Bed Bugs – They’re Back!

We’ve all heard the term “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” some time in our lives.  Like most people I thought it was simply a cute rhyme, until recently. I started to notice some unexplained bites on my body.  They looked much like mosquito bites but it is too cold this time of year for that.  Then one night I noticed a small red, flat bodied bug crawling near me as I was laying down watching television.  I remembered my sister saying she had bed bugs some time ago and I thought to myself “Oh no!  Please no!”

I immediately went to my computer, pulled up Google and typed in “Bed Bugs.”  What I got, along with a picture to verify the bug I saw was indeed a bed bug, was a ton of information on the little vampires.

Back in the 50’s and 60’s, with the use of DDT, bed bugs were just about wiped out and it was very rare to ever hear about someone suffering from them in the U.S.  In fact, a lot of people were under the impression that they did not exist anywhere but in children’s books, an imaginary critter to scare poor little kids much like the boogie man.  Since DDT has been banned from use in the U.S., the stories have become reality once again!

Bed bugs feed on blood and blood alone.  The blood of a mammal to be exact.  That means you and your pets.  They are active late at night when their hosts are sleeping.  That’s when they come out to feast upon us.  Their bites are usually painless and you have no idea you were bitten until the next day when you can’t stop itching.  Some people have a severe reaction to the bites and this creates large sores.  Because it is not widely known bed bugs are back, doctors are likely to mis-diagnose the bites as a skin condition and prescribe some kind of ointment.  Because their bodies are flat, they can hide in the smallest of cracks and crevices.  They are notoriously hard to get rid of because of their tough exoskeleton and resistance to most pesticides.

O.K., enough about how they eat you, let’s talk about how you get them and most importantly, how to get rid of them!  Bed bugs are spread many ways and I will not be able to cover them all here.  The most popular method for them to invade your home is to hitch a ride on you or your luggage after a stay in that 5 star hotel you paid a fortune for.  Second hand furniture is another way to get them.  Even that visit to your friend’s house to watch the ball game may have provided them a ride into your home.

Just because the word “bed” is in their name does not mean they have to live on beds.  They can be anywhere.  Bed, upholstered chairs, couches, carpet, even wood and that space behind the power outlets.  Anywhere they can be warm and close to a meal.  Their life cycle is quick and they only need one feeding to go from one stage to the next.  Most sites will tell you to call in a professional as the only way to get rid of them and even that requires a lot of cooperation and follow up work from the home owner.  I didn’t have the money for that so I will tell you how I got rid of them, well, almost anyway.

After searching the web I found a lot of suggestions to find a pesticide with an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR).  This doesn’t kill them instantly but prevents them from completing their life cycle and reaching adulthood.  If they can’t grow to an adult, they can’t lay eggs, get it?  Also, I found suggestions to find a pesticide with the ingredient Lambda-Cyhalothrin (0.03%).  Finally, just out of chance, I found a product at my local grocery store that claimed to be specifically for bed bugs called Bed Bug and Flea Fogger by Hot Shot.

I scattered the carpet powder containing the IGR all over as directed, sprayed the upholstery with the furniture spray, making sure to flip it over and do the underside as well.  I also sprayed the product with the Lambda-Cyhalothrin all around the base boards and door jambs as well as in the crevices of the upholstery (not recommended by the product but I was desperate).  Finally, I used the bed bug bomb (say that 10 times fast) as directed, using the time the device was doing its job to go wash my clothes and bedding, making sure to put the dryer on high.

The results are very positive.  I did this treatment 3 days ago and I have only seen one juvenile bed bug trying to eat me.  I plan on repeating the treatment tomorrow before work and hopefully this will destroy the problem.

If these chemicals are something you do not want in your home, there is another product suggested called Diatomaceous Earth or “DE Powder” and is completely safe for humans and pets.  It is a fossilized deposit of microscopic shells created by one-celled plants called Diatoms.  The microscopic shells cut the bug’s exoskeleton and it dies of dehydration, although slowly.

I am lucky as it were.  I seem to have caught this early before it could become a full blown infestation, which has given me the upper hand.  In severe cases, this may not be enough and you may be forced to call in the pros.  If you do, make sure you get one that is known for the elimination of bed bugs specifically.  If you wind up throwing out your mattress or furniture, make sure to mark it in some way to prevent others from taking it and spreading them.  Cut it up or spray paint “BED BUGS” on it.

Because of their resistance and durability, some companies have started making money getting rid of them by heat.  Everything has a thermal tolerance limit and for bed bugs that is 118 degrees, which kills all stages of bed bugs from egg to adult.  Unless you live in the desert, this temperature is impossible for you to create in your home by yourself.  By using specially designed machines and ducts running throughout your home, companies are able to raise the temperature to 140 degrees or more and maintain it for a sufficient length of time to kill the critters.  However, if you find a company to do this, it will not be cheap.  $1200 was the price tag for one lady in California to treat her 3 bedroom home with heat.

There is one bit of good news here believe it or not.  Bed bugs are not known to carry any diseases or parasites that effect humans.  So while they are disgusting and give you the willies, they are not particularly dangerous.