Not all treatments are created equal.
You’ve determined you have Bed Bugs. You also know you need to get rid of them. Fast!
But that is also where the certainty ends.
Where do I start?
What’s the best treatment type?
Are there differences between them?
Can I solve this by myself or do I need a professional?
Is there an easy way to solve this?
Questions like this start to pour over your mind. Sure, you could pick the seemingly safe option of hiring a professional. The downside, though, is that this is surely the most expensive path… with the outcome mostly not even guaranteed.
So how should you proceed?
The answer is: by gathering the relevant facts.
However, this could be challenging. There is a flood of information available and scattered over various sources. So we’ve decided to help you out and gather them in one place. We’ve also provided additional sources where you can get more information, and topics to consider so that you will be in a better position to make the decision on what steps to take.
Bed Bug Treatment Considerations
1. Identify the Extent of the Infestation
The first step is to determine the scope and severity of the infestation. Keep in mind that a small infestation may be treated with DIY methods using only a handful of tools, while a larger infestation may require several phases, using several types of equipment or approaches. If the problem is very severe, it makes even sense to leave it to a professional. Here’s our Guide to finding the right exterminator.
2. Get acquainted with your options
Truth be told, many treatment approaches are available. Several of them look appealing at a first glance, especially if you look only from one perspective (e.g. price, convenience, simplicity). But if you investigate them thoroughly, they may hide significant downsides. If you haven’t already, you should take a few moments to contrast their advantages and disadvantages before making any decision. Instead of searching and comparing them manually and individually, you could simply check a source that has aggregated all of this data in one location. A great example is this: Pros and Cons of Available Bed Bug Treatments.
Now that you have a strategic overview of the available methods, consider if the approach you had in mind even makes sense in your circumstances. To maximize your treatment efficiency we highly recommend not limiting yourself to only one treatment type.
3. Consider the total cost
Treatment costs vary widely so it is a worthwhile investment to compare the costs of different approaches. This does not mean, however, to look at this only from a perspective of a one-time bill. Consider also other criteria. Such as potential health implications (your own, your family’s, and your pet’s), difficulty of application, and home damages. For example, if you would only look at this from an immediate financial burden, you might prioritize highly toxic DIY pesticides. They are, after all, the cheapest option. But looking at this from a health perspective you might quickly conclude that spraying a highly toxic medium on an area where you sleep for several hours daily might not be a wise decision. You might then overzealously lean on the other side. Picking a non-toxic approach of heating your entire apartment for several hours to 120°F or higher temperatures. This would most likely do the trick for a majority of bed bugs and have no impact on your health. But what if this causes significant damage to your apartment or equipment?
4. Minimize your risk
Check the credentials, reviews, and guarantees of the provider(s) you are considering. Unknown providers are risky. Cheap solutions often do not come with any guarantee and an adequate level of support, let alone with questionable effectiveness. A high price tag also does not always guarantee quality.
The best options are providers with a good mix of many reviews (recent and past), long-term market presence, and straightforward guarantees. A good example that fulfills all those criteria is SayByeBugs.
5. Plan with the long-term in mind
The majority of approaches will require more than one treatment. Possibly even more than one approach type. It is better to keep this in mind, than expecting that one treatment and one approach will remove the problem for good. Do not forget to incorporate preventive measures after the infestation is removed. This is to ensure bed bug infestation does not happen again.
Still unsure?
If you are still undetermined on how to proceed, then consult with an expert. This does not need to be a bed bug pest control expert with 10+ years of experience though. Look for someone who has already successfully dealt with this problem and whom you can trust.
If you do not know anyone with such a problem, find several accessible persons who got rid of them and triangulate their recommendations. Great locations can be public social media posts since they permit an open discussion. Two such examples are provided below. Feel free and click on them and join the discussion in the comments section.
After you have decided on how to approach the problem ensure consistency of the treatment and the application according to the instructions. Failing to do this can result in inefficiencies and a continued bed bug infestation.
Keep in mind that bed bugs can be challenging to eliminate. Patience, persistence, and a multimodal approach will eventually bring you to your desired goal.
Your BedBugGuide Team
Interested to learn more about Bed Bug Treatments?
Click on the links below to learn more.
- Guaranteed Family Safe Solution Anyone can Apply
- Fellow American Explains his story with Bed Bugs: Robert’s lessons and How to be Rid of Bed Bugs for Good
- 9 Common Mistakes to Avoid when Dealing with Bed Bugs
- Pros and Cons of Available Bed Bug Treatments
- 6 Steps to Take Immediately after Discovering Bed Bugs
If you really want to get rid of bed bugs today try SayByeBugs! It was developed as a safe and highly effective alternative among a sea of products that rarely deliver on their promises.
