If you found yourself woken from a deep sleep in the middle of the night with an incredible itch and find there is a line of at least two insect bites, chances are that you have bed bugs sharing your bed and feeding off you while you are asleep. For me, this is how it started and I thought it could be any insect or even spider bites and became a huge problem that robbed me hours of sleep and a hell of swells nights after nights for almost two years until I cracked the code. I am sharing this from a personal experience of dealing with bed bugs infestation in my apartment for over a year. I am by no means a scientist, nor am I an entomologist. The experience, though, came from countless hours of research of what works and what not from a real life experiments.
There were nights I woke up from a deep sleep to vicious itches from bites of these hungry little devils. After a few nights of deprived sleep, I became easily agitated and was extremely miserable. I had a very hard time concentrating at work and felt very tired. Luckily I had my own business; otherwise I would have been fired from constantly showing up late and not in the mood. The swells were also embarrassing. My friend wouldn’t let me go near their home for fear of getting infested by the bugs. The problem kept getting worst and I didn’t have the money to hire a professional terminator to come and heat up my entire apartment.
I tried very desperately to find out a way to stop this insanity but nothing seemed to work. Trust me, those red dots are an understatement when it comes to having to be woken up in the middle of a deep sleep. After months of research, I stumbled upon a one of the youtubers about how alcohol can kill bed bugs right on spot. I had some live bed bugs to experiment and from then on, the recovery began. So, this is what I found out and I want to share this very effective technique, so you can at least get some good sleep at nights.
PEST CONTROL SERVICES GENERALLY DON’T OFFER A PERMANENT SOLUTION AND CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE AND TOXIC. EVENTUALLY, THE BUGS COME BACK IF YOU DON’T HAVE A GOOD MAINTENANCE SYSTEM IN PLACE.
YOU CAN USE A VERY SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE PRODUCT TO KILL BED BUGS AS YOU FIND THEM OR AS SOON AS THEY ARE HATCHED OUT OF THEIR EGGS.
I WAS ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE ITCH-FREE NIGHTS OF SLEEP AGAIN BY FOLLOWING THESE FEW SIMPLE STEPS WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
Before getting started, I must warn you that this is a temporary method that requires some patience but it will work over time and eventually get rid of those pesky bugs for good. You just have to know what to look for and what to avoid and do to prevent them from colonizing your most personal space. Be persistent and vigilant of any indications that there might be a bed bug invading your living space. I didn’t have pets, so solutions might be different for those of you who do. But by applying the same principles, you can also alleviate the problem by following these steps.
There are two types of bed bugs problems:
New arrivals: Like me, most people are not aware of the problem until it becomes too late and the problem will be very difficult to solve. But if you have just noticed the bites, chances are it’s a new problem and can be very easily fixed. You just have to be sure the bites are from bed bugs and not a mosquito bite that will never follow you into your bedroom.
- Identifying if it’s a bed bug bite:
- If you see red swells in zigzag lines or small clusters or a straight row, chances are the bugs have invaded you. While these bugs don’t spread diseases to humans, the bites are extremely irritating and can lead to bleeding and infection from scratches. And good luck if you are diabetic.
Once you identify and know for sure that the swells and itches are form bed bugs, here is what you do next
- Find out where the bugs are. If they are in the area near the seam line of your garment, like at the edge of your shirt sleeves or the collar of your shirts, chances are that’s where the bugs hide or where they laid their eggs and when it’s hatched, hungry baby bugs rush out to feed on the closest exposed skin. Another bug’s favorite hiding place in your closet is where the socks are because it provides the best accommodation to bugs and it can’t be seen. But don’t despair because these can be very easily fixed. Here is how:
99% RUBBING ALCOHOL IS YOUR BEST ALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING THE BED BUG BATTLE.
Bed bugs usually lay their eggs after they are well fed, most likely right after they feed on you and you want to prevent that from happening as soon as you get bit.
I’d buy a ton of 99% rubbing alcohol and put them in a spray bottle near by. I even bring it everywhere I travel with at least one or two bottles. Once I notice the bites from one of these areas, I’d spray the alcohol all over the seam line on my clothes, especially around the collar where my big vein from the neck is exposed. Spray on them until they are wet. This usually kills the adult bed bugs on contact and will save you at least a day free of the bites. Repeat this everyday before you put on your clothes. What also pleasantly surprised was that my feet no longer smell like a dead rat from being in the shoes all day. I can go to any house and confidently take my shoes or sneaker off without the host making funny face. This alone will justify having 99% or at least 91% rubbing alcohol around for personal grooming purpose. Cautionary note: it’s not recommended to light a cigarette or a match when you are waiting for the sprayed item to be dried. You might end up killing the bugs but losing your favorite garment or even your house for good.
