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Win the War Against BED BUGS!!

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Are you ready soldier??

Everything you need to know about bed bugs and how to get rid of them for good.

The focus of this page will be how to get rid of bed bugs entirely on your own, and how to prevent them from harming you again.

This page will identify exactly what bed bugs are, why they are so annoying, what they look like, what their bites look like,  where they live, how they spread, how you can kill all of them, and how to protect yourself from future battles. 

At times, it can feel like you are battling a war against an evil blood sucking army of the world's most irritating creepy crawlers, however, I tell you, you can win! Rest assured, killing every bug, male, female, or larva will be promising once you have read through this page and take the steps that are recommended. Don't suffer anymore. Don't let these bed bugs inflict hysteria in your household any longer!! THEY WILL BE GONNERS!


Full Speed Ahead!!

A Personal Note

It can happen to anyone

If you are viewing this page because you have a or suspect a bed bug problem, I feel your pain. I was just like you at one point but today I am bite free and its all because I fanatically researched every nook and cranny of information about Bed Bugs and how to get rid of them. I came up with a strategy to rid my apartment and to maintain a strong defense against the little buggers and now I feel that it is my duty to share the information and the success of what I now know.

If you want something done right, do it yourself.
Bed Bugs can be a problem not just physically but psychologically and financially burdening as well. That is why I decided, after all of my research to take matters into my own hands and to rid my apartment of Bed Bugs for a price that I could afford. Otherwise, a professional exterminator may have cost several visits, 100s of dollars, and caused me to buy all new bedding and new furniture too (because of the chemicals left behind).-no thanks!

SNL's Rudolph sues landlord over bedbugs

Getting bitten in 3rd floor luxury loft in New York's Soho section

Read the full story (click here)

Share Your Bed Bug Experience

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  • Reply
    Feb 22, 2011 @ 3:10 pm | delete
    great lens..visit my newest len Bed Bugs...thank for your information
  • Reply
    orthopedic-mattress Feb 18, 2011 @ 10:31 pm | delete
    Luckily, I've never had a problem with bed bugs, but I have been grossed out by the pics on this very useful lens. I'm off to give my bed a good checking over right now!

    Maz @ Orthopedic Mattress
  • Reply
    Clowe Dunn Oct 14, 2010 @ 3:59 am | delete
    Ewwww!! I just hate bed bugs bites. I have experience bitten by this bed bugs before and oh its so itchy and irritating. I'm glad I found the Bed Bug Shredder/a> it gives a natural remedies of bed bugs bites.
  • Reply
    spiralzeve Oct 14, 2010 @ 2:43 pm | delete
    Bed Bug Shredder sounds similar to my favorite weapon, DE, mentioned below. Amazon has a more reasonable price though, and I can tell you, it works and I would use it again if I was ever under attack!
  • Reply
    JoAnne Mar 25, 2011 @ 2:12 pm | delete
    I just purchased the BED BUG SHREDDER SYSTEM...I think I got scammed. The web site was very user friendly. I entired all of my info...credit card and all, never got a confirmation number or receipt page to print. The site stated that I would receive a receipt for my purchase in a few moments via the email address I supplied. I never got such a receipt. The site provided a number to call, but when I called (several times throughout the day and all night long) all I got was a message stating " your call is very important to us, all representatives are busy helping other customers, please remain on the line and your call will be answered by the next available representative"....then after waiting on hold for approximately 10 minutes, another message stating to leave a message. Of course I canceled my credit card and reported the incident to my bank. I have to get rid of these bugs. Any suggestions?
  • Reply
    spiralzeve Mar 25, 2011 @ 9:21 pm | delete
    Im glad that you resolved this problem with your bank. I don't like to hear that this happened to you especially when others who have commernted recommend the Bed Bug Shredder. This is why I like to buy products through Amazon; the reviews and customer service are always something that I feel I can trust. If I were you, I would check out some of the suggestions that I make on this Lens and the reviews regarding the products mentioned here. Good luck! So far, I have no more problems with bed bugs, knock on wood!!
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What are Bed Bugs?

by Susan C. Jones, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Entomology Extension Specialist, Household & Structural Pests

Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius)
Tropical Bed Bug (Cimex hemipterus)

Bed bugs are parasites that preferentially feed on humans. If people aren't available, they instead will feed on other warm-blooded animals, including birds, rodents, bats, and pets.

