Getting rid of bed bugs is completely a wide range of aspects that are based on the level of infestation. Sometimes, you just need spray, and other times, you need to look for some professionals to help you.
Therefore, this article is actually a method compilation of how to get rid of bed bugs in some particular situations, settings, and infestation levels. So, you can just jump into the particular topics you wish to read or just simply take some time to read the whole article.
Well, let’s start with the unexpected one.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Cell Phones
It is completely unexpected but bed bugs sometimes can hide anywhere even in your cell phone. There are tons of cell phone designs and some of them provide small spaces for bed bugs’ eggs or nymphs to hide.
Besides, sometimes, people carry their phones on the bed which is the main nest of bed bugs. This is why some people out there find out that there is a bed bug in their cell phones.
The size of bed bugs’ nymphs is so small like 1.3 mm – 5 mm. So, it is not surprising to get them there.
Well, this is how to get rid of bed bugs in your cell phones.
Isolate your cell phone
Isolating your phone is like letting them die due to extreme dehydration and malnutrition. It takes about 6 months until you get all of the bed bugs to die.
Here, you just need plastic, seal your phone, and leave it for 6 months. After 6 months, you need to check the phone.
This method sounds easy but it may damage the electronic part if you use a small and too-tight plastic bag.
When bed bugs die, all the liquid from its body may evaporate and lead to corrosiveness because bed bugs die inside your cell phone.
Wash the cell phone’s case
Most cell phone case is made from plastic that you can wash easily. Here, you just need to wash and brush it with detergent to let the nymphs and eggs die.
Here, do not ever wash the other parts such as electronic circuits, electrical components, etc without understanding the risk.
Heat the cell phone
This is a completely advanced way. Here, heating stuff takes a few hours until all bed bugs’ eggs and nymphs are completely dead. So, do it at your own risk.
Learn more about this particular method in the article How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Cell Phones
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs with Heat Treatment
Heating is one of the common ways to get rid of bed bugs. It is safe from chemicals, toxic-free, and the favorite way that people use when they have pets, kids, or pregnant women in the house.
So, this is how to get rid of bed bugs with heat treatment. At least, there are three devices at your house that you can use.
Use your clothes dryer
Here, you need a clothes dryer that can provide heat at 125°F or above. Then, you also need a meat thermometer and dry towel to make sure the heat is stable.
It is easy to do this. First, you test the heater with a dry towel and thermometer. If it reaches the minimum heat temperature, you can put your stuff inside.
Wait at least two hours. In this case, a constant heat temperature of 115° F for two hours is enough to kill both adult bed bugs and their eggs.
This technique works for materials such as leather, fabric, wool, etc. Here, you have to check that all the things you want to clean are dry.
Wet stuff will be completely ineffective for this technique.
Use your clothes iron
If you have much time to do the treatment, ironing any of your clothes will be satisfying enough. It is like you can clearly observe and kill bed bugs.
Ironing clothes are effective to kill adult bed bugs, their eggs, and nymphs. But, here, you have to check that all of your stuff is dry.
So, should I tell you how to iron your clothes?
I believe you know better than me.
All you need to do is just set the temperature as much as you need because each material needs a particular heat temperature.
Then, do not miss any spots.
Use your hair dryer
You need your hair dryer to deal with bed bugs and their eggs and nymphs that hide in cracks and crevices.
It also works on other stuff that cannot be done with a clothes dryer or iron such as luggage, plastic furniture, etc.
Here, you need a hair dryer that can reach a minimum temperature of 125°F and a meat thermometer to test.
So, first, you need to test the heat temperature. Turn the hair dryer on. Set the heat to 125°F or above. Put a meat thermometer in front of the hair dryer.
Then, set your hair dryer at a low speed and heat your stuff slowly. Just do it slowly. It is better to do this in a dry bathtub. So, you can observe any of the escaped bed bugs.
Well, there are so many heat treatment methods based on your need and the available device you have.
Therefore, learn more about this particular method in the article How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs with Heat Treatment
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in An Apartment
Dealing with bed bugs in an apartment is similar to what you actually do in a regular house. But, there are some other things you need to pay attention to.
Well, let’s discuss it.
Confirm the legal aspects
Before you do this, you have to check whether you can do it by yourself or not, whether is there any professional exterminator available or not, etc.
The main point here is you should know whether you have any permission or not to do this. It is because mistreatment will make bed bugs move to the other apartment unit.
Learn more about this point in the article How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in An Apartment
But, if you clearly and legally can do it, let’s move then.
Check your unit comprehensively
There are a few spots you need to check such as the bedroom area, carpet, couch, and wardrobe. Here, The infestation might come from either your neighborhood or the place you had visited.
Bed bugs typically will hide on your bed or couch because that is where you sleep. So, they won’t be far away from their prey, right?
On the other case, if you were on a trip somewhere, make sure you don’t carry any bed bugs in your luggage. So, you need to check your wardrobe.
