Nobody is happy to learn that their home has become infested with insect pests, and this is particularly true when it comes to dreaded bed bug infestations. When bed bugs first emerged after their 50 year absence from homes in the US, pest control professionals were ill-equipped to eradicate the bloodsucking pests. Luckily, the advent of heat treatments, desiccants, and other extermination methods allow modern pest control professionals to reliably control bed bug pests. However, many homeowners assume that these pests remain just as difficult to eliminate from homes as they ever have been. Due to this common misconception, it is not uncommon for homeowners to resort to do-it-yourself bed bug eradication tactics after learning that their property has become infested. Unfortunately, of the more than 300 bed bug eradication methods approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, very few are available to consumers who lack a license to handle insecticides and operate bed bug eradication devices. Because of this, many homeowners attempt to eradicate bed bug infestations on their own with wildly unsuccessful results.

With or without realizing it, many homeowners adopt bed bug control methods that are technically illegal and/or dangerous. For example, the use of illegal forms of diatomaceous earth among homeowners has been well documented, and some residents have been so bold as to gain access to and use insecticides that require a license to handle. Many forms of diatomaceous earth, which are dust desiccants, are not approved by the EPA, and therefore, are illegal to use even by pest control professionals, let alone unlicensed consumers. Diatomaceous earth, boric acid and other dessicates are applied as a powder to cracks, crevices and other tiny indoor harborages where bed bugs commonly hide. This can be dangerous, as legal diatomaceous earth has been formulated to prevent its inhalation by humans, while all other forms of the dust are labeled as carcinogens that are believed to contribute to lung cancer. Many homeowners have even applied rubbing alcohol to bed bug-infested mattresses and furniture, which has led to house fires. While bed bugs are highly unlikely to be eliminated from homes without professional intervention, those who insist on DYI treatments should refer to the EPA website’s list of bed bug treatments that are approved for consumer use.

Have you ever attempted a DYI bed bug eradication tactic?

While bed bug infestations only started to reemerge a couple of decades ago, most people have now accepted the insects as an ineradicable source of human suffering on this planet. The bugs were largely absent from homes and buildings for nearly a half century, but each year sees a significant increase in infestations all over the United States, and this is especially true within New Orleans. The city saw an 89 percent increase in bed bug infestations within homes between 2008 and 2009.

New Orleans usually makes the top 50 list of various professionally compiled lists of the most bed bug-infested cities in the country. Pest control professionals are reporting a massive increase in annual bed bug infestation rates in areas where people share close living quarters, such as hotels, apartments and condos. In fact, one local pest controller claims that New Orleans is seeing a particularly significant increase in annual bed bug infestations due to the dense clusters of both apartments and businesses where human traffic is abundant and never ceases. The city is also a major transportation hub that receives large amounts of tourists from all over the world, and this explains why the bloodsucking insects are becoming a serious problem within the city’s hotels.

Not long ago, Mavis Early, the executive director of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association claimed that her organization is working closely with the health department and local hospitals in an effort to reduce the rate of infestations occuring in the city. She also claimed that it is now customary to issue all hotels and even small motels with bed bug-education DVDs as required viewing for hospitality employees. Luckily, New Orleans is not seeing bed bug infestation rates as high as those in New York City, Boston and Los Angeles, but experts are pessimistic about the possibility of seeing a decrease in local bed bug infestation rates.

Have you ever encountered a bed bug, or several, within a business?