How to kill bed bugs?

[jinx626]

I am not sure if it's bed bugs, ticks or whatever. Lately I've been bitten a couple of times. I was wondering how to kill bed bugs, ticks, or whatever is inside my bed? I was thinking of using a steam iron, but that only heat up the top part of the bed. I tried one time and spray my whole room and bed with raid, then leave it there for 3 days until it safe to sleep there again. I guess it worked for awhile.

Any ideas?

 

[TITAN1833]

I,m afraid you will have to call out the professionals,bugs what ever kind are notoriously difficult to eradicate.


[edit]BTW,for now don't sleep with them they hate being alone,and will die if they don't have you there to feed on.

good luck and sweet dreams

 

[carbine15]

Bedbugs usually bite you in a series of linear bites so your welts should be in a line. They don't camp out in the bed itself, preferring dark and safer places like between the box spring and mattress or behind pictures on the wall. Bed bugs are nasty. If you leave for a long weekend (or leave the room for a few days) they get hungry. The next victim to sleep in your room will be drained of blood through hundreds of bites even if you kill most of them. Best to call a professional.

Do a search online on how to spot bedbugs. They leave tell tale signs on the back of headboards and their corpses pile up in the carpet under the bed. The good news is, they aren't known to carry disease and they can't drink enough blood to kill you.

 

[TITAN1833]

and they can't drink enough blood to kill you.

No but they will enjoy trying

 

[Groundhog66]

I think my mattress would be at the dumps pretty quick.....:green:

Any chance it is fleas?

 

[jtr1962]

Do you have any cats or dogs which go outside, or strays you just took in? It could be flea bites also. My brother got a series of nasty welts on his neck a month ago after he took a stray kitten in. I got them on my chest just from holding it a few times. I was the one to actually spot the fleas. Really nasty stuff. My brother and I both put mupirocin ointment on the welts, and took antibiotics for a week. Mine are getting better but this is going on a month. I'll also add that I've been extremely fatigued. Anyway, I though to tell you all this because it may or may not be bedbugs.

 

[Mad1]

Dynamite.

 

[TITAN1833]

If it's fleas you will have many random bites visible around your ankel area.

 

[AlexGT]

Buy plastic bed covers, spray both sides of the bed and frame and cover it with the covers, leave them for about 3 days, If its in the sun it will be much better, put all your blankets clothes and pillows in the drier too.

Then you might want to spray the whole carpet with flea spray try several ways, bombs and spot spray, use the ones that have growth control, spray under the seats and along the walls.

That should keep them under control.

Good luck!

AlexGT

 

[jinx626]

oh, thx alexGT!!!

 

[tygger]

Apparently Kleen Green is a non-toxic formula that kills bed bugs. I think it works by getting them to shed their skin prematurely or something to that effect. No affilitation or anything I just researched it when they had all those news stories of a bedbug resurgence a few years ago. If nothing else there's some interesting tips on the bottom of the page.

http://www.naturalginesis.com/info_bedbugs.html

 

[Mags]

I remember reading something about removing fleas from a mattress in the book "Angela's Ashes". Malachy (dad) first tried laying the mattress against the wall and hitting it with a shoe. He had Frank pour cold water on the ground to drown the fleas that fell... anyway they are told by Angelas brother to flip the mattress upside down. Apparently it made them delusional/confused something of that nature and they would go crazy and bite eachother. This apparently worked better than the shoes and drowning but hey its a memoir who knows if it works. Try it while waitin for the exterminator?

 

[PhantomPhoton]

As for fleas and cats, do NOT use flea bombs. Flea bombs kill cats. Certain cats are far more susceptible than others. Manx breed cats seem to be especially sensitive to flea bombs as my mother has unfortunately found out.
When we asked the vet about it, the vet was actually shocked that they still sell flea bombs due to the known massive amount of feline deaths associated with the chemical in there.
:mecry:

 

[PhotonBoy]

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Bed-Bugs

 

[adamlau]

How do I get rid of bed bugs? I tell my wife to go and sleep in another room :duh2: .

 

[chmsam]

Before trying too many "home remedies," contact the Cooperative Extension in your area for good advice. This is a service provided with government funding and usually can provide inexpensive and effective solutions to most home and garden problems. These solutions are the result of scientific research and not old wives' tales. They are usually free.

Even if it just reaffirms what you have been told, it's nice to know for sure that you're on the right track.

 

[JimmyM]

I like the matterss bag idea. Fewer chemicals. They make "allergy bags" for mattresses, get one. Also, wash all bedding in a "sanitary cycle" in your washing machine. If it doesn't have a sanitary cycle, temporarily turn up the temp on your water heater to 160F or higher and do a load on the hottest setting you have. As for critters in the carpet I'll defer to others.
When I first got my dog, we found some fleas in the house. I HATE INFESTATION. It creeps me out. So we planned a few days away. I sprayed the backyard with some stuff from home depot that connects to the garden hose. 2 bottles. Then I got 7 "flea bombs". I set off 2 in the basement, 3 on the main floor and one in each upstairs bedroom. I came back efter 3 days and opened the windows. Wife and I moved back in the day after that. No more bugs. No crickets either for about 2 months.
I've heard the stories about exploding houses from too many bug bombs. I know it DOES actually happen. But my bombs were too few, and all power except the refrig was shut off at the panel.

 

[Arkayne]

*shiver* I just had to look these guys up and.... nuke your mattress man!

 

[Hitthespot]

Thanks for the picture. I might not sleep for a week. hehe.
If those are bed bugs and that's what you have, seems the answer is clear. Bring in the professionals and get a new matress and springs. I didn't realize bed bugs were that big. I gotta go scratch.

Bill

 

[Arkayne]

I didn't realize bed bugs were that big. I gotta go scratch.
Bill

Ditto, I always though that bedbugs were mite size. Those things are huge!