How To Exterminate Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are a growing source of aggravation, especially in the developed Western world, because bedbugs were largely wiped out there by the late 1950′s. This means that most people under 50 years of age had probably never seen a bedbug until after 1995, when they made a big return. Their numbers are still increasing quickly, so a lot people are turning to thinking about killing bed bugs.

This is due to two major factors: their natural hardiness and their resistance to modern household chemical pesticides. Their natural resilience is due to a waxy coating on their bodies which protects them from surfactant pesticides to a great extent and their tolerance to chemical pesticides is most likely due to the fact that they were exterminated in the West in the 1940′s and 1950′s by the widespread use of DDT.

The waxy coating of bedbugs prevents their rapid dehydration, which is why they can lie dormant for up to five months waiting for a suitable host to come along. It is also the reason why a lot of contact pesticides are ineffective. Therefore, one of the techniques for killing bed bugs is getting rid of that waxy coating.

People knew this 150 years ago, but they lacked the technology to really take advantage of the information. People often used to put down crushed dried leaves or sharp sand. In the 19th century, lime, ash and diatomaceous earth were utilized to wear away the outer waxy coating. The latter was especially effective and has seen an increase in usage over the last few years as an option to chemicals.

One method of killing bed bugs that will not work is catching them and crushing them, even if you did wrap sticky insect bands around the legs of your bed. Bed bugs cannot fly, but they would still get at you. They are not averse to traipsing up to the ceiling and dropping on to you.

If you want to try chemical insecticides, then there are three basic types. The first sort attempts to mimic the effects of diatomaceous earth. It is a spray that includes pulverized glass or silica mixed with a contact pesticide. This does not sound a healthy environment for humans or pets either though. Breathing powdered glass or silica seems like bad news.

Contact insecticides have limited effect, to a degree due to the waxy layer, but also because to be effective they have to be strong and this makes them a repellent, which means that the bedbugs will just avoid it if they can.

Insect growth regulators are effective at killing the young, which is great, but the adults can live for about a year, so that is not so good, unless you are thinking about a long world cruise.

Professionals frequently use steam these days, because none of the bed bug’s life stages can withstand temperatures above 45c, so you could try this technique by hiring a steam wall paper stripper or a hot air paint stripper for the weekend and going over your walls and woodwork. In fact, if all your wall paper and paint is going to fall off, you may as well combine the session with your next redecoration.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is at present concerned with bed bugs extermination. If you are interested in this, please go over to our website now at Picture Of Bed Bugs for further details.