Bed bugs ex- posed to 113°F will die if they receive constant exposure to that temperature for 90 minutes or more. However, they will die within 20 minutes if exposed to 118°F. Interestingly, bed bug eggs must be exposed to 118°F for 90 minutes to reach 100% mortality.
Heat treatment is a chemical-free pest control method that involves raising the temperature in the infested area to levels lethal for bed bugs. This method is effective as it can penetrate the hiding places of these pests, including their eggs and nymphs, without the use of pesticides or insecticides like pyrethroids.
What temperature kills bed bugs and their eggs instantly? A temperature of 119 degrees Fahrenheit will kill bed bugs and their eggs within 90 minutes. No temperature kills them instantly, but if exposed to high temperatures over extended periods, bed bugs will be killed off.
Bed bugs can survive in a washer or dryer on their own, but only if certain conditions are met. The high heat of a dryer can kill bed bugs, but it's important to use the hottest setting and run the dryer for at least 30 minutes. A cold wash may not be effective, so it's important to use a hot water setting.
Cockroaches. When it comes to bed bug predators cockroaches are at the top of our list. They not only eat adult and nymph bed bugs they also feed on bed bug eggs.
Bed bugs are sensitive to strong smells and certain scents can help keep them away. Essential oils like lavender, tea tree and peppermint are popular choices. These oils not only smell good but also act as natural repellents.
Some individuals attempt to use dryer sheets as a DIY bed bug treatment, believing that the scent might discourage bed bugs. However, little scientific evidence supports their effectiveness in repelling or eliminating bed bugs. Relying solely on this method is unlikely to fully address an active bed bug problem.
Wash sheets, pillow cases, blankets and bed skirts and put them in a hot dryer for at least 30 minutes. Consider using mattress and box spring covers –the kind used for dust mite control–and put duct tape over the zippers. Seal cracks and crevices and any openings where pipes or wires come into the home.
Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins. Both compounds are lethal to bed bugs and can flush bed bugs out of their hiding places and kill them.
Since bed bugs are such tiny creatures, you may be wondering how they transfer from place to place, causing awful infestations. The primary way they are transferred by attaching onto clothing or luggage that is moved from one infested area to a non-infested area.
Freezing bed bugs can kill them. However, you have to use a very low temperature (0 degrees F or colder) for at least four days for cold treatment to work. Your freezer may not even be cold enough. The center of the item, such as bedding, being frozen must reach 0 degrees F.
Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: These are among the most common insecticides used against bed bugs. Pyrethrins, derived from chrysanthemum flowers, kill bed bugs on contact, while synthetic pyrethroids provide longer-lasting effects.
DEET treated fabric is repellent to bed bugs (Wang et al. 2013). Commercial insect repellents containing DEET for repelling ticks and biting insects are also helpful for preventing bed bugs when applied to outer surface of clothing (Figure 8).
"If you think you're ever going to get rid of them the answer is no," says Booth. "Unfortunately, bed bugs are with us until we disappear from this planet."
DISPOSAL OF SEALED ITEMS
➢ SMALLER ITEMS • Place small items such as clothes, bed linens, toys, throw rugs, shoes and other personal belongings in a heavy-duty trash bag and use tape to seal the bag so that bedbugs can't escape.
Inspection Tips for Uncovering Bed Bug Nests
Here are some tips to help you uncover bed bug nests: Use a credit card or similar tool to probe and scrape along cracks and crevices. Pay special attention to seams, tufts, and edges of mattresses and box springs. Inspect all sides of your bed, including the underside.
Tea tree oil, renowned for its antibacterial properties, is like a natural bug repellent that bed bugs can't stand. Peppermint oil, with its invigorating minty freshness, overwhelms their acute senses. And eucalyptus oil, known for its refreshing aroma, is a formidable deterrent against these tiny intruders.
Baby Powder or Alcohol: Two other common substances will kill bed bugs. Baby powder can be used to smother and suffocate bed bugs. A 70% isoprophyl solution will also kill bed bugs and their eggs on contact. Both of these methods, however, may require multiple applications to fully eliminate an infestation.
Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is a known insect repellent that effectively destroys all bed bugs and their eggs. It is one of the best natural remedies for these persistent pests as they hate its taste, smell, and aroma.
If bed bugs have one weakness, it's that they're intolerant of extremely high or low temperatures. Washing clothes and bedding at the highest possible setting followed by drying for at least 30 minutes at high heat should do the trick. You can also freeze clothing or other objects you suspect of being infested.
While some people believe that the strong smell of VapoRub might repel bed bugs, there is no reliable data to support this claim.
Bedbugs die at 120 degrees, so one of the steps I took to fight bedbugs was laundry control. Keep clothes/fabrics off the floor, when washing use hottest water (with Borax) and then dry in dryer, being sure to dry extra 20 minutes to kill all bugs/eggs/nymphs.