Non-Toxic Ways to Kill Bed Bugs
No one likes bed bugs, especially those who own hotels, movie theaters, or are responsible for managing any apartment complex. Bed bugs can lay anywhere from one to give eggs in a single day — that’s 500 in a single lifetime!
As pesky as these little critters are, it just seems wrong to kill them with chemical devices. Often times, the chemicals may not even be very effective. Modern bed bug populations are very resistant to the chemicals currently used for their demise, so it is best to search for alternative solutions: non-toxic bed bug treatment.
What is non-toxic bed bug treatment? Also known as organic bed bug treatment, these methods include preventative measures or manipulating the bed bug’s environment in an eco-friendly manner that will still end up killing them — softly.
Here are few non-toxic bed bug treatment choices to choose from
- Clean Up: Don’t give the bugs anywhere to hide. If there are clothes near the bed, they could be camping out there. Working to remediate the bugs in a clean environment will make the job of finding them much easier. Wash any bedding regularly on the hottest setting.
- Wash Everything: Don’t just wash your fitted sheet. Wash it all! Clothing on the floor, all of your bedding (including a bed skirt, if you have it), cushions, fabric, drapes, etc. Using a color-safe bleach will certainly kill off any bugs that are hiding in fabrics.
- Move the Bed: Bed bugs are known to travel over 100 feet in a single night, but tend to live within only 8 feet of where people sleep: the bed. They cannot jump or fly, but crawl, so don’t give them an easy-access way to climb into bed with you. Then slather on a layer of patroleum jelly on your bed posts and the legs of your bed.
- Heat Treatment Thermal remediation to kill bed bugs is a very effective method. The equipment needed are thermal heaters to kill bed bugs which heat a room to 140 degrees F for two hours or 130 degrees F for three hours. Heat is non-toxic and can kill the bugs at any stage during their life cycle.
- Diatomaceous Earth: Sprinkle this into any cracks, holes, openings, or any suspicious-looking area in the room where the bugs might be hiding. This non-toxic bed bug treatment includes shards of shell that are sharp and end up puncturing the bed bug’s exoskeletons.
Final Thoughts: Using a non-toxic bed bug treatment first is the best remediation process so as not to have your bed bug infestation build up a tolerance to chemicals. Professional bed bug treatment, such as heat treatment for bed bugs, should always be an option as well. Read more about this topic at this link.