Bed bugs are blood feeders that do not feed on ant and cockroach baits. International travel and commerce are thought to facilitate the spread of these insect hitchhikers, because eggs, young, and adult bed bugs are readily transported in luggage, clothing, bedding, and furniture. Bed bugs can infest airplanes, ships, trains, and buses. Bed bugs are most frequently found in dwellings with a high rate of occupant turnover, such as hotels, motels, hostels, dormitories, shelters, apartment complexes, tenements, and prisons. Such infestations usually are not a reflection of poor hygiene or bad housekeeping.

Habits

Bed bugs are fast moving insects that are nocturnal blood-feeders. They feed mostly at night when their host is asleep. After feeding they then crawl away to a hiding place to digest the meal. When hungry, bed bugs again search for a host.

Bed bugs hide during the day in dark, protected sites. They seem to prefer fabric, wood, and paper surfaces. They usually occur in fairly close proximity to the host, although they can travel far distances. Bed bugs initially can be found about tufts, seams, and folds of mattresses, later spreading to crevices in the bedstead. In heavier infestations, they also may occupy hiding places farther from the bed. They may hide in window and door frames, electrical boxes, floor cracks, baseboards, furniture, and under the tack board of wall-to-wall carpeting. Bed bugs often crawl upward to hide in pictures, wall hangings, drapery pleats, loosened wallpaper, cracks in plaster, and ceiling moldings.
Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet
follow this link for a PDF Fact Sheet compiled by Susan C. Jones, Ph.D

What Bloodthirsty Bed Bugs Look Like

Tiny Little Buggers

Life Cycle

Female bed bugs lay from one to twelve eggs per day, and the eggs are deposited on rough surfaces or in crack and crevices. The eggs are coated with a sticky substance so they adhere to the substrate. Eggs hatch in 6 to 17 days, and nymphs can immediately begin to feed. They require a blood meal in order to molt. Bed bugs reach maturity after five molts. Developmental time (egg to adult) is affected by temperature and takes about 21 days at 86° F to 120 days at 65° F. The nymphal period is greatly prolonged when food is scarce. Nymphs and adults can live for several months without food. The adult's lifespan may encompass 12-18 months. Three or more generations can occur each year. Susan C. Jones, Ph.D

Different Types

What do bed bugs look like? (click here)
Here you will find some good explanations on how to identify bed bugs.

You Might have Bed Bugs if...

1. You go to sleep without any bug bites and wake up with 1 or more (this becomes recurring; several bites may be in a line/cluster and they are extremely itchy (in my experience the bites are unrelentingly itchy!))
2. You find small blood stains on your sheets or mattress from squished bed bugs
3. You find small black stains on your mattress, sheets, bed clothes (bed bug excrement)
4. You find shed skins
5. You find small bugs (dead or alive) which meet the identification addressed above, in the folds of your sheets, or anywhere on or around your mattress (like the box spring, bed skirt, head board, night stand, desk, behind wall posters etc.)

Bites From Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease.

Bed Bug Bites on Sai Kim Who Filed a 5 Million Dollar Lawsuit
After a two-night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn in Columbus, Ohio, Kim allegedly discovered more than 150 bed-bug bites on her hands, feet, face, fingers, toes, legs, neck, back, chest, stomach and genitals.


Read the full story (click here)

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

The California Department of Public Health Vector-Borne Disease Section says, a bed bug bite may not show for up to 14 days!

Question: If I have a pet in the room with me, will the bed bugs feed on it instead of me?
Answer: No, you are the Filet Mignon and your pet is ground beef. Humans are the preferred host for feeding!

Interesting Fact: A hairy limb deters bed bugs, they prefer an easy to get to spot on your body for convenient feeding.

These articles will answer the most common questions concerning bed bug bites from people just like us

Your Bed Bug Bite Questions Answered (click here)
Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., an associate professor in Urban Pest Management at Virginia Tech's Department of Entomology answered some of the questions viewers e-mailed Dateline after the report on bed bugs.

Treating Bed Bug Bites (click here)
Pictures of bed bug bites and their diverse reactions among different people, plus how to treat bites.

This is What Your Bed Might Look Like

Lou is an Entomologist who Needs to Feed his Specimens.

