What Kills Bed Bugs Instantly?

Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of. These vicious little buggers hide in our furnishings and, as we relax, scamper out to suck our blood. The act of the bite itself is almost imperceptible. But the symptoms are obvious.

A strong feature of their infestation is quick reproduction. Worse, the female lays in the vicinity of 500 eggs. No wonder these nuisances are such a pain!

So what kills bed bugs permanently? If you’re looking for the quickest way to kill bed bugs instantly we recommend Bed Bug Killer spray by EcoRaider. It is effective on bugs, nymphs, and eggs. For more, read our guide on getting rid of bed bugs.

What Bed Bugs Look Like

Bedbugs may vary in appearance depending on region, but there are similarities across the species.

• Size: The eggs are the size of a pinhead. Adults grow to the size of an apple seed.
• Color: Adult bedbugs are reddish-brown and become redder when well-fed.
• Shape: Bed bugs have an elongated or oval body.
• Smell: The bugs leave a musty odor, often mistaken to be the bedding or mattress.
• Wings: They have wings but don’t fly.

Signs of Existence in Your Home

You can’t see bed bugs. They’re too small. But you can familiarize yourself with signs of infestation.

• Small eggs or eggshells in areas where bed bugs hide
• Poop; small dots that appear blurry
• Rust-colored or red stains on your sheets or mattress that indicate bedbugs got crushed

Often, these identifiers show up when changing or cleaning bedding.

You can also find the bugs:

• In curtain folds
• In chair seams
• In drawer joints
• Under wallpaper

Bed Bugs in the Home

Bed bugs are naturally scavengers and hitchhikers. Unlike cockroaches or houseflies, how clean you keep your home has nothing to do with the appearance of bed bugs.

Ironically, humans “invite” them into the home. We bring them back from vacations. Visitors drop them off. The critters attach themselves to luggage, people, clothing, old furniture, and other personal belongings. They hide their flat bodies in secluded spaces.

Unlike other invaders, bed bugs don’t need decay, filth, or organics to attract their attention. The main food source is blood. So anywhere they can find a human or an animal is a good move.

Bed bugs come out, usually in the middle of the night when we sleep, and work towards us to feed. Their bite contains a mild anesthetic that keeps us from noticing their presence as they eat.

Once upon a time, bed bugs were primarily a source of pain for hotels (because of the constant swapping of residents). Today, they are a major stress point for private homes and businesses. Enterprises from hospitals to clothing retailers and movie theaters have had to deal with these “travel bugs.”

What Home Remedy Will Kill Bed Bugs?

For a simple and fast remedy against bed bugs, you can blend two teaspoons of tea tree oil with 50 ml of water and put it in a spray bottle. Give it a good shake and spray generously in areas where bed bugs tend to congregate.

Additionally, put your bedding and clothes in hot water for 30 minutes, and then place them in a high-heat dryer for another 30 minutes. Giving any other mattresses a good wash is also recommended.

Further, use a good steamer to treat mattresses, couches, and other potential bedbug-hiding spots. Seal infested items in black bags and leave them outdoors on a hot day reaching 95°F (35°C) or inside a closed car.

What Do the Bites Look Like?

The bed bugs prefer to feed while we rest. That means most of their activity takes place at night.

Bites have:

• Size of 0.08 to 0.16 inches
• A curved pattern, the result of up to four bites
• Intense itching, mostly in the morning
• Occur mostly on legs and arms
• Blisters

These bites can be mistaken for the work of fleas, scabies, mosquitos, or body lice. There are allergic reactions like redness, itching, and swelling.

Additionally, a red itchy, swollen bump with a discolored center or smaller red bumps that look similar to welts are common. These patches of bites can look like welts, zigzags, blisters, or hives. A raised flat bump may also appear on the skin that seems inflamed or hot to the touch. Bed bug bites are not considered dangerous in the sense of fatality. However, if an allergic reaction occurs, you may need to seek medical attention.

Life Cycle and Lifespan

Bed bug eggs are very small, measuring about 1 mm in length and looking like two grains of salt. They are usually laid singly or in clusters and hidden within tight cracks or crevices so as not to be discovered by predators.

After being laid, the eggs hatch into immature bed bugs, known as nymphs, after roughly two weeks. These young bed bugs will undergo five molts before becoming sexually mature adults.

