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The Best Bed Bug Treatments

Danielle Mcleod

Bed bugs. If you live in an urban apartment building, those two words should send shivers down your spine. A tiny animal that can make your life a living hell. Untreated, these tiny terrors won’t just ruin your bed and eat up your body, they will crawl their way into just about anything that you own and force you to destroy all of your belongings to ensure that the infestation has truly been taken care of. Getting rid of the dreaded bed bugs can be an absolute nightmare.

Or does it have to be? Sure, in the past there was only one highly expensive and destructive way to deal with a bed bug problem: calling an exterminator. However, times have changed. There are more options available to the average Joe or Joan dealing with a bed bug infestation these days. In fact, if you identify the problem early enough it might not even be necessary to call exterminator anymore.

That’s right, in this day and age it’s possible to take care of a troublesome bed bug infestation all by yourself. There are a variety of products available that will take your bed bugs and turn them into dead bugs. No giving your home over to an expensive exterminator. No throwing out everything that you own. You can make those bed bugs go away all by yourself.

Of course, the challenge is finding the right option to suit your needs. It’s not as if there is only one bed bug treatment available. There are many. So, where do you begin? Well, right here. Our Sleep Judge experts have done the work for you. Below you’ll find a list to the best bed bug treatments currently available on the market. Below that, you’ll find a definitive shopping guide to bed bug treatments. In other words, by the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll be armed with the knowledge you need to conquer your bed bug problems once and for all. So what are you waiting for? Read on and get ready to kill off all of the bed bugs that ever bothered you.

RankProduct
#1Best Overall Bed Bug Treatment — Ortho Home Defense Insect Barrier

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#2Best Fast Acting Bed Bug Treatment — Harris Five Minute Bed Bug Killer

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#3Best Powder Bed Bug Treatment — Rockwell CimeXa Insecticide Dust

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#4Best Natural Bed Bug Treatment — Bed Bug Killer by EcoRaider

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You may be interested in: Best Bed Bug Killer

Best Bed Bug Treatments

Best Overall Bed Bug Treatment — Ortho Home Defense Insect Barrier

If this is your first time dealing with a bed bug infestation, then Ortho Home Defense Bed Bug Killer should be your best option. This is a powerful bug killer that won’t just target those pesky bed bugs causing you troubles, but will also kill off any of the eggs that the poison comes in contact with.  Thanks to the attached spray wand, you can spray this powerful poison into every nook and cranny that those pests have ever been near to ensure that they all die in one triumphant spray session.  That battery operated wand is a huge advantage to this treatment for first time pest killers as it is easy-to-use and undeniably powerful. Even better, the treatment itself is non-staining, so you can confidently cover you bedroom in Ortho without concern. This is the ideal way to clear out your bed bug infestation quickly and efficiently.

Pros

  • Powerful poison.
  • Battery operated house will reach all nooks and crannies containing any pesky bed bugs.
  • Non-staining formula can be used safely anywhere.

Cons

  • Wand can break down with repeated use
  • Spray wand depletes the poison rather quickly.

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Best Fast Acting Bed Bug Treatment — Harris Five Minute Bed Bug Killer

Looking for a bed bug treatment that will take care of your infestation as quickly as possible? Then say hello to The Harris Five Minute Bed Bug Killer. This odorless and non-staining poison will kill any bed bugs that it touches within five minutes. Never again will you have to worry about spraying a bug and merely hoping that the treatment worked. You’ll get to see the results practically instantly. So, if you’re looking for a solution that will kill your bed bugs as quickly as possible, then this is the best option to bring home. Those bed bugs will be dead before they even know what hit them!

Pros

  • Powerful poison.
  • Spray head attached for easy use.
  • Quick acting, will kill off bed bugs within minutes
  • Odorless and non-stain formula makes the process as painless as possible.

Cons

  • Only kills bed bugs, not eggs. Those will have to be dealt with separately.
  • Spray bottle depletes the formula rather quickly.

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Best Powder Bed Bug Treatment — Rockwell CimeXa Insecticide Dust

While sprays and liquid poisons tend to be the most popular bed bug treatments on the market, it’s also worth considering investing in bed bug powder. This works a little differently that other treatments. It’s not really a poison. It’s something that works as a microscopic sponge to stick to bed bugs and dry out their exoskeletons. This won’t just kill all of your bed bugs, but it lasts far longer than any sort of spray or liquid treatment. Properly applied to areas where bed bugs have been spotted, a bed bug powder can last for up to ten years, ensuring that not only will your current infestation be taken care of, but future infestations will face a similar fate. Rockwell CimeXa is one of the most effective and popular bed bug powders on the planet, making it an ideal longterm bed bug solution for anyone who would prefer to avoid spraying liquid poison all over their home.

Pros

  • Long lasting bed bug solution (up to ten years).
  • Harmless to humans, no safety precautions necessary.
  • Little powder is necessary, so your supply will last for quite a while.

Cons

  • Only kills bed bugs, not eggs. Those will have to be dealt with separately.
  • Will take longer to kill bed bugs than liquid treatments.

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Best Natural Bed Bug Treatment — Bed Bug Killer by EcoRaider

While there’s no way to avoid bringing poison into your home if you want to kill off a bed bug infestation, it is possible to do so while avoiding exposing yourself to a variety of nasty artificial chemicals and the problems associated with them. This Bed Bug Killer by EcoRaider is an all-natural bed bug solution that is also completely non-toxic, meaning that unlike the other treatments on this list it is completely safe to be in the presence of your pets and children. In addition to that important safety feature, the treatment has also shown proven success. EcoRaider won’t just kill off your bed bugs, it will also eliminate any eggs that it comes in contact with. It’s not easy to find a bed bug treatment this effective that’s also made of natural ingredients and is completely non-toxic for pets and humans. So, if that’s what you’re looking for, this is really the only choice.