This video explains what bed bugs are attracted to (heat and your breath), and shows what your bed may look like after you get in to go to sleep. This is what an infestation looks like (notice the excrement, and debris inside the jar-the things that aren't moving)
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"Best Books of 2008" by Amazon.com and Library Journal

"Dark Banquet" (Harmony Books) has received dozens of great reviews. Fans include world famous scientist E.O. WIlson and Alice Cooper (who has read excerpts on his radio show). Besides bed bugs, Dark Banquet features chapters on blood and blood-letting, vampire bats, leeches, ticks, mites, and even the vampire catfish (candiru), a creature infamous for swimming up the human urethra.
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Mattress Covers for Bed Bug Control

and Tips for Using the Bed Bug Mattress Cover

If your mattress is infested with bed bugs, using a well fitting mattress cover would be an effective way to control the situation without using harmful chemicals. This method is known as encasement.

How It Works
The mattress as well as the box spring needs to be encased with a bed bug designed cover for this treatment to be effective. Bed bugs infesting these areas will become trapped and unable to feed on their life source, your blood, and will eventually die. You will need to keep the covers on for at least 3 years, since these bugs can survive for extremely long periods of time without a meal.
The cover needs to fit well, as in being smooth and tight fitting. This way, there won't be any folds for the bugs to hide from your sight. This will keep new infestations from occurring in your bed.

Get the Right Kind of Cover, Or Else!
You need to seek out a mattress and box spring cover that is designed specifically for controlling bed bug infestations. Ignoring this step would be a big mistake and could cause your infestation problem to grow even more. This is because bed bugs are able to feed through the material used in common mattress covers and can make their way through parts of the cover's zipper.

Tips for Using the Bed Bug Mattress Cover
Before putting your mattress cover on, use a vacuum to suck off any debris on and around your mattress and box spring. Immediately take your vacuum outside and dispose of the contents in the proper garbage container.
To protect your bed bug mattress cover from ripping, cover any sharp edges which your bed frame may have. These include metal corners, bolts, splintered wood, or any other protrusions that could possibly tear even the smallest of holes. Padding such as felt, rags, or blankets for example may be helpful in this case.

*The encasement method will only trap and kill the bed bugs that are infesting your mattress and bed frame. Further non chemical precautions and preventative methods will need to be taken around the room as well to eliminate the entire bed bug problem once and for all.

Click here to find bed bug proof encasements for your bed or sofa

How do bed bugs invade a home?

by Richard Pollack, Ph.D. and Gary Alpert, Ph.D. of Harvard University

Because bed bugs readily hide in small crevices, they may accompany (as stowaways) luggage, furniture, clothing, pillows, boxes, and other such objects when these are moved between apartments, homes and hotels. Used furniture, particularly bed frames and mattresses, are of greatest risk of harboring bed bugs and their eggs. Thus, one should carefully scrutinize and consider the history of any used furniture, particularly 'street' items so plentiful at the beginning and end of each academic year. Because they readily survive for many months without feeding, bed bugs may already be present in apparently 'vacant' and 'clean' apartments. Bed bugs can wander between adjoining apartments (this is what happened to my family!!) through voids in walls and holes though which wires and pipes pass. In a few cases, bats and/or birds may introduce and maintain bed bugs and their close relatives (bat bugs and bird bugs). Pest control personnel should be mindful of the presence of blood feeding insects and mites that may be left behind after removing nests or roosts of birds and bats in and on the home.
Link to information on Biology and Management
Bed Bugs
Prepared by
Richard Pollack, Ph.D., Laboratory of Public Health Entomology, Harvard School of Public Health and Gary Alpert, Ph.D., Environmental Health & Safety, Harvard University

Certified Bed Bug Products

Scientifically Proven to Work

Click this link for my recommended bed bug products.

The mission of this merchant is to improve the quality of life for those dealing with bed bugs AND to prevent further spread of bed bugs throughout the US. They carry a fast growing selection of bed bug protection and prevention products including encasements, monitors, travel protectors, heaters, storage bags, books and much more.

Some Reasons Why Bed Bugs are So Annoying

Video From National Geographic Channel

Bed bugs have been around since prehistoric times.

They can sneak into your bedroom through the tiniest of cracks, the most minuscule openings.

They find you by sensing the carbon dioxide that you exhale and they use heat sensors with their antenas to find the juiciest spot on your body

Bed bugs administer an anesthetic so that you wont wake up as well as an anticoagulant so that your blood will flow freely when they bite you.

A bed bug can drink 3x its weight in a single meal.

1000s can infest a single bedroom.

A serious infestation could cause 500 bites in a single night which could lead to anemia.

