6 Responses

1. dkplayaclub

   August 11th, 2010 at 3:38 am

   1

   I was an exterminator for several years and I can tell you that bed bugs are one of the more tenacious pests to get rid of. There are bed covers you can buy that will prevent them from breeding in your mattress, but they can live almost anywhere in the house.

   My advice to you would be to hire a professional. I know you say you can’t afford it, but ineffective treatment after ineffective treatment will cost you more in the long run, not to mention the annoyance of bites. Also be aware that bed bugs usually come from far away, due to shipping, and can carry diseases and sicknesses you may not be immune to.

2. En-da

   August 11th, 2010 at 3:38 am

   2

   You may want to check out the website below. It might be redundant if I repeat the same thing when you can look at the exact source..

3. Mr. Lizard

   August 11th, 2010 at 3:38 am

   3

   Pour a few pots of boiling water on your bed. After it dries, sprinkle some DDT on it.

4. Snow

   August 11th, 2010 at 3:38 am

   4

   .

5. Mooned Y!A

   August 11th, 2010 at 3:38 am

   5

   I sprayed my mattresses with bug spray. I use Ortho Home Defense. It’s not an aerosol can. It’s a big gallon bottle with a tube and sprayer for $10 and works great. Also, I sprayed any crevices in the bed frame and behind the baseboards and in the carpet. Then, I covered my mattress with a vinyl mattress cover. Problem solved. The vinyl mattress cover was irritating to sleep on though (much better than bedbugs though) so I bought both a foam top and also a mattress pad. Either one would have worked. Recently, I bought a vinyl mattress cover from Amazon for $20 that is soft enough to sleep on without the other stuff. It also lasts a long time (hospital quality) so it is worth the extra $10 because vinyl mattress covers always tear after a few months although I did have better luck with the one from Sears than any other place. The bed bug problem will be solved this way. They have the worst bug bite in the world! Good luck.

   Well worth the money:

   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00070QH3M/ref=oss_product

   That was twin size. Here it is in full size. You can find the different sizes pretty easy:

   http://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Mattress-Protector-Gauge-Zippered/dp/B00070QH2S/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_text_b

6. Jeff Grill

   August 11th, 2010 at 3:38 am

   6

   Assuming you can’t hire a professional…here’s what I’d do:

   1. Heat kills bed bugs. If you have a hand steamer, steam away every crack and crevice. Look for small white bed bug eggs. You can also use clear packing tape to pick up the eggs (they have a substance that glues them to surfaces, making the vacuum not work well for this purpose).
   2. Vacuum up any live bugs.
   3. Build a bed bug trap for each bed leg. You can also buy climbup interceptors for about $12 (see link below). Put a thin layer of talcum powder (not water) in the outer ring of the bowls. You can make them yourself by following directions in second resource below.
   4. Since your mattress and box spring are zippered, leave them that way, no need to treat. Just treat the bed frame, nearby furniture, under drawers etc. A good spray choice is Sterifab or Phantom (links on resource). A bottle of Sterifab is about $9. If you do one thing, do this.
   5. Buy a bag of diatomaceous earth in your local garden start (about $5). Also called fossil dust or insect dust or bed bug dust. Apply a thin layer around the edges of the room.
   6. Make sure you bed is at least 6 inches from all walls.
   7. Make sure that there is no way blankets etc. hanging off the bed onto the floor.

   You can also call in Terminix who will do a free on site inspection. This can give you some education on the extent of your problem (877.291.4849). They gaurantee their work and will give you a free estimate. Maybe a local church will help you pay for the treatment or the local Terminix retailer will give you a break on price.