TIP: You cannot steam your baseboards and possibly your floors, after chemical treatment. You risk vaporizing the chemical pesticides and wiping out the entire treatment, and you risk inhaling the steam and poisoning yourself instead.

Warning
Do not put anything in the microwave or oven. It may catch fire. Books have glue on them. You may cause more damage than you knew possible, and still have bed bugs.

TIP: Even though you can put dry clothes and bedding into the dryer to kill (must go to 120 F) don't. Wash and then dry for two cycles.

Wet clothes might not heat up for long enough as they are drying so consider two drying cycles. It's expensive, but not as expensive as more treatments. And you'll have done your best to keep others from getting your bed bugs in their dry laundry.

You do not need to reapply DE unless you know you've mopped it up. Don't vacuum DE up, it will kill your vacuum. DE is forever, as it is powdered silica. The term Food Grade means it can be used in food manufacturing factories to reduce insects. It kills bed bugs by drying and shredding their exoskeleton.

DE does not kill on contact and can take up to ten days to kill bed bugs. **Only use food grade diatomaceous earth and always wear gloves and a mask.

It took six months to get bed bugs out of my condo with chemical treatment, but I did. During that time I met with 10's of pest control companies locally, and spoke with bed bug experts with demonstrable experience, in New York, Italy, England and in the U.S.

I learned pest control companies can be wildly different in their techniques, approach and ethics.

It's the quick course. You learn everything about bed bugs after you learn you have them. In May, after hiring two pest companies, as the first did not deliver as advertised, bed bugs were gone/dead. I endured multiple chemical treatments in my house, sleep deprivation, and a host of other, let's just call them "experiences" unique to bed bug sufferers, but in May of 2009, every single bed bug in my house and this entire building was gone.

That ordeal began in November 2008 and ended in May 2009. Two inspections by a bed bug sniffing dog six months apart declared the building clear both times. The last inspection was in November 2009. Thermal heat treatment was not available locally at the time, or I would have had that.

Heat treatment means you had bed bugs this morning, but tonight you don't, unless you reinfest yourself through your possessions, work or car. You can protect your car and work from infestation with a Packtite.

I wish I would have bought the Packtite sooner than I did. It wasn't cheap, but I found out in the first four hours how valuable it was. It immediately provided a way to kill bed bugs in shoes, paper, purses, hats, jackets, backpacks, books, and other possessions. Bed bugs die at temperatures above 120 degrees.

The Packtite is a fabric oven with a wire frame inside and a heater with a fan. It comes with a thermostat you place in the bag with the stuff you are heating.

It's one of the most effective things you can do to treat your possessions. You can cook all your papers, books, and anything that won't melt in a Packtite. It was definately a worthwhile investment. The Packtite temperature rises up to 140 F. Certain bed bug death!

Everything then went into giant ZipLocks which are clear and easy to get in and out of. They're thick plastic and durable. You can cook them with your clothes, shoes, books in the bags. You can reuse the bags.

After putting on a mask, gloves and goggles, the lightest dusting of food grade diatomaceous earth was applied around every baseboard. Caulk went on top of that. Another hardly visible layer of DE against every connecting floor surface. .

The sofa, computer, chest of drawers were put into a moving van and Vikaned by another pest company. Vikane is a deadly gas, typically used for termites, but kills bed bugs and eggs. There is no residual with Vikane.

A knowledgeable pest control company suggests that to kill bed bug eggs Vikane must be used at 10x strength.

In late May, one more treatment for a long term residual was scheduled, since it had been two months since the last residual. Residuals vary in how long they last. 90 days is optimal, but light and temperature affect the duration of a residual pesticide.

In June, Sprague's bed bug sniffing dog April came to inspect and declared the house and the building's common areas clear, including my neighbor's home, and two empty units adjoining that one. April came back in November 2009 to check my house again. All clear!

The process was not pleasant, but then I probably don't need to say that if you're here. I learned a lot, relied on facts and science, and had success! I felt confident that I could share what worked with others, and that information plays a huge part in getting rid of bed bugs. I'm a member of the newly formed Bed Bug Advisory Task Force in Multnomah County. I hate bed bugs.

If you have questions, use the Contact Form. Post your story on the forum.

Multnomah Public Health is now actively working to increase education and information about these pests. A Citizens Advisory Task Force has been formed to educate the public, housing agencies, and the government about the need for strategic policy and advocacy around bed bugs.

Two things that were indespensible were the Packtite heater and the vapor steamer. The Packtite made it possible for me to leave my house, and come home, knowing I was not bringing bed bugs into my car.

If you thought treating your house was complicated, a car is much more involved.

Entomologists estimate that 70% of the population doesn't react at all to bites. This means your infestation can grow unnoticed, until of course you do notice, which means your infestation is really big.

Heat Kills Bed Bugs!

Dry Vapor Steamers are great! They have a simple tank you put water into, attach a hose or pole with various attachments, and turn it on. Dry Vapor Steamers don't emit a lot of water (mold) and that gets hot enough for a long time.

Check out our blog!

TIP: Only 90% or better rubbing alcohol will kill bed bugs on contact. Don't saturate yourself or your bed with it. The fumes are toxic.

IMPORTANT: Diatomaceous earth is permanently harmful if inhaled. Use a mask to appy it. It is made of silica. Use Food Grade. You can find it here. Do not put it on your mattress, bedding, chairs or sofa. It belongs along baseboards, and crevices.