Bed bugs are the kind of guest that you don’t even know is visiting until you see what they leave behind, but if you have unexplained bites or bumps on your arms and legs, odds are good that you could have bed bugs.
No one wants to wake up to those telltale signs of red welts or the musty smell in the air that signifies bed bugs are around, so dealing with the problem as quickly as possible is imperative.
Diatomaceous earth is an all-natural solution to this annoying problem, and can help you rid your house of bed bugs for good!
Contents
How Bed Bugs Arrive
Bed bugs are sneaky, and there are several ways that they can enter your house without your knowledge. For instance, if you have recently gotten clothing from a used clothing store, they could hitch a ride in those. If they are lying around before you wash them, the bed bugs will have enough time to crawl into your house and make their home.
In fact, any products from a secondhand store like furniture or luggage could house them for their trip to your bedroom. They love the linings of coats or luggage and can be transported in many ways. Once they arrive, they are pretty difficult to get rid of.
Many hotels have problems with bed bugs because of the large number of travelers who are constantly in and out of the bedrooms. Bed bugs could also be picked up at a hotel and you may have unwittingly brought them home in your suitcase. No matter how you got them, you need to send them packing as quickly as possible.
The Problem of Bed Bugs
Why are bed bugs such a problem? Because they are always trying to bite someone! Bed bugs shed their skin five times in their life, and each time they molt, they need to have a blood meal.
Once they find you and where you sleep, they will stay indefinitely to fulfill their need for blood. They lay hundreds of eggs in their lifetime and these baby bed bugs will need to feed as well.
For as tiny as they are, bed bugs move fast and hide well, so they will be more than happy to stay near you to keep enjoying the buffet of blood meals you provide. Not only do bed bugs cause irritation with their human bites, but they could also hurt your furniture and make your home smell awful.
Places They Hide
Bed bugs are both sneaky and resourceful. They can go a year or more without eating a meal, and so you may think they are gone but they still could be lurking around. There are many places in your bedroom where bedbugs can hide.
Obviously, they hide in your bed, but you would be surprised at how many parts of the bed they can call home. They love to snuggle in the mattress cover, or in pillows or bedding. They are perfectly comfortable in the bed frame, especially inside cracks or crevices.
In addition to being sneaky, bed bugs are fast. They can move quickly away from your bed but also want to stay close to their meals. Any little cracks or nooks in your bedroom could house them, such as peeling wallpaper, cracks in a dresser, little imperfections in the wall trim.
How You Know You Have These Uninvited Guests
There are several telltale signs that point to the fact that you have bedbugs. Obviously, the bite marks and red welts on your body are a big clue. Additionally, look for brown stains on your mattresses or crushed bug carcasses. Bed bugs also give off a musty odor that is easy to identify if you smell it.
Diatomaceous Earth: Control Bed Bugs Naturally
What exactly is diatomaceous earth? It consists of the fossilized remains of silicon dioxide-based water creatures known as diatoms. It is an organic and all-natural substance that you can use to control a bed bug infestation in your home.
Why diatomaceous earth for bed bug control? Many bugs have recently grown immune to traditional pesticides. If you need something to rid your home of bed bugs, try diatomaceous earth. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to use, and you can use a special spreader to make the spreading of it easy and fast.
With more people concerned about the substances they put in their bodies and their homes, using an all-natural substance like diatomaceous earth is both a safe and effective way to rid your home of bed bugs and other pests.
You are not introducing unwanted pesticides or unnecessary chemicals into your home, yet you can still take care of your bed bug problem.
How to Get Rid of Them
There is no getting around the fact that a bed bug infestation is difficult to eradicate from your home. Because bed bugs move so quickly and can go so long without food, they can hide in your bedroom indefinitely.
The process of getting rid of bed bugs will definitely take a while, but if you are diligent, following the steps below should lead to success:
Bug Proof Your Home
Before you try to eradicate the bed bugs, ensure that it will be hard for them to get back inside by filling in cracks and other imperfections in your walls or floorboards. When you get the bed bugs out, they will not have the immediate ability to get right back in.
Vacuum Your Entire Home
After bug-proofing your home, vacuum throughout the house to get rid of as many bugs as you can. Empty the vacuum bag immediately so that they don’t crawl throughout the house.
Steam Clean
Although vacuuming your house is an excellent idea, there is no way to reach every bed bug with this method. You need to take things one step further if you want to truly get rid of the bed bugs.
Steam cleaning is a better idea because the bed bugs cannot survive temperatures over 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to steam clean your linens, mattress, carpets, couches, and anything else in your house that could potentially be infested with those pesky bugs. I recommend this steam cleaner for tackling your bed bug problem.
Wash All Linens
Anything that can be removed from your bedroom and thrown in the washing machine should be. Sheets, comforters, pillowcases, bed shams, and curtains should be washed on the hottest setting possible. Bed bugs cannot survive these hot temperatures and this will help to get rid of the problem for good.
Use Diatomaceous Earth
After cleaning as thoroughly as possible, it is time to use diatomaceous earth to get rid of your bed bugs once and for all. To achieve your dream of a bug-free home, you will need something as effective as this product.
The reason diatomaceous earth is so effective at killing bed bugs is that it absorbs the oily, protective layer covering their exoskeletons. They will dehydrate and die within a few hours of use.
Follow these steps to take care of the problem
- Use the powder duster applicator to spread diatomaceous earth in cracks, crevices, and anywhere you think the bugs were hiding and getting into your bedroom or home.
- If you had a large infestation, remove switch plate covers in your bedroom and spread the diatomaceous earth behind your walls.
- Spread a thin layer of diatomaceous earth on your bed and furniture. Work it in with your hands.
- Leave it on as long as possible. Yes, the product will kill bed bugs in several hours. But you cannot ensure that all bed bugs will be exposed to it immediately.
- If you are looking for a powder duster separately, this is the product for you! This makes spreading the product extremely easy.
Clean up
Although it is rather unsightly, leaving the diatomaceous earth on as long as possible will give you the best chance of getting rid of the bed bugs entirely. When you do go to clean up, know that the diatomaceous earth will wreak havoc on your normal vacuum, so unless you have just a tiny patch to clean up, use a shop vacuum for your cleaning.
Repeat As Necessary
Depending on how many bugs you had to start with, and how long you leave on the diatomaceous earth, you might need to repeat this process in order to completely get rid of the bed bugs. Although disheartening, if you are dedicated to this process you will be able to get rid of the bed bugs in an all-natural way.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, bed bugs are tough and stealthy creatures that find a good home and overstay their welcome. Diatomaceous earth is an excellent product to get rid of them in an all-natural way.
Follow the proscribed steps to have the best chance at eradicating the bed bugs from your home, and be willing to do the process more than once if the infestation is extremely bad and the first installment of diatomaceous earth does not kill them all.