Bedbugs are very resilient to chemicals. Changlu Wang, PhD, extension specialist in the department of entomology at Rutgers University, gave a talk at the at the Beyond Pesticides conference in Denver, Colorado listing non-toxic ways to kill bedbugs. Below are a few of her suggestions on how to effectively eradicate bedbugs without toxic chemical.
1: Physically remove them by vacuuming and cleaning them up manually. Stomping the little buggers is acceptable.
2: REMOVE CLUTTER. Bedbugs love to snuggle in piles of clothes, newspapers, and junk. Dr. Wang showed pictures of places where it was almost impossible to get rid of the bedbugs, and it had a lot to do with piles of junk and clothes and crap lying around. The more you remove clutter, the easier it is to keep bedbugs out.
3: Launder your bedding WEEKLY. Use the hottest dryer settings possible. If you don’t want to wash your quilt each week, at least put it in the dryer for 45 minutes until your infestation is gone. Bedbugs hate heat.
4: Encase your pillows and mattresses. They’re easier to remove and clean on a regular basis.
5: Clean with a hot steamer. Again, bedbugs hate heat. Make sure to get around the baseboards and cracks.
6: Try diatomaceous earth. A naturally occurring pest-fighter that comes from dead algae skeletons or something like that, you can get it online and should use it carefully, but it does work. I remember my grandfather using it, and it’s still considered organic. Thanks to the stuff’s microscopically sharp edges, it’s the equivalent of putting tacks on the deck of a boat to deter pirates