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Bed bugs pictures actual size5/20/2023 Some pest control companies have professional-grade equipment that sends hot air through your home for an extended period of time, which is a highly effective way to eliminate bed bugs throughout the home. And unlike many other insects, a bed bug can survive for months in between feedings, which is why homeowners may think an infestation has been addressed, only to discover they still have bed bugs. Again, this tactic won’t address all the bed bugs that are hidden area in all the other parts of your home where these creatures can lie in wait until their next feeding. This should kill off any bed bugs present in the items you’re washing. You can wash bed bug-infested bedding or clothes in hot water and then dry them on your dryer’s hottest setting. It’s also just as effective, if not more so. Since most people don’t have much freezer space, high heat is a more practical way to kill off bed bugs. For added protection, anything you’re going to try freezing to kill off bed bugs should be put inside a plastic bag. Anything that already has liquid in it also shouldn’t go in the freezer. It isn’t a good idea to freeze anything that might get damaged if condensation occurs or anything that you can’t be replaced if it does get damaged. You may even be able to freeze other items, but you’ll have to do your research first. If you have a chest-style freezer, it’s safe to freeze things like oversized comforters, shoes, books, framed pictures or toys. You should also consider what items are infested, how large your freezer is and what is safe to freeze. This is because the center of the items in the freezer needs to reach 0°, and that takes time. However, the longer you can leave your items in the freezer, the better. A good rule of thumb is to leave the items you’re freezing in the freezer for at least four days. Colder is better the colder the temperature, the more quickly the pests will die. If you do want to try using cold temperatures before reaching out to a pest control professional, you should know that freezing bed bug-infested items at zero degrees Fahrenheit or below will kill the bed bugs, but it will take time. Most standard freezers are set to 0☏, and can be set to -10° or even lower. While bed bugs do tend to be found on bedding, mattresses, cushions, furniture, they can also hide along baseboards, on headboards, nightstands and even in picture frames! So, if your home is infested, putting your bedding in the freezer unfortunately won’t do the trick. And, they are so small that they are difficult to see with the untrained eye. One of the reasons bed bug infestations tend to be prolonged and why they often take a huge emotional toll on a household is that these pests are experts at hiding. Although you may be infested and never see an actual bed bug, signs you might have bed bugs and not another pest problem include tiny specks of dark red blood on the seams of your mattress, minuscule black dots on bedding or furniture that could be bed bug feces, shell-like exoskeletons in your living or bedroom or a musty, sweet odor. Bed bug bites often come in clusters of 3 to 5 and may appear on your skin in a zigzag pattern. What you might assume is a bed bug problem if you have been bitten can sometimes be fleas, spiders or even mosquitoes. ![]() So before you try any of these techniques, you’ll want to confirm that you do have a bed bug problem. How To Control Bed Bugs With Coldįirst things first: you should know that bed bug problems can be confused with other types of pest issues. But what about heat, or other do-it-yourself methods? Let’s take a look at what works-and what doesn’t-when it comes to getting rid of bed bugs. Unfortunately, using low temperatures to control an entire population of bed bugs isn’t practical, although it can kill individual bed bugs. So, what is the best way to get rid of these unwelcome invaders? Will freezing bed bugs control an infestation? Another is that what you might assume is a few bed bugs is very likely already a full-blown infestation. The misery that these tiny pests can cause is just one reason that why having a bed bug problem can upend your entire household. ![]() ![]() If you’ve ever had bed bugs, you know how incredibly itchy their bites can be.
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