Do you know what kill bed bugs and their eggs? I’m asking for a friend who thinks she has bed bugs. She came back from a trip, then started waking up with itchy bite marks all in a line. Now she wants to clean her house and her luggage as thoroughly as possible.
Sami, CA
No one wants to bring bed bugs home with them. That is not the kind of trip souvenir anyone hopes to have. But it’s not the end of the world even though bed bugs are quite hard to kill. Their bites are more an annoyance than a big danger to health.
You can see the full story about bed bugs and how to kill them in this article.
In the meantime, I’ll give you the summary of what kill bed bugs and their eggs here. First off, it’s important to get that infested luggage out of the house. Use a steam cleaner on it if you can, then seal it up tight in a bed bug-proof bag. Don’t plan on using it for at least a year because that’s how long it takes to starve those pests.
Secondly, check all the nooks and crannies around the bed. Wash all the bedding (including pillows if you can) and pajamas in hot water, then dry them in the dryer on high heat. While they’re washing, vacuum everything very well indeed. Get rid of the vacuum bag or dump the canister and clean the vacuum carefully.
Use the steam cleaner on the mattress and box springs or any fabric-covered furniture where you suspect the bugs are hiding. You can seal up the mattress, springs, and pillows inside bug-proof covers, too.
Of course, if this all seems like a lot of work, contact a professional exterminator. Just keep in mind that bug-bombing might just relocate the bugs without killing them.
I hope this helps you solve your friend’s bed bug problem as soon as possible.
Joan