Once you are aware that you have the problem, then treating it is very easy. If you think it’s from the place you just returned from a vacation, you then just spray the whole luggage, backpack, then put them in plastic bags where bed bugs can’t crawl out of it to your bedroom. Bed bugs can’t travel on a smooth slick surface like plastic bag, nylon or a bottle. It’s like making a deadly trap where they are waited to by massacred by the spraying of alcohol. It’s quite satisfying to know that you have power over these bad guys for the first time. But don’t do this on a person; you might get a punch in the face instead. Repeat this process every time or even everyday before you put on your clothing and this will save you from the wrath of hungry newly hatched baby bugs. I do it on my sock everyday just for the odor removal purpose and my feet never smell better.
WIN THE WAR AGAINST BED BUGS WITH A POWERFUL VACUUM CLEANER AND DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
everyday just for the odor removal purpose and my feet never smell better.
WIN THE WAR AGAINST BED BUGS WITH A POWERFUL VACUUM CLEANER AND DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
I still remember how satisfying watching this little mo-fo suffocate and die and turned into a dried dead bug after 48 hours of exposure to diatomaceous earth.
WHAT IS DIATOMACEOUS EARTH?
Diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made from a natural substance called silica. Over a long period of time, diatoms have accumulated in the sediments of rivers, streams, lakes and oceans. Today, silica deposits are extracted from these areas.
The microscopic particles of diatomaceous earth are deadly for bedbugs. Particles attach themselves to the body of bed bugs and physically “scratch and dehydrate them to death!” Because they kill them mechanically, they cannot become immune as they do with so many chemicals today. Because it’s a mineral, once you’ve dropped it, it stays there and continues to work. You can sweep it away as you get rid of dead bed bugs, but the diatomaceous earth does not lose its energy over time. It does not contain any pesticides or other dangerous compounds and it so safe it can be used to de-worming pets as well.
From my experiment (you can try this for your own satisfaction), bed bugs are dead after 48 hours after the exposure, so I figure I’d round them up where they cannot escape and die a slowly death within the bag of my vacuum cleaner. This is where the power of your vacuum cleaner comes to play.
First I suck a good amount of the earth into the vacuum bag, then I let the fun begins by vacuuming the whole affected area over and over until I don’t see or am sure that all bugs are in the bags, especially around the bed area where bugs like to settle cause who wouldn’t want to live far away from work right?
Then I spray the earth as a barrier to keep the bugs from taking a tour to my next room by laying a line of the earth along the door. It’s not a pleasant sight but I would trade that for a good night sleep for my kids any day. You want to repeat this process at least twice a week in the beginning until you or your roommate or your kids don’t experience the nightmare of waking up in the middle of the night for a month, then you can go easy on the diatomaceous earth depends on how serious your problem is.
Bed bugs detect human by the carbon dioxide we breathe out and don’t have any sense of smell, taking a bath in cologne won’t deter them and the only way you can hide from them is to stop breathing or you can kill them.
CLEAN UP AND WASH YOUR BED SHEET AT LEAST THREE TIMES A WEEK!
The uninvited guests that refuse to leave:
I know parents will love this, except when they see their utility bills, but putting your clothing in a hot dryer can kill bed bugs and their eggs if they are exposed to the heat at least 90 minutes plus you get to sleep in a clean sheet like staying in a five star hotel three times a week. What not to like? And if you get a bite at nights, it means the bugs are somewhere in your mattress or close by. If you have this problem, it could be that you already have an infestation problem. I remember the horror when I saw my ex-roommate’s mattress filled with bed bugs drops, bloodstains and what you see on the Internet. It’s true and it can happen to you very quickly, especially if you like to leave your room cluttered and a mess. So, this is what I did and it worked at least the night of the treatment.
- Wash the bed sheets, blanket, and pillowcases in hot temperature and put them in the dryer for at least 90 minutes. There are laundry detergents for bed bugs on the market now but I haven’t tried it. I think it’s worth giving a try because if it works, then your battle is mostly won.
- Vacuum the mattress and the area around the bed every night and make sure there is some diatomaceous earth in the vacuum bag, especially the cracks and seems along the wall. If you have a carpeted room, then it could be harder but it can be treated with patience and time.
- If not sure, spray seams of the pillow, mattress and any fabric with rubbing alcohol near where you sleep thoroughly until they are wet. Wait until they are dry before you go to bed cause you don’t want to get high or drunk laying in 99% rubbing alcohol.
That’s how I completely got rid of the bugs within a month or so. I then was able to have a good night sleep without any interference immediately after the bedding treatment at least for a few days when the bugs can return.
I hope this helps. At least it gave me some immediate relief after sleepless nights to a point where I get paranoia every time I felt a tingling sensation in my body because I have such bad reaction to the bite and it was such a painful and itchy experience. I wish there was something like this to help me through that period.
I’d go with the most powerful vacuum cleaner and the food grade diatomaceous eath if I can. The rubbing alcohol is a must if you don’t want to have the bites on your body during the day when the baby bugs are hatched and hungry.
Let me know if it works. I have also listed the products I used, or you can simply browse them on this website, https://bedbugscenter.com. Imaging if your were giving a presentation in front of your important client and all in the sudden you have this horrible itch that distract you from doing your job. Well good luck and enjoy seeing watching these bugs starting to die off until they are disappeared.