4 Ways to Kill Bed Bugs

You should do all that you can to kill bed bugs the minute you suspect them. The infestation is a health hazard, and can affect your peace of mind when you try to sleep. If you don’t get rid of them, you could end up spending money on new mattress, when you could have spent far less money on dealing with the problem. Try these methods that have been proven to kill bed bugs:

1 – Mattress Cover

Protect your body and kill bed bugs at the same time with a mattress cover. You’ll want one that  encloses the entire mattress and you can zip shut. It won’t be a quick fix, but the bed bugs will die eventually. In the mean time, they won’t be able to bite you. A vinyl cover mattress costs less and requires less maintenance than a fabric one, and you can find them in online and brick and mortar stores that sell bed linens.

2 – Vacuum the Bedrooms

You won’t be able to kill many adult bed bugs by vacuuming, but at least you can get rid of the eggs. Use the hose attachment to thoroughly clean in between bedroom furniture, and the tiny spaces that are between your bed and the wall. Be sure to vacuum all areas underneath the bed as well. A carpet sweeper is not effective for this job. Borrow one from a friend if you need to.

3 – Diatomaceous Earth

Don’t introduce toxic chemicals in the bedroom by using bug sprays that would cause more harm to your health than the bugs. Diatomaceous Earth is a natural pest control that is non-toxic. It’s a special powdered dirt that you distribute on the floor around the bed. When the bed bugs crawl on it, the texture of the dirt cuts their bodies. You don’t want to sleep on dirt, so you wouldn’t sprinkle it on top of the mattress, but definitely underneath the mattress and underneath your bed. Vacuum the powder up often, and add more Diatomaceous Earth until you get rid of the problem.

4 – Steam Clean Your Carpets

Cleaning your carpets with a carpet shampooer is not the best way to kill bed bugs, because it doesn’t clean beneath the surface. Steam cleaning your carpets is effective for deep carpet cleaning, which is where the bugs like to stay in between traveling to and from your bed. It’s probably not a wise investment to buy a steam cleaner just to get rid of bugs. Consider renting one, or hire a professional to do your entire apartment. It’s good to steam clean your carpets once a year anyway, and a bug infestation may be the motivation you need to get it done.

Whether you or your landlord is responsible for the expenses related to getting rid of a bug infestation depends on who caused it. That can be hard to prove in some cases, but if it’s obvious that the problem comes from the apartment itself, then in most states, your landlord is responsible to pay for reasonable expenses required to kill bed bugs. It would be no different from a roach or rat infestation caused by poor conditions in the apartment.