Last week we began our coverage of tips to help homeowners eliminate bed bugs in their house. Start with a deep clean, and in the case of emergency, pull out a hair dryer. This week, we continue to share some of the best ways to preserve your home and your sanity against bed bugs. They are a notoriously stubborn pest, so homeowners must work and communicate with their pest control expert as much as possible. Read on to learn even more treatment options for bed bugs.

The bed bug’s strength is in its number and ability to thrive in almost any location in human homes. However, their bodies are actually quite delicate, and a number of substances damage or kill the bugs quite easily. Today, we are exploring a number of those substances.

Bed Bugs Emergency Measure Two, Double-Sided Tape

Wrap double-sided tape around the points of contact that the bed has with the floor. The sticky tape traps the bed bugs trying to crawl up into the mattress. A combination of starvation and the chemicals that make tape sticky kill the bed bugs overnight.

Scented Dryer Sheets

For humans, scented dryer sheets make laundry smell so fresh and so clean that the desire to shove your face into a pile of clothes fresh out of the dryer is widely understood. For bedbugs however, the smell of scented dryer sheets is revolting. They will avoid the smell as much as possible. Line the edges of the mattress and other places like the clothes hamper to force the bedbugs out of hiding.

Silica Gel

Disclaimer! Silica gel is harmful to inhale, always wear a mask when working with it. If there are children or pets in the house, silica gel is a bad option. It very easily makes children sick, and can even kill small animals. Additionally, do not put silica gel on furniture, such as mattresses or couches.

If you choose to use silica gel anyway, grind up the little beads in the packets in shoe boxes. Take the powder and spread around the source areas. The silica gel is actually so effective at absorbing moisture that it dehydrates the bed bugs’ bodies. This kills them nearly instantly.

Baking Soda

Plenty of people keep a box of baking soda in the fridge to help keep moisture levels low. To the same effect, sprinkle it around the home to keep the bed bugs numbers low. Or non-existent. Baking soda is effectively the safer version of silica gel. It is not quite so instantaneous. However, it still dehydrates bed bugs to the point that it kills them. Even better, baking soda can go on furniture, and does not harm children and pets.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol has a wide range of uses in the home, especially when it comes to exterminating bed bugs. Fill a clean spray bottle up with rubbing alcohol, then spray away. Bed bugs’ constitution is so delicate that the alcohol kills them on contact.

Thank You

We hope you’ve enjoyed this two-part series on bed bug treatment options. Please do not hesitate to reach out for help or if you have any questions.

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