Pros

  • Made from all natural ingredients.
  • Completely non-toxic to humans and pets.
  • Proven to kill off bed bugs and their eggs.

Cons

  • Unpleasant odor that will take days to dissipate.
  • Not as strong as other treatments on this list, so you will need a great deal of this product to properly deal with a bed bug problem.

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Things To Look Out For

Here are some things to consider when choosing which bed beg treatment is right for you.

Bed Bug Killer Categories

There are two major categories of products that anyone relying on over-the-counter poisons and massacre all of their beg bugs: contact and residuals. Contact products do what it says on the tin and kill bed bugs directly on contact. So you’ll have to see and spray all of the bed bugs in your infestation for these products to do the trick. Is it possible to find all of your bed bugs and murder them with a contact bug killer? Sure, but it’s also unlikely. Infestations can quickly spread and there’s always a chance that microscopic eggs have been laid that you can’t even see. That’s why there are also residual bug killers. These products stay active for weeks and even months at a time, killing off any beg bug that dares to come in contact with them for the entire duration. Given how pesky these little bugs can be and how long they can live between feedings, having a longterm bug murder solution is a wise choice.

Pick Your Poison

While there are a variety of products available to aspiring bed bug murderers out there, most depend on a single chemical to poison those bugs until they are dead. It’s called pyrethroid. This product is lethal to most insects, but completely harmless to humans. That makes it an ideal poison that has been standard in beg bug killing solutions for years. There’s only one problem. This has been the primary bed bug poison for so long that some bed bugs have developed an immunity to the chemical. So if you find that your product isn’t working and it contains pyrethroid, then you should seek out a solution that uses pyrethrin. This poison is a more recent development in the history of bed bug killing. So, it’s a bit more dependable, if harder to find and often more expensive.

Not All Sprays Are Considered Equal

This is something that far too few home exterminators consider during their first beg bug massacre. Most bug killing products come in a spray bottle, include a spray nozzle, or come in an aerosol can. Not all of these poison dispersion methods are effective. Aerosol cans are actually quite effective at covering a large area quite quickly. Spray bottles take a lot of time and effort to use and are least preferable if you have a lot of ground to cover. The best option is a spray nozzle as allows you to most easily get into small cracks and crevices, where bed bugs thrive. It will take a long time to cover an entire room or apartment with a spray nozzle though, so be prepared for a significant time commitment.

Surface Check

Here’s something that you might not know about bug poisons without a little research: not all of them work on every material. You’ll have to check and make sure that your chosen poison will work on every necessary piece of furniture in your home. After all, if you end up with a bed bug poison that’s incompatible with your bed, well that’s not going to do you much good, now is it?

Don’t Forget About Your Safety

While most beg bug killing products are entirely safe for humans, this process will still not only involve you staying in close proximity to toxic chemicals, but dosing the bed that you sleep in every night with it. So, you have to be careful. Before committing to any product, make sure to read the package carefully or do a little online research. Some of these poisons can be toxic to more than just bed bugs, especially when it comes to children and pets. So make sure to do a little research before brining home a container of poison and spraying it all over your home willy-nilly. It’s important to be careful.

You may want to read: Best Bed Bug Sprays

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many applications will be required before I can be certain my bed bugs are dead?

This is tricky to answer. Obviously, there are many factors involved. In theory, one thorough round of spraying could be enough to end your problem. However, that doesn’t take into account the possibility that you may have missed a bug, that there are eggs laid in your home, or that you didn’t spray every area of home, along with other possibilities. However, as a general rule of thumb, once three weeks have passed since you spot a bed bug, your treatment has been effective.

Can you get sick from bug spray?

Yes indeed. Most of this comes from improper use, especially over use. Always follow instructions and recommendations. Never use too much spray and follow all cleaning regulations. Common symptoms related to excessive exposure include dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. So, make sure to go outside and/or seek medical attention if any of those symptoms pop up during poison application.

Why can’t I buy the same insecticides used by professional exterminators?

Most professional strength insecticides are highly toxic and while they are the best method to kill bed bugs, they can also be dangerous to humans when not used properly. Professional exterminators are licenced and trained to use these products. They should not be handled by amateurs as they are far too dangerous.

How do I kill bed bug eggs?

If you spot bed bug eggs on your sheets, you might not be able to kill them with traditional bug killing solutions. However, if you put any of the clothing or begging with eggs into a dryer at a high setting for an hour, that will kill all of those pesky eggs before they grow into adult bed bugs.

How does a bed bug infestation affect me?

There are many negative effects that you will experience from having a bed bug infestation in your home or business. The good news is that bed bugs do not transmit disease. Nor do their bites even leave marks. However, bed bug bites can be quite itchy and irritating. Beyond that there are psychological effects to a bed bug infestation that can be quite troublesome, including sleep disruption, anxiety, and depression. Obviously if the infestation is in your place of business, these psychological effects can be exacerbated as it effects the reputation of your business and can lead to bigger problems. So, while there are no lethal effects or even long-term illnesses associated with bedbugs, there are a variety of reason why it’s important to take care of any bed bug infestation as quickly as possible.