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If you’re dealing with bed bugs and need to know how to kill bed bugs quickly, it’s crucial to understand their habits and biology.
Bed bugs are sneaky little vampires that come out at night to feast on human blood. They can go months, even up to a year, without a meal, but they usually snack every 5 to 10 days (EPA). These critters love to hide within a few metres of where you sleep, but they can also be found in furniture, cracks, and crevices.
They start life as tiny eggs, and then go through several juvenile stages before becoming adults. A single bed bug can lay thousands of eggs in its lifetime. These eggs are about the size of a grain of rice and almost see-through, making them tough to spot. It takes around two weeks for the eggs to hatch into nymphs, which then grow into adults. Getting rid of all the eggs is key to stopping an infestation.
| Life Stage | Duration | Feeding Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 2 weeks to hatch | None |
| Nymph | Several weeks | Every 5-10 days |
| Adult | Several months to a year | Every 5-10 days |
Bed bugs are tiny, reddish-brown insects that range from 1 to 5 millimeters long. Their flat, oval bodies let them squeeze into tight spots, making them hard to find.
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Size | 1-5 mm |
| Color | Reddish-brown |
| Shape | Flat and oval |
| Hiding Spots | Beds, furniture, cracks, crevices |
| Diet | Blood (mostly human) |
Got bed bugs? Let’s get rid of them! Here’s a rundown of some tried-and-true methods to kick these pests to the curb.
Chemical treatments are a go-to for many dealing with bed bugs. Here’s the lowdown on what’s out there:
Heat is a bed bug’s worst nightmare. They can’t handle high temps. According to Medical News Today, bed bugs bite the dust at 45°C (113°F) after 90 minutes or 47.8° (118°F) in just 20 minutes. While heating an entire room might be tricky, you can toss smaller items in a dryer or use a specialized heating unit.
| Temperature | Exposure Time | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|
| 45°C (113°F) | 90 minutes | Effective |
| 47.8°C (118°F) | 20 minutes | Highly Effective |
Cold can also do the trick. Stick items in a freezer for 8–10 hours to kill bed bugs. But be warned, your home freezer might not be cold enough. For best results, set it to at least -18°C (0°F) .
| Method | Duration | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|
| Freezer | 8-10 hours | High |
| Professional Freezer | 4 hours | High |
Prefer to keep it natural? Here are some options:
Diatomaceous Earth
If you think you have bed bugs, don’t panic. Just follow these easy 3 steps to find out how to kill bed bugs quickly.
Start by covering your sleeping mattress with a bed bug mattress cover, ensuring it’s zipped up and the tab is closed. This traps bed bugs inside, eventually killing them through starvation. It also helps spot bed bugs because the covers remove hiding spots on the mattress.
Ensemble Beds:
Stand the base on its end, remove all the wheels and cover it with a bed bug mattress cover, and zip it up completely. Screw the wheels back into the base, piercing the cover with the bed leg screws.
Bed Frames with Slats:
Use a Bed Bug Steamer to steam the entire bed frame, paying special attention to cracks and crevices. Remove the slats and steam on both the top and bottom surfaces of the slats.
Before replacing bed slats, apply Bed Bug Killer powder to the bed frame and slats using a Bed Bug Killer Duster. Ensure the powder covers every inch, including the undersides.
To protect yourself from bed bugs in the room, use Bed Bug Barriers:
Final Tips:
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