The Best Way To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs In Your Orange County Home

Bed Bug Extermination Tips

When you find signs of bed bugs including black feces, shed skins, tiny white eggs, or bed bugs themselves in a portable item, there are a few ways to address the problem:

• Items that can be put through a 30-minute dryer cycle can be treated that way. High heat can kill bed bugs in all stages of development.
• Items that can't be put in the dryer, but are small enough to go in a freezer, could be treated by placing them in a freezer. Like high temperatures, low temperatures can also kill bed bugs. The freezer must maintain a temperature lower than 0°F. Put your item in a plastic bag before you put it in your freezer. Once in the freezer, leave it there for at least four days.
• If an item can't go in your dryer or freezer, out the door it goes. Bring it outside and see if you can treat the item. An obvious infestation can be treated on contact with isopropylamine alcohol. Keep in mind that this treatment method is only effective when applied directly to bed bugs. Don't use this method for items that have interior voids or for treating your home. Contact a licensed professional to perform a treatment.

The Pitfalls Of DIY Bed Bug Control

There are many ways you can attempt to get rid of bed bugs and fail. It is important that you are aware of a few of the most common. This is not a comprehensive list; it is meant as a guide.

• Heat kills bed bugs when it is appropriately applied, but if you put space heaters around your home, you are not going to eliminate bed bugs. They'll find cold spots to hide from the heat.
• Synthetic insecticides can kill bed bugs but it is difficult because bed bugs have developed a resistance to many of the products used on them. On top of this, many of these products are topical. They don't get into the voids, gaps, and tight spaces where bed bugs hide.
• A combination of mattress and pillow encasements along with traps at the base of your beds may be able to arrest a bed bug infestation. Unfortunately, you can pay out the money to perform this treatment and fail to stop the bed bugs in your home because they're living inside your bed frame, or they learn to avoid the traps and find someone else in your home to feed on.
• There are many suggestions on the internet for natural bed bug remediation. We don't recommend them. They just don't work. You can cover your home in diatomaceous earth and not arrest your infestation. You can spray every surface in your home with a vinegar and water solution and not arrest your infestation. These natural solutions must be performed in a specific way to have any success at all—not unlike the use of rubbing alcohol which we mentioned above.
• You may be told that you can spray your home with a natural smell that drives bed bugs out, such as peppermint or lavender. This doesn't work. Bed bugs are not outdoor pests. They prefer to live indoors. They will put up with the bad smells because they don't have any other choice. They won't survive outside.

When you attempt to exterminate bed bugs on your own, it can lead to frustration, continued bites, and a waste of money and energy. Bed bugs aren't easy to control. If they were, these indoor pests would be extinct?—yet, they're still with us. Why? Because they are strong insects with natural abilities that help them avoid extermination. It is best to hire someone with pest control training and experience.