Can I control bedbugs myself? The honest answer
Let me be straightforward: in 95% of cases, you cannot effectively control bedbugs yourself. I know you don't want to hear that. I get that you want to try before spending hundreds of dollars on a professional. But I see people every week who have spent months doing it themselves and only made the situation worse.
Why Are Bed Bugs So Difficult to Control Yourself?
Bed bugs are not just any pests. They are evolutionarily perfectly adapted to survive. Why do they often fail themselves?
They hide perfectly: Bedbugs live in the tiniest of cracks - crevices 1 millimetre wide. With your eye, you miss 80% of their hiding places. If you miss one spot, the infestation starts again.
Resistance to agents: Supermarket sprays don't work. Really don't. Bedbugs have built up resistance to most over-the-counter remedies. I see it every week: customers who have spent 200 euros on remedies that have zero effect.
They can go months without eating: Think you will starve them out by sleeping somewhere else? Forget it. Bedbugs can survive 6-12 months without a blood meal. They are just waiting for you to come back.
Quick reproduction: A female lays 200-500 eggs. If you kill 99% but miss one pregnant female, the infestation starts again within weeks.
When Can You Try It Yourself?
There are only two situations where I say: okay, try it yourself first:
Situation 1: You have just travelled and suspect you might have brought something with you, but you don't see anything yet. Then you can preemptively treat your bags and wash your clothes.
Situation 2: You have found one bedbug, no further signs, and you suspect it is a stray that has just come in.
But as soon as you see multiple bedbugs, have bites, or find spores? Call a professional. Don't wait. The longer you wait, the bigger (and more expensive) the problem becomes.
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DIY methods that DO work (with caveats)
OK, you want to try anyway. Or you want to wait for the professional to come and do something in advance. Here are the methods that some effectiveness have - but note the side notes.
Heat: Your Best Self-Option
Heat is the most effective DIY remedy against bedbugs. At 50+ degrees, all life stages die within a few hours. But it has to be done properly:
Washing and drying: Wash all your bedding, clothes and textiles at a minimum of 60 degrees. Then tumble dry at maximum (30-60 minutes). Note: washing alone is not enough - the dryer is most important. Stuff that can't be washed? Straight into the dryer on high.
Steam cleaner: You can use a professional steam cleaner (80+ degrees) on mattresses, furniture and cracks. But beware: you have to treat EVERY spot. And bedbugs can be deep inside a mattress where the steam won't reach. This is a supplement, not a complete solution.
Side note: Heat only works on what you treat. Bedbugs in walls, behind skirting boards, in sockets - you won't reach them. Therefore, when there is a real infestation, this is insufficient.
Cold: If you have time
Cold also works, but you need EXTREME cold and time. Bedbugs die at -18 degrees or colder, but it takes at least 4 days.
Use the freezer: Put small items in plastic bags in your freezer (at least 4 days at -18 degrees or colder). Check the temperature of your freezer - not all freezers achieve this.
Side note: This only works for small items. You can't put your mattress in the freezer. And putting it outside in the middle of winter does not work - temperatures are not constant enough.
Vacuuming: Helpful, Not Sufficient
Vacuuming helps to physically remove bedbugs, but does not solve the problem. What works:
Vacuum daily your mattress (all seams, folds, bottom), the bed frame and floor around it, skirting boards and cracks in the wall, and behind furniture. Use the narrow nozzle for crevices. After vacuuming: remove the bag/basket directly from the hoover, put it in a plastic bag, seal well and throw away outside.
Side note: You suck only what you see. Eggs often stay in place (they are very firmly stuck). You don't reach bedbugs deep in cracks. This is symptom control, not a solution.
Mattress cover: for insulation
A bed bug-free mattress cover does not solve the problem, but it does insulate. What it does: bed bugs in your mattress can no longer get out to bite you. They die in the cover within 12-18 months.
Side note: This only works for bedbugs IN the mattress. Bed bugs in the bed frame, headboard, walls, etc can still bite you. And waiting 12-18 months is a long time.
This does NOT work (put money into it)
This sometimes makes me frustrated. Because there are so many remedies and methods on the market that just don't work, but cost a lot of money. Learn from my customers' mistakes:
Supermarket Sprays and Agents
That €15 spray at Praxis or Gamma? A waste of money. I have NEVER seen effective control with over-the-counter remedies. Why don't they work?
Bed bugs have built up resistance to the active ingredients that can be sold freely. The agents may kill a few bedbugs you hit directly, but the rest survive. Worse, some sprays ‘spread’ the problem - bedbugs flee to other parts of your home.
I regularly see clients who have spent 200-300 euros on these resources. All for nothing. That money would have been better spent on a professional.
Kieselguhr and Earth powder
On the internet, you read a lot about diatomaceous earth (diatomaceous earth). Yes, it works - on paper. It dries out bedbugs. But in practice? Forget it.
Why doesn't it work well enough? Bedbugs avoid the powder (they are not stupid). You have to apply it OVERALL - a little here and there does not help. It takes weeks to months for it to take effect. Meanwhile, bedbugs keep biting you.
Can it help complement professional combat? Perhaps. As the only method? No.
Essential Oils and Natural Remedies
Lavender, tea tree oil, peppermint - I hear it often. Sorry to destroy your illusion, but this does not work. Zero effect.