Then, if you have a carpet covering the floor and some of the pieces are under your bed, couch, or wardrobe, make sure you check it too.
Sometimes, bed bugs hide under the carpet because no one will expect them are there. It is an untouchable spot, right?
Start with vacuuming
The very best and easy way to do this is vacuuming. Here, you need a good vacuum, especially, a specifically designed one to get rid of bed bugs.
Here, make sure you reach all of the spots in your apartment. Do not miss any spots. It is better to vacuum all the spots at once on the same day.
There, the possibility of escaping or moving bed bugs will decrease. It is because you have reached all of the spots.
However, you need to repeat it in the next 5-6 days because there is a possibility that there are still some bed bugs eggs left.
You should be patient until all of the bed bugs are completely eradicated.
Continue with washing
Washing your stuff is important because you cannot just simply let the fabrics in your apartment become the nest for the eggs and nymphs.
Here, you should collect and separate them in plastic bags. Seal all of your stuff in plastic bags so there will be no bed bugs escaping.
To use your stuff, use hot water and detergent. You can get some specific detergents to kill bed bugs on the market. It can help you a lot to kill them effectively.
After you finish washing, keep all the stuff in sealed plastic bags. It is to prevent any bed bugs from crawling to the pile of fabrics.
You can use your stuff again until all of your parts of the apartment are treated well.
Heat your stuff
Some of your stuff is not washable. So, if it is possible to do, just let heat treatment deals with the rest of your stuff.
Here, you need to make sure that all of your stuff is fine with the particular heat needed. In this case, do not heat wet stuff because it will be completely ineffective.
Isolate your apartment
It may sound unbelievable but some people may have a trip or work for months. If you have got the chance, here is how to do this.
The very first thing you need to do is to seal any of the crevices and cracks in your apartment. Don’t leave any food and water because it can attract roaches. You don’t want extra problems, right?
The concept of isolation is actually desiccation, a condition where bed bugs lose the supply of food sources, which makes bed bugs dry and die.
In this case, you need to isolate your apartment for at least 4.5 months. Here, any of the moist places such as crevices, cracks, holes, etc can prolong their life.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Naturally at Home
For those who are not into chemical stuff, this is the right chapter to begin with. There are actually some natural things that you can use to get rid of bed bugs.
Well, let’s start with heat treatment.
Dry your stuff in the sun
If you live in a tropical country, this is the best option you can get. There, sometimes the heat can reach up to 83° C which is both enough to kill bed bugs and dangerous.
Here, what you need to do is just simply dry your stuff in the sun. Let the solar radiation heat your stuff and kill all of the bed bugs on it. As long as it is hot enough, the process will be done with a good result.
Use your heating devices
There is plenty of stuff you have in your house that you can use to kill bed bugs. Such heaters like iron, steam heater, hairdryer, etc can be used as long as it reaches the minimum heat needed.
The concern you need is the heat that the devices can produce and the ability of your stuff to be exposed to such heat temperature.
If the two conditions are matched, It means that you can go with this method. So, this is how to get rid of bed bugs naturally at your home.
Use your freezer
If you have much time and a freezer that can constantly freeze the stuff at or below 0°F (-18°C) for four days in a row, let me congratulate you.
Research shows that bed bugs cannot stay in these conditions. They will die eventually there. The concept is similar to desiccation which is to let the bed bugs dry and die.
If you notice, an extremely cold condition can dry the food or more precisely freeze the liquid contained. This is why bed bugs die because their organs just simply stop working.
Here, you should know which stuff that can be done with this. It is because an extremely cold condition can damage some stuff such as LCD screen electronics, old books, etc.
Use your vacuum
The other way to get rid of bed bugs naturally is by using a vacuum cleaner. If you can get the right type, this can save time and cost.
In this case, you have to do this patiently and regularly. You can vacuum your house twice a week in order to deal with newly hatched bed bugs eggs which are not been reached before.
Read more this particular topic in the article How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Naturally at Home
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Bite
For some people, a bed bug bite can create problems such as itching, swelling, etc. It depends on their immune system. Some can just get nothing while others can get the completely bad condition.
Well, I am not a doctor. Make sure you know what you do and understand the risk for this particular topic.
Here are some quick actions to reduce the side effects of bed bugs bite.
Apply natural ingredients
There are some natural products that can be used as relievers for first aid such as ice cubes, aloe vera, and lemon. That stuff is easily found in your house.
Just apply those products to your skin and the side effects of bed bugs bite will be decreased gradually. Here, check first whether you have allergies or not towards those natural products.
Apply home remedies
The other things you can use at home are soap, oatmeal, and essential oils. I believe that at least you have soap in your home, right?
Here, washing the bitten skin with soap can help you a lot to reduce the unpleasant effects of bed bugs bite. It is also good to kill any bacteria. Applying essential oils is also good after you wash your skin.
Visit your doctor
The best thing you need to do is just simply by visiting your doctor. There, you can get a completely valid diagnosis and correct treatment.
