Non-Toxic Ways to Kill Bedbugs
- Because bed bugs can hide in so many places, the whole room must be treated. The first step to eradicating the problem is to clear everything out of the infected room or rooms, except for the furniture. Put all of the items to be removed in sealable bags before taking them out of the room, to prevent bringing the bugs to other areas of the house.
- Launder all washable items in hot water and dry them under the highest setting in a clothes dryer. The hot temperatures of the washer and dryer destroys bed bugs in all life cycle stages. Throw the bags you used to carry the items out of the room away in a covered trash can that is kept outside. When you are done laundering the items, place them in new sealable bags to prevent them from becoming re-infested while you treat the infested room or rooms.
Items that are not washable can be left inside the sealed bag and placed in a hot area, like outside in the sun or inside a car parked in the sun. Leave the sealed items in the hot area for 24 to 48 hours to make sure that the heat has killed the bed bugs. - Move all furniture in the infested room away from the walls so that both the furniture and walls can be treated. Keeping the furniture away from the walls also helps prevent bed bugs that are living on the walls from getting onto the bed and vise versa.
- Vacuum carpets, furniture and cracks in the walls with a vacuum cleaner fitted with a crevice tool. Also pay attention to light fixtures, smoke alarms, door knobs and anywhere else bed bugs could be hiding. Empty the vacuum into an outside covered trash container immediately after you vacuum. You can spread diamtomaceous earth powder on the carpet and along the walls, leaving the powder on overnight to kill the bed bugs. Diamtomaceous earth powder is a natural product that is made of fossilized diatoms. According to Ecological Agriculture Projects Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at McGill University, diamtomaceous earth is a non-toxic pesticide. It is available for purchase at many garden supply stores. Always wear a respiratory mask when working with diamtomaceious earth powder to avoid inhaling the powder into your lungs. If you do use diamtomaceous earth powder, keep pets and children out of the room, because it is harmful if ingested. Vacuum the diamtomaceous earth powder after 1 to 2 days.
Enclose beds in zip-up plastic mattress casings to kill any bed bugs or bed bug eggs that may remain. Leave the mattresses enclosed in the plastic coverings for at least a month, but a year is most often necessary, to kill bed bugs and their eggs. - Do not bring items back into the room until the bed bugs have fully been eradicated.
Repeated cleanings may be necessary to fully eradicate bed bugs. Even one or two bed bug eggs left in a room or on an item can result in a full blown infestation.
