Bedbugs are among the most tenacious of pests. Resistant to heat, cold and most common bug sprays, bedbugs are able to survive up to 18 months without air or food. Fortunately, there are a number of effective methods and products for eliminating these blood-sucking parasites. These products can be divided into three categories: insecticides for killing the bugs, various items for isolating and containing them and the Packtite, a machine designed to eliminate the bugs from items by heating them. No one product is best for killing bedbugs: various products should be used according to the specifics of your infection.
Insecticides
Bedbug insecticides come in three forms: dusts, which degrade the bugs' skin and causes them to dry out; contact insecticides, which kill the bug shortly after making contact with it; and insect growth regulators, which prevent the bugs from reproducing and maturing. There is little wide consensus on which of these products are most effective. Dusts tend to be better for insertion into cracks and crevices, while contact insecticides can be sprayed over wider areas. And although insect growth regulators do not kill the bugs quickly, they may be most effective in regulating the growth of the infestation if used in concert with one of the other two insecticides.
Containment
Various products can be used to contain the spread of bedbugs. First, identify where the bedbugs are located. Bedbugs commonly live in furniture with dense weaving, such as mattresses and overstuffed chairs. Instead of throwing the infested items out, many of them can be wrapped in a plastic wrap or cover. These covers must be allergen-proof, meaning that their holes are not large enough for pollen, dust and other allergens to permeate. If the holes are larger, bedbug eggs or larvae may be able to slip through. After applying the covers, make sure they are thoroughly sealed and no have any tears.
For bedbug-infested areas that cannot be wrapped in plastic, such as spaces between floorboards, the gaps behind moldings and cracks in walls, the perfect product to use is caulk. Use caulk to seal these holes and refuse the bedbugs access to your room. While it will not immediately kill the bugs, if properly applied, caulk will permanently entomb them. After 18 months, the bugs, deprived of oxygen and nutrients, should expire.
The Packtite
According to Bedbugger.com, the Packtite is a small black machine in which you can place items that bedbugs commonly inhabit, such as clothes, luggage and stuffed animals. After placing your things in the machine and turning it on, they should remain there for several hours while it heats up to slightly above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This is hot enough to kill all of the bedbugs and eggs inside the items. However, be sure to continue to monitor the temperature throughout the process to make sure that the temperature of the inner core of the unit reaches 120 degrees. While some areas inside the Packtite may reach that temperature, not all of them necessarily will.
Tags: bugs from, contact insecticides, growth regulators, insect growth, insect growth regulators, kill bugs, make sure