Those things I have mentioned before completely should be avoided if you have an access to a doctor. It is completely better to get the correct treatment from experts in this field.
However, if you are in a difficult situation and it is completely hard to get a doctor, the following article explains more about how to do it.
Learn more on How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs on Person
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs with Essential Oils
One surprising thing about essential oil is that it is actually quite impressive to kill adult bed bugs. It is because there is some discussion, doubting its effectiveness.
So, let’s talk about it first.
Choose the best essential oil
I try to find some research to know how good it is. Well, I find that blood orange essential oil is the best one. Its percentage of effectiveness in killing bed bugs is 66%.
Here, the reality is that so far, there is no essential oil that can be 100% effective to kill bed bugs. Some of them are even just 11-15% effective.
So, I have written this particular topic and made a list of the types of essential oils with their effectiveness in this article How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs with Essential Oils
Just read and learn it first before you decide to use it.
However, if all you’ve got is just essential oils, let me tell you how to do it.
Spray the essential oils
It is completely easy to use essential oils. All you need to do is just get your stuff out of the house. Spray it. Leave it for three days. Clean the adult bed bugs. And then, repeat the same process again.
Here, you should check first whether your stuff is good by applying essential oils or not and make sure you understand that this method is only for nymphs and adult bed bugs.
It is completely not for bed bugs’ eggs. So, you should wait for about 6-10 days and repeat the process. It aims to kill the newly hatched bed bugs’ eggs.
Seal your stuff during the treatment
Research shows that essential oils are good in knock down bed bugs. Some will be revived while others will be completely killed. It is all based on the types of essentials you use.
That is why I ask you to read first the list of types of essential oils and their effectiveness in killing bed bugs.
So, to overcome this, you actually need a bit trick which is to seal your stuff in a plastic bag. There, bed bugs will not be escaped after being revived and will die eventually.
However, you need extra effort to clean your stuff after being exposed to essential oils for days.
So, the choice is yours.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs with Vinegar
Similar to essential oils, vinegar toxicity is quite impressive in killing bed bugs. Thanks to its acidity it is completely effective to kill bed bugs in a direct application.
So, let’s discuss it.
Pick the right vinegar
There are so many types of vinegar based on the ingredients. Here, each vinegar has its own purpose, ranging from industry to food and beverage. So, you have to pick the right one.
The key to using vinegar is the level of acidity. Some types of vinegar such as white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and rice vinegar have a higher level of acidity than others.
Read more about the list of vinegar and its acidity level in the article How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs with Vinegar
Build a perimeter
The first thing you need to do is to build a perimeter around the stuff you need to treat. It aims as a trap for bed bugs that crawl, escaping during the treatment.
Remember that bed bugs don’t fly. They just simply crawl from one place to another places. Well, it is better to use white vinegar because the smell of the perimeter can be strong.
Spray directly
This treatment only works for adult bed bugs in direct contact. So, you need to spray it directly on the bed bugs on the surface. If you are lucky, you can also kill the nymphs too.
Here, you should clean your stuff after the treatment because vinegar’s smell can be so unpleasant. Also, the acidity may damage your stuff. So, you should check first whether it is able to get acid or not.
Then, you also need to repeat the process per 5-7 days. There may be some bed bugs’ eggs. So, you can kill gradually the newborn too. Just be patient then.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Hair
Bed bugs can be found anywhere as long as it is possible for them to get blood as food. It is just a kind of natural instinct. So, even if it is rare, they can get blood from your scalp too.
Well, there are a few things you can do to deal with this problem. Let’s start it.
Clean them with a lice comb
The first thing you need to do is to comb your hair with a lice comb. It is because a lice comb can catch even a small bed bug. Also, it is the easiest thing to do.
Just comb your hair slowly. It is even better to place a white paper or board while combing under your hair. So, you can see whether there is a bed bug or not.
Here, make sure you comb all the scalp and hair. So, there are no bed bugs escaping or hiding.
Apply hot water or steam
Washing your hair slowly and regularly with hot water can kill bed bugs. You can use a basin to do this. Here, check first to adjust the temperature that is safe for your hair and scalp.
Just do it slowly and carefully. Add some shampoo. So, it is going to be a great combination to kill them.
The other thing you can do is use steam in the sauna. Just stay there a while combing your hair with a lice comb. It is also a good way to kill all bed bugs.
However, do not stay there too long. Just be as safe as possible.
Apply essential oils
The other way you can do this is by applying essential oils to your scalp. But, firstly check whether your skin is fine with this kind of oil.
If it is good, then let’s continue.
First, dry your hair. Then apply it to your scalp and hair. Next, wrap your hair with a shower cap. Let it about 1 hour. After that, wash and clean it with shampoo as usual.
Well, that is how to get rid of bed bugs in your hair. Find other ways to kill bed bugs in your hair in the article How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Hair
Well, that is how to get rid of bed bugs. I am going to update this particular article regularly. So, stay tuned.
Related post: How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Without An Exterminator