How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Permanently?

🔍 Before learning how to get rid of bed bugs, you must identify the problem in your home. 

Bed bugs are very difficult to spot at first glance because they are so small. They usually hide during the day and come out at night to feed while you sleep.

The bed bug is a  flat-bodied, dark brown insect , small in size but easily visible to the naked eye.

Bed Bug

 It feeds on blood, mainly from people, and its activity is primarily nocturnal.

Although their size and bite may remind us of a flea, these two parasites can be easily distinguished, and it will be essential to identify which one has settled in your house in order to carry out an appropriate and effective treatment.

There are two main characteristics that will help you differentiate fleas from bed bugs: fleas move by taking long jumps and they also have a very elongated body, unlike bed bugs, which are round and flat and do not tend to move much. 

Furthermore, fleas prefer the blood of dogs, cats, and other pets, while  bed bug bites typically occur in humans.

Bed bugs, as their name suggests, live in mattresses , since this is the place in the house where we spend the most consecutive hours at night, when they need to feed.

However, it can also hide in other corners of the house such as bed frames, furniture near the bed, small cracks in the wall and baseboards, and even in your own clothes. 

Their small, flat bodies allow them to hide in especially small corners, making it very difficult to locate bed bugs without thoroughly exploring furniture and clothing. 

If you want to learn how to get rid of bed bugs effectively, it is essential that you first locate where in your house the bed bugs are hiding. 

How to get rid of bed bugs

Where do bed bugs come from?

  • Often, we think that the reason we have bed bugs in our homes is due to a lack of cleanliness or neglect, but that’s not the case.  Unlike other insects, bed bugs are not attracted to the CO2 we humans exhale , as they feed exclusively on blood.
  • The reason you have bed bugs in your home is usually a trip abroad, a stay in a hotel or hostel infested with bed bugs, or a visit from someone who lives with these insects. 
  • Bed bugs easily hide in any corner, can be transported in clothing or suitcases and thus transferred to new homes, settling in beds, sofas or closets.
  • Another widespread myth about bed bugs is their connection to having pets at home. While it’s true that dogs and cats can accidentally carry bed bugs or their larvae on their fur, this isn’t very common, as bed bugs aren’t attracted to pets. Furthermore, bed bugs don’t move around much , so it’s unlikely they’ll move on their own from one room to another, and even less likely they’ll travel from one apartment to another. 
bed bug bite

What does a bed bug bite feel like?

Before learning how to get rid of bed bugs, you need to identify the bites.

The main problem caused by a bed bug infestation is undoubtedly the annoying bites they inflict. Bed bug saliva results in an allergic reaction on the skin, leaving characteristic linear bites , especially on the legs and arms. 

Bed bug bites affect each person differently . Some people may have a genetic predisposition to bed bug bites, while others may experience 10 bites in 10 minutes on the same area of ​​skin and not have any allergic reaction . 

Conversely, other people may have strong allergic skin reactions similar to mosquito bites.

Have you recently suffered bites and want to know if they are really from bed bugs?

The best way to check for bed bugs is to carefully inspect the seams of your mattress , the slats of your bed frame, or, if you have a divan bed, the fabric of the base. These are some of their favorite hiding places. Other signs of bed bugs include small bloodstains between the sheets and dark brown stains on the mattress, which are bed bug droppings. 

If you see one or more of these signs, there’s no doubt: bed bugs have infested your home. Although they are quite persistent and very resilient insects, getting rid of them is possible. That’s why we’re bringing you the best tips for eliminating bed bugs from your home yourself, quickly and effectively. 

There is no specific product  to treat bed bug bites , but you can use natural products like aloe vera or apply cold or heat to the affected area ; this will help soothe the allergic reaction caused by the insect bite. 

bed bug bite

How to get rid of bed bugs for good?

Now that you have identified the insects that are keeping you awake at night, you should follow these steps to eliminate bed bugs effectively and see which products you can use in each case. 

We recommend:

3 Steps to Defend Against Bed Bugs

  1. Buy a bed bug-proof mattress cover
  2. Clean all the clothes
  3. Move the bed away from the wall and use traps.

3 Steps to Offensive Against Bed Bugs

  1. Apply insecticides and diatomaceous earth
  2. Deep clean using steam
  3. Clean using a vacuum cleaner

We  recommend repeating these steps to make the treatment much more effective .

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs at Home?

Many people try to get rid of bed bugs at home, but the internet often offers misleading information. Home remedies can help, but they don’t guarantee 100% effectiveness.

It’s important to keep in mind that non-professional methods won’t completely solve the problem. To eliminate bed bugs , it’s best to opt for professional solutions that ensure total eradication.

âś… The best poison for bed bugs?

Diatomaceous earth can kill bed bugs upon contact , but it’s difficult to get the entire infestation to consume it. Bed bugs can survive for more than a year without eating in a dormant state. Depriving them of food is not enough to eliminate them. 

An effective way to get rid of them is by using temperatures above 50 degrees, and daily deep cleaning to prevent their re-production. 

âś… Eliminate bed bugs with cold

When you want to use cold to eliminate bed bugs from your furniture, whether it’s a mattress, bed frame, headboard, bedding, etc., what you should do is use a bed bug blast freezer.

This method may work best in winter, as the ambient street temperature will help. You should open the windows or move any potentially affected furniture outside. For it to be fully effective,  you’ll need really low temperatures, at least close to 0°C.

First, you should wash any bedding that may be infested with hot water, at least 50°C. To heat clean the mattress and other furniture, you will need to use steam; you will need a steam cleaner for this .

â›” Vinegar and baking soda to eliminate bed bugs (Fake advice)

It’s not hard to find advice or remedies online that, as we’ve said, are baseless and make no sense. One of them is the use of vinegar and baking soda. From our experience, we don’t recommend this type of experiment.

While the previously mentioned remedies have low effectiveness and must be followed under specific situations and conditions, this internet tip is completely ineffective.

Mixing baking soda with vinegar and spraying it on yourself doesn’t work. It’s one of those home remedies that promises results but simply doesn’t deliver.

â›”  Using salt against bed bugs (False advice)

Various sources mention common salt as a bed bug repellent , suggesting sprinkling it on shelves, door frames, furniture, sofas, and armchairs.

This is not only false, but it will also damage furniture and sofas, make a mess of the house, and fail to get rid of the problem.

Avoid these kinds of remedies because they won’t solve anything, and you’ll end up with a problem with the salt later on.

Interesting facts about bed bugs

  • 3 a.m. is the most active time for bed bugs.
  • Bed bug bites last an average of 10 minutes.
  • Female bed bugs can lay up to 5 eggs a day.
  • The attractant for bed bugs is the CO2 that people give off.
  • Bed bugs die at temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius.
  • If you put them in a bag in the freezer, they will die after 3 days.
  • Diatomaceous earth is the most effective product.
  • Bed bug strains have developed immunity to insecticides.
  • If you find transparent traces, they may be bed bug molts.

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