Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) can be difficult to remove. Their flat bodies fit into almost any crack, so they easily escape sprays. Heat kills bed bugs at every stage of development, eggs, larvae and adult bugs.
How the bed bug plague occurs
The most common cause of bed bug infestation comes from used mattresses and bedding. Mattresses should always be bought new and replaced regularly. It is particularly risky to fish a used mattress out of bulky rubbish. Dirty, unwashed bedding encourages bedbugs. Wash bedding regularly at a temperature of at least 60 degrees.
Bedbugs can also be brought back into the household when travelling. As a general rule, all items of clothing should be washed at high temperatures after a trip, especially after a camping holiday.
How to remove existing bed bugs
If the bed is infested with bedbugs, the plague can quickly spread to the entire wardrobe. It is therefore important to act quickly before the creepy-crawlies become too widespread.
Everything in the infected room that can be washed should be washed in the washing machine at a temperature of at least 60 degrees, preferably 95 degrees. This includes bedding, clothing, curtains and soft toys. Clothes that are already clean do not need to be washed again, but should be put in the tumble dryer. The hot temperatures in the washing machine and tumble dryer will kill any eggs, larvae and bedbugs present. For effective bug removal, clothes should be treated in the tumble dryer for at least 210 minutes.
Pack all freshly treated clothing or fabrics separately in plastic bags so that they cannot be re-contaminated.
Furniture, mattresses and carpets can be cleaned with hot steam. Hold the steam on a small area of no more than 30 centimetres for about 30 seconds at a time. Use as large a steam head as possible. Even if it is time-consuming, you should treat all pieces of furniture. If you don't have a steam cleaner, you can borrow one. It is important to proceed slowly and thoroughly so that all eggs and insects die.
After treatment, open the windows and allow everything to dry thoroughly. It is also a good idea to heat the room to at least 45 degrees using a hot air heater for a while, preferably for about an hour. After about two weeks, you can do a follow-up treatment to make sure that all the eggs have been killed.
It is not enough to heat the room using ordinary radiators. The room temperature will not be high enough to kill everything. Solar heat is also insufficient and can damage clothing.
Anyone hiring an exterminator must prepare the room beforehand so that the exterminator can work thoroughly. Objects lying around should be tidied up, clothes removed and washed and pictures removed from the walls.
How to avoid bed bug infestation
Always keep the bedroom clean. Wash clothes, bedding and curtains regularly. Do not buy second-hand mattresses, but rather buy new ones. After a camping holiday or a holiday in less hygienic places, wash the clothes you bring back thoroughly.
If you do get a second-hand mattress, you should treat it thoroughly with a steam cleaner before using it. This not only kills bed bugs, but also all bacteria.
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