Don’t Make These Five Common Bed Bug Mistakes!
As a 2x bed bug survivor, I’ve lost my mind so you don’t have to. Here are my top 5 bed bug mistakes and what to do instead.
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#5 – Baby Powder
I heard that baby powder killed bed bugs by suffocating and drying them out. So what did I do? Sprinkled it all over my laundry, shoes, and mattress. All that did was create a big powdery mess and clog my washing machine. There is no evidence to support the use of baby powder as an effective bed bug treatment. In fact, Oumarou et al. (2024) went as far as testing talc (common in baby powder until 2020) and baking soda in this study and found both to be ineffective against bed bugs.
Replace your baby powder with CimeXa (paid link) insecticide dust which has been proven to work against bed bugs in multiple experiments including this one by Lilly et al. (2016). Researchers even found that it kills bed bugs faster than diatomaceous earth. Best to limit inhalation exposure by wearing an N95 respirator (paid link) and only applying to cracks and crevices where it can remain undisturbed.
Baby Powder in Bed Bug Interceptors
Another place I foolishly put baby powder was inside interceptors (paid link) to make them more slippery. However, baby powder no longer contains talc, but cornstarch. So rather than making it harder for bed bugs to climb out, I may have been giving them a helping hand. Instead of dusting your interceptors with baby powder, use talcum powder (paid link). And again, you should wear a good mask (paid link).
#4 – Lavender
Like many, I fell for the old wives’ tale that lavender oil repels bed bugs and sprayed it all over my belongings. But according to research conducted by González-Morales et al. (2021), I may have actually been attracting them. So swap out your lavender oil for EcoVenger (paid link) which outperformed every other essential oil-based product tested in this study (Singh et al., 2014). For more information, check out my post, How to Kill Bed Bugs with Essential Oils.
#3 – Pyrethroids
When I first got bed bugs, I headed to the pest control aisle of the supermarket and saw tons of products claiming to kill bed bugs. Surely one of them had to work, right? Wrong. Just read the labels, and I’ll put money down you’ll see pyrethroids. They go by many names including permethrin and deltamethrin among others. Despite widespread pyrethroid resistance, they’re still the most commonly used insecticide for bed bug treatments (Doggett & Lee, 2023).
To get the good stuff, you may have to hire a professional. For example, MGK Crossfire (paid link) is not available in all states for general consumer use. I was able to have it shipped to my home in Arizona, but not to Illinois where I am now. If you opt to DIY, make sure to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and read all labels carefully.
And remember, an integrated treatment approach is going to be your best bet. Neonicotinoids and neonicotinoid-pyrethroid sprays with synergists like MGK Crossfire (paid link) may be light-years ahead of basic OTC products but still have their limitations. Namely, recent data suggest that bed bugs are starting to become resistant to these classes of insecticides as well (Yu et al., 2023).
#2 – Relying on Bites
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. The medical/health information provided is for general information and educational purposes only, and it is not a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any action based on this information, always consult with appropriate professionals.
Well this one is quite embarrassing, but here we go. I was so stressed about having bed bugs that I became delusional. Keep in mind that I graduated at the top of my class with a psych degree and had no prior history of irrational thoughts. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. It all started with real bed bugs from which I developed real bites. But long after not seeing bed bugs anymore, the bites continued. Or did they?
Turns out the continued “bites” were actually hives caused by the psychological stress from the initial infestation. They even had the zig zag pattern typical of real bed bug bites! But don’t let them fool you too —bite marks are not a reliable indicator as they can be a symptom of many different conditions. To learn more about identifying bed bugs and their bites, see my post, Unusual Bites from Bed Bugs or Something Else?
#1 – Throwing Out Valuables
One of the most expensive bed bug mistakes I made the first time was throwing away valuables. In a panic, I tossed everything I didn’t absolutely need. Luckily I knew better going into my second rodeo. If treated and protected properly, most items can be salvaged. I used a combination of heat, cold, insecticides, barriers, and time.
For instance, I bought encasements for my mattress (paid link) and pillows (paid link) to prevent bed bugs from reinfesting them after treatment. I also stored nonessential items in air-tight bins (paid link) and left them in the garage for at least 140 days which is how long bed bugs can survive without food (Akhoundi et al., 2023).
I’ll cover how to control bed bugs using heat and cold in future posts, so make sure to bookmark helpwithbedbugs.com for my latest updates.
Honorable Mention – Isolating
Of all my bed bug mistakes, isolation hurt the most. I can never get back the time I lost with loved ones. For fear of spreading my infestation, I wouldn’t even hug anyone. I avoided family gatherings, passed up work opportunities, and steered clear of dating altogether. But worst of all was keeping everything a secret. Eventually the truth came out, and people were actually relieved to know what was really going on. Many friends had assumed I was just avoiding them.
In hindsight, my self-imposed quarantine was largely unwarranted. Hugging in particular is unlikely to contaminate anyone as “person-to-person transmission is rare” (Fésűs et al., 2021). However, if you’re concerned about bed bugs on your clothing, you can seal your clean garments in air-tight bins (paid link) or plastic bags to change into once you’re ready to head out. A more likely vector of transmission is your luggage or purse so consider traveling light.
Wrapping Up
To recap, you should avoid the following bed bug mistakes:
- using ineffective products like baby powder, lavender, and pyrethroids,
- relying solely on bites as indicators,
- throwing out valuables,
- and completely isolating.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself—we all make mistakes. I just hope you can learn from mine and avoid some of the unnecessary suffering that bed bugs have caused me. If you found this content useful, be sure to bookmark helpwithbedbugs.com for my latest posts and share with others who might benefit. You can also leave a comment below with any questions or suggestions.
Until next time, I’ll be praying for you! xD