Some individuals respond to bed bug infestations with anxiety, stress, and insomnia.
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My Favorite Weapon to Kill Bed Bugs

Diatomaceous Earth Kills with 100% Accuracy

Diatomaceous Earth Magnified Under a Microscope

Safe for humans and your pets and diabolical to bed bugs and other insect pests. This is a key method that I use to keep bed bugs from ever harming me or the others in my apt. If these bugs "cross the line" they will die when they contact the permanent DE trap that is set especially for them.

Video about Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Fast Forward to 3:36

This video is 10 min and 17 seconds (10:17) and discusses all about DE, what it is, its common uses, and how it works. Fast forward to 3:36 to find out how it is used to kill insects.

*DE is sold in a very fine dust form

*Magnified at about 1000x you can see the structure of DE. It has very sharp edges which are harmful to tiny creatures like insects yet ineffective when in contact with larger animals like house pets and humans.

*DE's edges become attached to insects when they come into contact with it. Then, the DE becomes lodged deeper into the insects outer waxy coating as it crawls. Once DE penetrates the insect, it begins to dehydrate and kill within minutes to about an hour depending on how active the insect is. Basically the insect is getting scratched to death by the fine, sharp edges of the DE dust which absorbs the insects life force.

*Insects can not escape from DE; once in contact with DE, the insect is doomed.
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Links to More Info

Find out about DE hazards
It is very important to learn about the possible hazards of DE. Using DE irresponsibly and improperly could be a big mistake! When you use DE to treat your bed bug problem the bed bugs should be the only creatures harmed, not you!

Diatomaceous Earth on Amazon

Buying through Amazon on this Squidoo lens will support the Squidoo Charity Fund with no additional cost to you. Get Diatomaceous Earth Now!! Its what I trust because I know that it works.
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Tools for Dispensing Diatomaceous Earth

Dust Dispensers and Dust Masks

Always wear a dust mask so that you do not inhale DE when you are applying it.
You could also try using a paint brush as an applicator.
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About Diatomaceous Earth

And How To Treat Your Bed Bug Infestation Safely: Tips from Earth Works Health

Once you have a bed bug infestation, you either have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to have a professional exterminator come in and spread dangerous and often ineffective chemicals, or you can use natural, safe, and inexpensive Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth to get rid of them yourselves!

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is totally organic and safe. Diatomaceous Earth is Mother Nature's product with no harm to the environment, pets or to people (NOTE: just as a reminder, check out the link above for possible DE hazards). Diatomaceous Earth is not actually an "earth" but it is the fossilized remains of microscopic shells created by one celled plants called DIATOMS. Diatomaceous Earth Kills Pests Naturally - No Synthetic Chemicals, No Odor or additives of any kind. The microscopic DE particles are deadly to the bedbug. The particles attach themselves to the bed bugs body and physically "scratch them to death!" Because DE kills them mechanically, they cannot become immune to it like they do with so many of the chemicals today. Because it's a mineral once you put it down it stays there and keeps working. You may want to clean it up once and while and add more to get rid of the dead bugs and parts they leave behind but DE lasts forever.

To treat you bedbug infestation safely, do the following:

1. Wash all bedding in hot water---add a little Clorox with the soap. Dry in dryer on the highest heat setting. If you can, use a steam cleaner or the PackTite portable heating unit (for info on PackTite see below) on your mattress and box springs.

2. Make sure bed is not touching any walls. Also make sure there is no skirting or any thing other than the 4 legs touching the floor.

3. **Put on your dust mask! and then, with you hands or an applicator, lightly dust some food grade Diatomaceous Earth onto the ridges on the outside of the mattress and box spring.

4. You can also take off the outlet covers and, using a dust dispenser, put DE into the walls. Bed Bugs love to live there and are the main way they spread from room to room. Be very careful---use nothing that would conduct electricity and shock you.

**I put a light dusting on the floor around the border of my bed and around adjacent furniture. I replaced it after I did any vacuuming. I found dead bugs around the bed for about a month after starting DE treatment. Then I never saw another bug again and have stopped putting DE around the bed.

Staying at Hotels

Video from Storm Chasers

Remember to always check the mattress in the hotel room for tell tale signs of an infestation!! If there is evidence of bed bugs alert the front desk and ask for another room or leave!
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Bed Bug Travel Products

PackTite Portable Heating Unit

PackTite Portable Heater uses patent pending heating technology to safely eliminate all stages of bed bugs by heating contents up to over 120ºF for a sustained period. PackTite is a safe, non-chemical way to treat your personal items for bedbugs and features a timer to select heating times of up to six hours.