Maybe it keeps one bedbug at bay for a while. But it doesn't kill them. And they get used to it. It's like trying to scare away mice with a nice smell - just doesn't work.
Bombs and Foggers
Those smoke bombs that fill your whole room with insecticide? Sounds good, doesn't work. Why? The smoke does not reach the cracks where bedbugs hide. Bedbugs are deeply hidden - they don't come into contact with the smoke. Worse: the smoke causes bedbugs to flee deeper or to other rooms.
I have seen clients who have ‘bombed’ their entire house. Result? Headaches from the fumes, a foul smell, and bedbugs that are still there.
Sitting out / Sleeping somewhere else
Some people think, “I'll sleep somewhere else for a few weeks, then starve them.” No. Bedbugs can go 6-12 months without eating. They just wait for you to come back. Worse: sometimes they follow you to your new sleeping place (if it is in the same house).
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When do you MUST call a professional?
Okay, I've given you the DIY options. Now for the most important advice: When should you stop and call a professional? Because timing is crucial with bedbugs.
Call A Professional Directly If...
You found more than 3-4 bedbugs. Then it is not a stray, but an incipient infestation. You have bites for several days in a row. Then there are enough bedbugs to bite you regularly. You see spores (black dots, blood spots, shedding skin). This means there has been a population for some time.
You have seen bedbugs in several rooms. Then the problem is bigger than you think. You've tried to solve it yourself but still have problems after 2 weeks. Don't wait any longer - it will only get worse. You live in a flat and neighbours have (or had) bedbugs. Chances are the building has a bigger problem.
Why Calling Early Saves Money
I get it - a professional fight costs money. But if you wait too long, it costs much MORE money. Why?
I treat a small infestation (10-50 bedbugs) in 1-2 sessions. Cost: €400-600. A medium-sized infestation (100-500 bedbugs) requires 2-3 treatments and more preparation. Cost: €800-1200. A large infestation (1000+ bedbugs, spread throughout the house) requires heat treatment or very intensive chemical control. Cost: €1500-3000.
See it? The earlier you call, the cheaper. Plus: the shorter you suffer. Every week of delay means a week of bad sleep, stress and itching.
What a Good Professional Does (And You Can't)
Why is a professional more effective? Let me explain what I do that you can't:
Professional insecticides: I have access to resources that are 10x stronger than what you can buy. And I know exactly which ones to use where.
Specialist equipment: Heat treatment equipment, professional atomisers, steam cleaners that reach 100+ degrees, UV lamps to find eggs.
Knowledge and experience: I know ALL the hiding places. After 20 years, I can see in 5 minutes what you can't find in hours. I know which treatment suits which situation. Chemical? Heat? Combination? Every house is different.
Warranty and follow-up: After my treatment, I will come back for check-ups. Do they come back? Then I treat again, free of charge. You don't have that security at DIY.
Frequently asked questions about Bedbug self-fighting
I often get these questions from people who want to try it themselves. Want to know more? Feel free to call me for honest advice.
No, unfortunately not effective. Those 10-20 euro sprays at the Praxis or Gamma might kill a few bedbugs you hit directly, but won't solve the problem. Why not? Bedbugs have built up resistance to the active ingredients that can be sold freely. The agents are too weak to kill eggs. You do not reach all hiding places where bedbugs are. Some sprays actually make things worse - bedbugs flee to other parts of your home. I regularly see customers who have spent 200-300 euros on these remedies. All for nothing. Save yourself the money and the frustration.
For textiles: yes, the dryer works well! 30-60 minutes on the highest setting kills all life stages of bedbugs. This is one of the few DIY methods that is really effective. But note: this only works for what you can do IN the dryer. Your mattress, furniture, bed frame - you can't put those in the dryer. Bedbugs in walls, behind skirting boards, in electrical sockets won't reach you. So yes, dry all your textiles. But no, this does not completely solve a bedbug infestation. It is an important part of control, but not the only solution.
My advice: if you still have bites or see bedbugs after 2 weeks, your DIY approach is not working. Stop it and call a professional. Why 2 weeks? Eggs hatch after 6-10 days. If you have killed all adult bedbugs but missed eggs, you will see new nymphs after 2 weeks. If you still have problems then, you know your approach is not complete enough. Waiting every week longer means a bigger infestation and higher costs in the end. With bedbugs, speed is crucial.
As the ONLY method? No. As a tool? Yes, handy. Bed bug traps (interceptors) are trays that you put under your bed legs. Bedbugs that climb to your bed will fall in and can't get out. Why they are useful: they show OR you have bedbugs (monitoring), they catch some bedbugs but not all of them, they give you peace of mind. But they don't solve the problem. Bedbugs can also climb to your bed via the wall. And bedbugs that are already IN your mattress or bed will not catch them. Use them as part of a bigger approach, not as the only solution.
Call immediately if: you have found more than 3-4 bedbugs (not a stray but an infestation), you have bites for several days (that's when enough bedbugs are active), you see traces such as black dots, blood spots or shedding skins, you see bedbugs in several rooms (problem is bigger than you think), you have tried for 2 weeks by yourself but can't manage, you live in a flat where neighbours have or had bedbugs. Why not wait longer? The bigger the infestation, the more expensive the control. A small infestation costs €400-600. A large infestation 1500-3000 euros. Plus: every week longer means a week of bad sleep and stress. When in doubt: call. I give free advice.
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