While most homeowners will be tempted to try their own bed bug extermination, few will be successful following DIY advice on the internet because the process is tedious, and exterminators use specialized equipment and chemicals.
Bed bugs are difficult for homeowners to exterminate on their own as a DIY project for several reasons:
- Tiny and Hard to Detect: Bed bugs are small and can hide in tiny crevices, cracks, and seams of mattresses, furniture, and walls. They are also nocturnal, making them harder to spot during the day. This makes it easy to miss infestations or overlook areas where they might be hiding.
- Resistance to Chemicals: Bed bugs have developed resistance to many over-the-counter pesticides over the years. This means that the chemicals available to homeowners may not be effective, and bed bugs can survive repeated treatments.
- Rapid Reproduction: Bed bugs reproduce quickly. A single female can lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime, which can hatch and mature into adults within weeks. Without addressing the infestation thoroughly, populations can rebound quickly, even if some bugs are killed in initial treatments.
- Comprehensive Treatment Required: Successful extermination requires treating all areas of the home where bed bugs could be hiding. This includes not only bedding and furniture but also behind baseboards, inside electrical outlets, and in carpet fibers. DIY treatments often fail because they don’t cover all potential hiding spots.
- Egg Resilience: Bed bug eggs are resistant to many common pesticides and can survive extreme conditions. If eggs are left behind after an initial treatment, they will hatch, causing the infestation to reappear.
- Specialized Equipment: Professionals use specialized equipment, such as heat treatments or high-powered vacuums, which are much more effective than what is typically available to homeowners. Bed bugs are sensitive to extreme heat, and professional-grade tools can raise temperatures to levels that kill both bugs and eggs.
These factors combine to make bed bugs a persistent and frustrating problem for DIY efforts, often requiring professional extermination to eliminate the infestation completely.