PackTite is designed to work as a preventive measure for travelers, especially frequent business travelers. Many hotels have low-level bed bug infestations that are very hard to detect by visual inspection. Careful travelers can place their luggage in the PackTite heater upon returning from a trip and PackTite will kill any bed bugs that have crawled into the luggage. Additionally, Packtite is an essential tool for those dealing with an active bed bug infestation in their home. Many items can not be placed in a dryer to kill bed bugs, such as shoes, dry-clean only clothes, sleeping bags, toys, etc... PackTite is the perfect pesticide-free way to gently rid your belongings of bed bugs!

Click here to get the PackTite Portable Heating Unit

BugZip Luggage & Clothing Encasements

Four Great Sizes That Fits Almost All Luggage

Click here to find BugZip Bed Bug Resistant Luggage and Clothing Encasements

BugZip is specially designed for advanced resistance to bed bugs. Diligently encasing all clothing, bags and belongings while traveling greatly reduces the likelihood of bringing bed bugs home or from place to place. BugZip is also a great resource for individuals and families whose homes are already infested. Use BugZip to encase clean clothes and inside drawers to protect from bed bugs while you prepare for and live through treatment.
The Travel Tent
See The Travel Tent and Travel Tent II
This portable mosquito net / bednet is free-standing and fully enclosed to provide an unsurpassed level of protection against mosquitoes, flies, bed bugs, fleas, No-See-Um's, and other biting insects. Can be used on any bed or on the ground, no external support is required. A breathable rip-stop nylon floor keeps out crawling insects and extends 10" up the sides in case you lean against it during the night (mosquitoes can bite through netting). Highly recommended when preventing all types of insect bites is essential for maintaining health and comfort.

Success and Prevention Against Bed Bugs

and a few Helpful Tips

Read through this page and follow all of the advice. Buy "bed bug certified" products because they are proven to work. Carefully use the methods described in this lens and do not skip over any steps or information.

Tips
Do not bring infested items into one's home. It is important to carefully inspect clothing and baggage of travelers, being on the lookout for bed bugs and their tell-tale fecal spots. Also, inspect secondhand beds, bedding, and furniture. Caulk cracks and crevices in the building exterior and also repair or screen openings to exclude birds, bats, and rodents that can serve as alternate hosts for bed bugs.

After traveling and before unpacking in your home, put any items that can safely go into the dryer into this appliance and run on the highest setting for at least 10 minutes. The heat produced in the drying cycle will kill any larva or bed bugs that tried to hitch a ride into your home.

You can win this war!!

I love to have your feedback!

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  • Reply
    lpyrbby Jun 30, 2011 @ 7:42 pm | delete
    Good info! I work in the apartment industry so we hear LOUD and clear the warnings of bed bugs. This was a good read to add to my arsenal of info ;)
  • Reply
    getridofbedbugs1 Dec 29, 2010 @ 6:40 pm | delete
    Solve your bed bug problem today and get back to your life, check how to get rid of bed bugs
  • Reply
    koffeewitch Jul 14, 2010 @ 1:21 pm | delete
    I've spent most of this day reading through various bedbug sites to learn how to deal with the little fuckers...I was a bed bug virgin, so I needed a lot of education. So far, your pages have been the most empowering and useful...I'm thrilled to learn about yet another use for one of my all time favorite products, diatomaceous earth. Now, if only more stores would stock it; it can be a real pain in the ass to find sometimes! Thanks for the great advice!
  • Reply
    pcwriter Jul 4, 2010 @ 6:22 am | delete
    Very nice Eve! I think you can add another great treatment option to make it complete; steam. It is safe and thorough and is the most used treatment by professionals. I talk about it on my website here http://pricelesspestcontrol.com/BedBugs.aspx
  • Reply
    Lisa May 17, 2010 @ 12:58 am | delete
    Hello... great site, but you need to research more about DE... It is incredibly dangerous when inhaled and is a light powder that is easily kicked up by a draft or breeze. You advise that people put large piles of it and dust the floor. This is WAY more than is necessary and most certainly will cause a lot of airborne particles which will be inhaled ever day. This can lead to all sorts of lung problems and permanent damage, silicosis, and even lung cancer. I have had bed bugs and I totally understand why you advise doing that - it is exactly what I did, and I became ill from it. Not everyone will get ill from it, but everyone will damage their lungs using the mthod you describe. A very small dusting with a paintbrush in crevises and around the legs of the bed is plenty, and much more safe.
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spiralzeve

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