Do I Need To Hire An Exterminator To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs In Denver?

When they first discover bed bugs crawling throughout their Denver home, many homeowners wonder if they really need to hire an exterminator to get rid of them – or if they can just accomplish the job on their own with a few home remedies and DIY treatments.

Unfortunately, most home remedies can’t give you the results that they promise. Here’s what Denver homeowners should understand about the problems with DIY methods, why insecticides aren’t effective, and the most foolproof way to get bed bugs out of your home.

Do DIY Bed Bug Treatments Work?

From essential oils to baking soda, there are plenty of home remedies that get toted as bed bug killers – but most of these DIY methods aren’t effective, and here’s why:

Essential Oils

Some homeowners may gravitate towards essential oils because they’re looking for a “greener” or more eco-friendly way to get rid of bed bugs. However, most oils aren’t effective at deterring bed bugs.

Blood orange oil, for instance, needs to come in direct contact with bed bugs to work, but it’s unlikely that homeowners can root out every single bug in an infestation. So, not only are most essential oils almost useless against bed bugs, even the effective oils can’t permanently rid your home of these pests.

Rubbing Alcohol

You may see rubbing alcohol used against bed bugs, and while it will kill these critters, it’s not a good idea to try to use a lot of this substance in your home. If it’s ingested or swallowed, rubbing alcohol can become a health hazard – for both people and pets.

Freezing Infested Items

Bed bugs cannot survive extremely low temperatures, which is why some homeowners may put infested items in their freezers for a couple of days. While this technique may work with smaller items, like clothing or even pillows, you can’t put infested mattresses or big pieces of furniture in your freezer, which makes this method impractical.

Baking Soda

It’s a common misconception that sprinkling baking soda around baseboards or other areas with high bed bug activity will dehydrate any bugs that come in contact with it. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. While baking soda can absorb odors well, it doesn’t absorb water very well and won’t harm bed bugs that walk across it. 

Do Insecticides Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?

Besides home remedies like baking soda or essential oils, some homeowners may turn to insecticides that they can purchase over-the-counter. While these substances may be more effective than home remedies, they’re still unlikely to get rid of the entire infestation. Most OTC insecticides need direct contact with bed bugs to work – which means you’ll need to root out every single bug in your home. Because bed bugs are tiny, excellent at hiding, and can live in even the smallest of cracks and crevices in your home, this isn’t always easy.

Most of the time, homeowners that purchase insecticides from big-box stores end up making a dent in their bed bug infestation, but the critters they don’t see will continue to reproduce and relocate to better hiding spots. Even if you manage to find every single bug with insecticides, bed bug infestations are extremely difficult to prevent. There’s always the chance that another bed bug will find its way inside and regrow the population. Without ongoing maintenance and effective treatments from a professional, your bed bug infestation could last indefinitely. 

The Most Effective Way To Handle Bed Bugs In Denver, CO

Whether you’ve got a minor infestation that’s only just started or bed bugs have taken over your entire house, there’s only one foolproof method to getting rid of an infestation: using professional assistance from Beeline Pest Control. Not only do our specialists have years of experience dealing with stubborn pests like bed bugs, but we’ve also got reliable and effective treatments to get the job done. Our services come with a complete satisfaction guarantee, and our work won’t be done until your home is permanently free of bed bugs.

If you’re noticing signs of a bed bug problem in your Denver home, there’s no point wasting your time and money on ineffective home remedies – contact us at Beeline Pest Control today to get rid of the stress that comes with living in a bug-infested home.