Bedbugs are small parasitic insects that come out of hiding during the night and feed on your blood while you're sleeping. Bedbugs inject their host with a mild anesthetic before they feed, which means many times you are unaware they are feeding on you until you notice the irritated skin. Because bedbugs lay five to seven eggs every week, and often hide in your bedding or other dark areas, it can be hard to fully remedy an infestation. However, your first step to eliminating bedbugs doesn't have to involve harmful chemicals.
Wash Clothes and Bedding
Wash your clothes using a nontoxic biodegradable washing detergent. Read the labels on your clothing to ensure that the fabric can withstand high-temperature water, and set your washer to hot water. You need water that is at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit to start the killing process. If your washer does not heat the water that high, you can still kill the bugs using the dryer.
Clothes Dryer
Once your fabric has been washed, place the material in the dryer. Keeping the materials in the dryer at a medium to high heat for at least 20 minutes is enough to kill both the bedbugs and their eggs, states the Mayo Clinic.
Freezer
The New Jersey Department of Health recommends that if you have clothing items that cannot go through the washer or dryer with high heat, you should bag them tightly and place them in your freezer for several days. As long as your freezer temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be enough to kill the bedbugs. During the wintertime, if temperatures drop below that point, you can also place your bags of materials outside.
Heat
For items that won't fit in the washer or dryer, bag them or wrap them in plastic, and place them in your car on a hot day, or even just outside directly in the sun. The heat of the sun will increase the temperature inside of the bag to a level hot enough to kill the bedbugs.
Diatomaceous Earth
For a natural nonchemical pesticide, diatomaceous earth can be used in your home to kill bedbugs, states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diatomaceous earth is crushed up mined material called diatomite The powder can be dusted around cracks in your home and around the outside of your bed and other areas where bedbugs like to hide.
Steam
Call your local exterminator and ask if the company has natural remedies for bedbugs, such as the use of a commercial steamer to kill bedbugs that may be hiding in your mattress. Steam penetrates through your mattress without harming it, killing the bugs.