Nymphs are yellow-white in color, while adults tend to be reddish-brown. In order for the nymphs to molt and become adults, they must have a blood meal first. This process generally takes around five weeks at room temperature.

Once fully grown, adult bed bugs feed on their host’s blood every week on average but can survive up to a year without food if temperatures remain cool enough. The typical lifespan of an adult bed bug is between four and six months, but individual lifespans may vary depending on environmental conditions such as temperature and availability of food sources.

Treatment of Bed Bug Bites

Bed bug bites go away without treatment after a while. You can take an oral antihistamine or topical steroid. Serious reactions you want to take to a dermatologist.

What Kills Bed Bugs Permanently? Bed Bug Prevention

It’s believed we bring these nasty creatures in from the outside, usually after travel. Here are a few home remedies to stop that from happening.

Survey

When you stay elsewhere, seek out signs of bedbugs, including rust or red spots on bed skirts, sheets, or mattress tags.

Lift

Look for signs of bedbugs in bedding, bed frames, and furniture.

Elevate

Keep luggage and personal items away from and off the bed if you’re not sure it’s clean.

Examine

Carefully examine and shake items before packing and returning home.

Place

Once home, dry clothing on high for at least 15 minutes.

[Note the process acronym: Survey. Lift. Elevate. Examine. Place. SLEEP.]

Be aware bed bugs also hitchrides on used furniture. Make sure to thoroughly inspect these pieces before they come into the home.

Most Effective Treatments

The treatment of bed bugs requires a strategic approach that manages bedding and minimizes infestation in areas where the pests naturally hide and lay eggs. If the matter’s serious, you may need an exterminator to rid yourself permanently of the invaders.

Let’s review a few things you can do to implement the most effective treatment for getting rid of these invaders.

Diatomaceous earth

DE (diatomaceous earth) is dust placed around carpets, bed frames, and pet bedding. Bed bugs walk across the substance and take remnants with them. The DE essentially dries them and any bugs they come in contact with from the inside out.

Stay away from DEs used in pool filters. That’s a dangerous indoor inhalation.

Insecticides

Insecticides are infrequent bed bug killers. That’s because it’s difficult to apply everywhere you find the creatures. Read labels carefully and use insecticides as directed.

Covers

Encasements for mattresses and other framings are great home remedies. They both keep bugs away and keep current invaders from getting out. You can encase pillows too. Encasements should zip tightly.

Cleanup

Unused clutter around a bed bug’s habitat makes for excellent places to leave eggs and feces. Prevention treatments have no impact on magazines, newspapers, or mail. You have to throw them out. Don’t leave clothing lying around either. And never move items from one room to another. Take them straight to the wash or the trash.

What Kills Bed Bugs Instantly!

What kills bed bugs permanently? The best way to get rid of bed bugs naturally is with steam. Get yourself a steamer, and you’re ready to treat unwanted guests.

• Both pests and their eggs immediately die at temperatures of 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Apply steam slowly and carefully to the folds and tufts of mattresses, along bed frames and sofa seams, and around edges and corners where bugs may hide.
• Use steamer wands on your clothing and bedding.
• If you have furniture that can handle temperature and moisture, slowly run steam over flat planes. Focus on crevices and seams, especially where you find screws and bolts. This is where bed bugs are most likely to live.
• There are tricky hideaways, like recliners or upholstered items. You often can’t get deep enough into the cushions. Remove parts that come off and get to steaming.

Steaming every few days is a natural way to get rid of bugs permanently. But even being among the best home remedies, steaming isn’t always 100 percent reliable.

Another of the most effective treatments for eliminating bed bugs is the application of rubbing alcohol. Though not a foolproof solution, it’s effective on adult bugs (but only about 60 percent of the time). It does not affect nymphs or eggs.

You also have to ensure every bug gets sprayed. One survivor can create a new populace within months.

Does Vinegar Get Rid of Bed Bugs?

We all have heard of the wondrous and varied solutions that vinegar can perform around the house, but can it be used to get rid of bed bugs?

The short answer is no, vinegar will not work to get rid of bed bugs. However, vinegar will actually kill the pests when they are submerged in the acidic solution. The problem is that vinegar by itself will not be able to rid your house or room of a bed bug infestation. Other solutions must be employed to eradicate them effectively.

Just to make a final point, there are varieties of vinegar that would work better than others. White distilled vinegar is the most lethal to bed bugs.