Bed Bugs
Control Strategy
Bed bugs have evolved to become really resistant to the pyrethroid and neonicotinoid classes of chemicals, which is what most synthetic sprays on the consumer market contain. Maggie’s Farm Bed Bug Killer dust is one of the best products available to control bed bugs. It is a desiccant dust that has no odor and will not stain, and it provides fast control (killing spray-resistant bed bugs too). When bed bugs come in contact with our Bed Bug Killer dust, the product clings to their exoskeletons and absorbs the waxy coating, causing them death by dehydration. Death usually occurs 12-24 hours after they contact the dust. Bed Bug Killer dust will provide very long lasting protection of living areas, assuming it isn’t removed.
It is important to follow the label directions carefully when applying Bed Bug Killer to make sure you are putting the dust in the right places. A little bed bug dust goes a long way! Because heat will kill them, run anything you can through the dryer for 20 minutes (i.e. sheets, mattress covers, stuffed animals, clothes, etc.) When applying the dust, the key to getting good control is to be extremely thorough because bed bugs can hide in virtually any tiny crack in furniture, bedding, pictures, carpet, drapes, baseboards, electronics, etc. The list goes on.
Maggie’s Farm Ant & Roach Killer aerosol can also be used as a quick-acting direct spray killer for bed bugs. Again, thoroughness of the application is the key. Just read and follow the label directions. Ant & Roach Killer has the scent of the natural plant oils that are the active ingredients (cinnamon, thyme, rosemary), so make sure you are okay with this scent before spraying a lot of it in your sleeping area.
If you have an active infestation that is established in your home, you should consider calling a professional pest control company.
Click here to download a more comprehensive dust application instruction sheet.
Bed Bug Facts:
- Bed bugs have made a major comeback in the last 10 to 15 years after being virtually extinct in the US since the 1950’s.
- Their preferred food is human blood, but they will feed on bats and poultry.
- The females lay tiny eggs in any crack or crevice near a host. After the eggs hatch, the nymphs go through five molts to become an adult. Each molt requires a blood meal.
- Bed bugs can last for several months without a blood meal if they need to.
- There’s a wide variation in how different people react to bites, from virtually no reaction to pretty extreme.
- If you haven’t been bitten before, it isn’t uncommon for it to take a few days before a reaction appears, but for later bites, the reaction will normally be immediate.