[Rebecca]

strange question, but if anyone knows, DIL lives in the remote bush in Canada. Far away from professional bed bug cleaners. She is washing, steam cleaning, bleaching everything, and I mean everything.

When this girl goes to do something, she does it!!! But the bed bugs are still there.

She vacuums seams, under tags, between the cracks in the logs….any helps? we’ve run out of hints

[Mary]

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH. And it’s safe around your pets. It cuts up the exoskeleton of the bedbugs.

[Allison]

Diatomaceous earth! I spread it in my yard for ticks, also use it on my animals.

Make sure you get food grade, NOT pool grade

[Del]

Because of the egg cycle you must do a second treatment within 10-14 days. Anything less or more and it’ll just keep getting reinfested.

Mattress encasements are a must.

[Helen]

Order Crossfire for her; exterminator said it’s the best. Use a gallon sprayer and mix per directions; has a residual effect for 30 days.

Spray everything, spray outlets, around walls.

My son worked at assisted living facility; units were treated when residents moved out; he said exterminator never used any other product.

[Jeannie]

Diatomaceous earth food grade. Safe for pets and kids just wear a mask when applying

[April]

Spray everything with Everclear. It doesn’t stain, won’t leave an alcoholic odor behind, and kills in contact.

Keep washing fabrics (After spraying in case you missed a spot).

[Penny]

99% rubbing alcohol on everything. Floors, furniture, clothes, drapes, carpet, shoes, drawers absolutely everywhere.

Do it daily until you no longer see them.

Put in a spray bottle and spray everything.

[Valerie]

The old remedy was brushing turpentine on all the floors, walls, and furniture.

I don’t know how it compares to newer treatments.

[Joanne]

They will also climb into light switch/outlets. Even those high ones. That’s where they will nest.

[Toni]

High quality mattress protector and simple bed bug traps under the feet of the bed. Pull the bed away from the wall, don’t let blankets touch the floor..and place traps under the feet of the bed.

This will keep you safe while you try to get the problem under control.

Old wisdom was that 60 minutes in the dryer on high or two weeks in the freezer would kill bedbugs…but I believe that has been updated. Getting your bed safe is a BIG part of the battle.

ETA: Bed bugs can live for 18 months without a blood meal.

They can’t fly or jump, they could hypothetically fall on you from the ceiling.

Getting your bed safe is number one.

[Jackie]

If it’s not going to snow or rain put all furniture, rugs, pillows, bedding, mattresses outside when it’s going to be very cold and leave them at least 24 hours.

I would also hang coats and clothing on a line outside in very cold for 24 hours.

Try to get inside of house down to just above 32F. Change into bug free clothes and go to a clean hotel overnight.

After reading comments that bb can survive freezing for short periods…I would leave them in the cold for a week if possible.

[Jackie]

Also get a professional hot steam cleaner. Ours cost $400 plus. It has to get up to very high temp. And steam clean everything.

It is quite tedious – you have to very slowly run that steam cleaner over every inch of your house and furniture – every crevice where the devils can go – every corner, everywhere – one inch per second.

Very tedious and will drive you crazy but it will kill them. And yes, you have to keep repeating steaming to get any eggs that just hatched.
Our house got infested with mange from our elderly dog who picked it up from a fox in our yard. Mange is very similar to bed bugs.

It took us several months but we finally eradicated those devils and if we ever had a bed bug, those too.

We were doing hot, hot laundry several times a day.

Every piece of clothing, every sheet, every blanket. Think 56 loads of laundry every week for months.

[Carol]

If she has a way to make the house as hot as possible, she should use it. That’s what the professionals do with the heat really has to be intense.

[Elizabeth]

For our clients we seal cleaned items in plastic bags or wrap and tape. Both freezing and heating are effective—there are time and temps available online.

I know the city of Toronto shelter standards has good advice. Don’t forget non launderable items like shoes electronics and electrical plates and outlets.

I second the advice that insecticide treatments to be repeated two or three times in order to catch the stragglers.

And don’t forget to treat your car if you have one. Good luck!

[Nancy]

Be sure to turn furniture over and steam the little holes where screws are. On the bed, tables, chairs.

They are hard to find but like to hide there.

[Geneva]

Spray with undiluted rubbing alcohol 91%, sprinkle with DE, wait a bit vacuum. Run what you can in hot dryer for 50 minutes.

Do every day til you’re seeing no more!

[Author]

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