Are Bug Bombs the Best Way to Kill Bed Bugs?

No!! Don’t do it! When people find bed bugs, they usually try to kill them the same way they might kill another bug.  But do bug bombs work? Unfortunately, they don’t.  Most of the products you can get from Home Depot or Wal-Mart don’t really work on bed bugs.  Bed bugs are not like other bugs, they much harder to kill.  

Bed Bugs Don’t Groom Themselves

Most bugs lick their legs and appendages to clean themselves, and if they have walked through bug poison, they will ingest the product and it will kill them. But, bed bugs don’t groom themselves, so if they walk through poison they will not ingest it and it won’t kill them. Also, their eggs are like evil protective cocoons, so even if they get soaked in chemical, it will not kill the bed bug inside.  (I told you they were evil!)

 Bug Bomb Poison Is Not Formulated With a Residual for Killing Bed Bugs

A lot of products can kill a bug (including a shoe or a rock!) but it has to be applied directly.  Water mixed with a bit of Dawn dish soap, sprayed directly on them, will kill bed bugs. You can spray essential oils directly on them and they will die.  But honestly, if you got sprayed with enough essential oils, you’d probably die too! However, most chemicals won’t be sprayed directly on a bug.  You want a product that keeps working even after it has dried. And bug bombs don’t do that. They will only kill a bed bug on contact, and since the bugs are hiding in cracks and crevices, it won’t really hurt them. 

Must Read our Blog About: 4 Simple Steps to Bed Bug Eradication

Why Repellent Bug Bombs Make Bed Bug Infestations WorseBug Bombs Often Have Repellents in Them, Which Actually Makes Them the Worst Option!

People want bugs to disappear after using a chemical product.  So, to make people feel they work better than they do, manufacturers add a bug repellant to their bug bombs.  When you set off the bug bomb, the bugs either get killed or the repellant causes them to leave the area.  For a while, it will seem like it worked.  But, once the repellant wears off the bed bugs come back.  And, to add insult to injury, you have just forced them to move to a new area, like your son’s room or your living room couch. Now you’ve made your bed bug problem worse, not better, and it will be more expensive and harder to treat. 

So What Should I Do to Kill Them?!

What should you do when you find bed bugs? Call an expert if you find bed bugs.  People waste literally millions of dollars every year on worthless and ineffective products and chemicals and trying other ways to kill bed bugs. Having bed bugs can be traumatic; don’t let someone take advantage of your fear or worry. Here at Rock Pest Control, we use heat to kill the bed bugs. We have found it to be the most effective way to treat. Even if you don’t use us to get rid of them, please don’t waste your money on bug bombs, Home Depot chemicals, or crazy electronic devices that do nothing. Call a professional, and you can be bed bug-free tomorrow.