bed bug problem

theycallmebruce

Active member
Nov 17, 2002
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So my mom has bed bugs at her apartment. The super called the exterminator but is there something else that we can do to keep them away?

thanks for your input
 
One way to kill them is to put up the heat to 45c for three days, last week you could have done it by upping the temp 5 or 10c.
 
You'll need a new mattress and box spring and you'll have to wash all the sheets and pillowcases in hot water to destroy the eggs and whatever bed bugs are hiding in your linens.
 
I had bedbugs at my old apt. I went out and bought a chemical called sodium borate, or a cleaner called Borax. It's safe for pets (I own a dog), and they little buggers eat the powder and die. Then, just vacuum up the powder.
Lol, I poured out a border of Borax around my bed cause I was paranoid when I slept.
 
throw out your mattress, fabric furnitures, carpet, perhaps old drawers etc.. basically empty out your apartment of all porus material or throw them in a washer and then let the exterminator do the work xP
 
throw out your mattress, fabric furnitures, carpet, perhaps old drawers etc.. basically empty out your apartment of all porus material or throw them in a washer and then let the exterminator do the work xP

Also make sure that they treat this as a BUILDING problem. Managers like to keep the issue hushed up but if they don't spray all nearby units plus inspect the whole building then they are just going to come crawling back.

Isolate the bed. Put the legs in something bed bugs cannot crawl up, pull the bed away from the wall, and find a way to prevent sheets draping on the floor. Check the mattress, frame, and box springs regularly.

In a real bad situation you could enclose the entire sleeping area in a mosquito net that is zipped up and encases the bedding so that they cannot get in.

You do not need to throw out things that can be washed and dried at high heat. Heat kills them.
 
Also make sure that they treat this as a BUILDING problem. Managers like to keep the issue hushed up but if they don't spray all nearby units plus inspect the whole building then they are just going to come crawling back.

Isolate the bed. Put the legs in something bed bugs cannot crawl up
, pull the bed away from the wall, and find a way to prevent sheets draping on the floor. Check the mattress, frame, and box springs regularly.

In a real bad situation you could enclose the entire sleeping area in a mosquito net that is zipped up and encases the bedding so that they cannot get in.

You do not need to throw out things that can be washed and dried at high heat. Heat kills them.


If you rub vaseline on the legs, the bugs can't crawl up.

I got these for my new mattress. http://www.protectabed.com/
 
There's a chemical called Permethrin that works. Easily available in the states. Can get it here if some farm/garden supply places or order online. It's also an ingredient on some dog sprays for fleas and tics.

In the states it's also sold as an insecticidal clothing treatment so you could even treat your sheets if you wanted.

It is a neurotoxin though so I'd not use it indoors unless I could leave for a day while it dries. Also supposed to be very bad for cats.


And yes, new bed, sheets, and push to have the whole building treated, otherwise they just move back and forth between apartments.
 
It is better to bring an exterminator in. I hear amateur efforts to eliminate bed bugs can just drive them from one area to another.
 
Toronto has had a bed bug problem for a while now.

They got into my house through a family member who lives in an apartment building. We were away for 2 weeks, but thr bed bugs were able to survive til we got back.

The building managers tend to call cheap contractors that never really get rid of the problem.