How to Kill Bedbugs Fast

Bedbugs -- a tiny, blood-sucking insect that typically bites sleeping victims at night -- all but disappeared in the United States after the 1940s. However, a resurgence of the pesticide-resistant bugs is driving people to look for quick, inexpensive and nontoxic methods to eradicate the problem.

Things You'll Need

• Black plastic garbage bags
• Washer and dryer
• Sealable plastic bags, clothing-sized
• Mattress encasements
• Steam cleaner
• Diamataceous earth
• Vacuum

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Instructions

• 1

  Clean any cluttered rooms first to remove hiding places for bedbugs. Clear dressers, tables, chairs and the floor of any debris or garbage; smaller, portable items can be placed in black plastic garbage bags in the sun for a few hours to raise the temperature and kill any bedbugs hiding inside.

• 2

  Launder any clothing that was on the floor, as well as small rugs and bedding. Wash the items in water that is at least 120 degrees and dry them on the highest heat setting to kill bedbugs. Bedbugs are killed at 114 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Pack any freshly-washed items in sealed plastic bags to prevent being reinfested.

• 3

  Hire a professional steam-cleaning service to kill a large portion of the bedbug population. Alternatively, if you choose to steam clean the house yourself, move slowly. Ensure the heat from the steam cleaner permeates every inch of mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpets and large rugs.

• 4

  Wrap the mattress and box springs in separate bedbug-proof encasement that zips shut. Bedbugs die when they are unable to get out of the encasement and feed.

• 5

  Sprinkle diamataceous earth -- a natural substance that kills various pests, including bedbugs, when they walk through it -- over the carpets, into cracks and crevices, inside electrical plates and around baseboards and the bed legs.

• 6

  Vacuum carpets, rugs and furniture after the steam-cleaning process to remove any residual eggs, molting shells or bodies. Continue to vacuum every few days and throw the bag away. Alternatively, when using a bagless model, dump the contents into a plastic bag and tightly seal it before washing the vacuum cannister with hot, soapy water to kill any bedbugs or eggs.

• 7

  Spray pesticides into cracks and crevices, behind furniture, on the carpet and around the bed. Look for a pesticide that is labeled for bedbugs, as many no longer work against the pest. Further, this option should be used only if more natural options have not worked, especially for homes with pets and children.