• Pull all furniture 8 inches away from the wall to allow for proper inspection and treatment.
• Empty and pack items from dresser drawers, bureaus, nightstand, bookshelves, wall units, closets and more.
• Perform detailed crack and crevice vacuuming throughout apartment including rugs, sofas, cribs etc..
• Treat non-treatable items that cannot be washed or dry cleaned with specialized solution that kills bed bugs on contact.
• Order corrugated boxes to pack all food items.
• Seal up the boxes properly to prevent any spread of bed bugs into or out of that area.
• Pack all items of clothing that will not be needed into suitable boxes to be stored or sent off for fumigation.
• LIVE like this for 3 weeks!!!

Do you know how many bed bugs she found?

Three!  Her apartment didn’t have an infestation problem but through the vents from the tenants below, the little creatures were making their way to move in with my friend.

While my friend worked frantically to bring her apartment to compliance, she watched as neighbors threw out clothes and mattresses in the garbage – only to be picked out by others and returned to different parts of the building.

So, after 3 months of living in her apartment, my friend made a plan, packed up all her things and MOVED.  Rather than expose herself to the continuing threat of bed bugs and live like a nomad for 3 weeks, she found refuge in a safe bed bug-free living arrangement.

As soon as you realize you have bed bugs, they begin to rule your life.  But, for many, moving may not be an option.  I want to help you make a plan.  You have to work fast and work hard, but it’ll be worth the effort.  Don’t just opt for fumigation. Protest the chemicals and insecticides that promote other health problems besides bug bites.  With an understanding of the enemy, you can launch an attack with the least dramatic measures.

1. Take out one mattress at a time and vacuum all the bugs and spray the ribbing (see Product Review for a choice in bed bug sprays). Spray the bed base.
2. Cover your bed in plastic.  Use your seasonal sheets (stored and bed bug free) to sleep on, making sure bedding and clothes do not come in contact with the floor.
3. Spray along the skirting boards, the floor and around the bed.  Sprinkle some talc to identify where you have sprayed to prevent walking through it.
4. If more bed bugs are hiding, they would crawl out at night and head for the bed, but crossing the ring would come into contact with the surface spray.
5. Wash your clothes in the hottest possible water, dry them on high heat and put them in space bags.  Other items, like purses and shoes can either be sprayed or put into a heating unit like (PackTite – see Product Recommendation). Store in zip lock bags.  Throw away anything you don’t need!
6. Dust around some “diatomaceous earth,” especially in your bedroom, working it into the carpets and corners of the room and between and mattress and box springs. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is composed of algae fossils, which causes jagged edges in diatomaceous earth. Jagged edges cut the surface of bed bugs causing them to bleed to death when they crawl across it.
7. Apply diatomaceous earth lightly in dry areas where crawling insect pests are found or may hide, including cracks and crevices, along baseboards, around sinks, cabinets, refrigerators and stoves and in attics and basements. Direct contact with dry dust is required for effective control.

This may be a war with bed bugs, but you can have the victory.  Kill them all, in all their stages, wherever they are and whatever it takes.  Choose your weapons wisely.  Crawl into unbelievable spots.  Make no compromise. Don’t skip one crevice.  Follow those buggers home.  Don’t give them a chance to survive.  Steam heat them out if you have to.  One survivor could mean infestation. Battle against them directly, not behind a timid mask of fear or denial.

After it is all said and done, leave the room and take a shower! Then, sleep like a baby!   Won’t you share your success story? It will no doubt inspire many who are willing and able to do the work.