### Home Remedies and Treatments for Bed Bug Infestations Bed bugs are small, brown, oval insects that prefer to live in your mattress or near where you sleep. They are nocturnal and feed on blood, coming out at night to bite you. Bed bug bites are itchy and uncomfortable, and bed bugs themselves may spread disease. Here are some home remedies and treatments to help get rid of bed bugs and speed up your recovery from bites: #### 1. Wrap Your Mattress and Box Spring Bed bugs often hide in the cracks and crevices of your mattress and box spring. Using a mattress and box spring encasement can contain these bugs and prevent them from breeding or spreading. #### 2. Wash Your Bedding Weekly Bed bugs are vulnerable to water, soap, and extreme temperatures. Wash your bedding at least weekly and dry it on high heat to reduce bed bug populations. This will also destroy any eggs or bed bug nymphs that aren’t visible to the naked eye. #### 3. Steam Your Furniture Heat is effective for removing bed bugs from your furniture. Use a steamer to focus on the cracks, corners, and joints of your furniture. Ensure the steamer reaches at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. #### 4. Use Your Freezer For small items that cannot be washed, your freezer can help. Bed bugs are vulnerable to freezing temperatures. Leave these items in your freezer for a minimum of four days. #### 5. Install Bedbug Traps Bed bug traps can help monitor and reduce the number of bed bugs in your home. If your traps have bed bugs in them, then you’re not done removing them from your home. #### 6. Vacuum Frequently Vacuuming is important to get bed bugs out of difficult places, such as cracks in a bed frame or underneath the bed. Use a vacuum with a disposable bag to easily remove the bed bugs from your home. If you have an unidentified rash or experience symptoms other than itching and redness, contact your physician immediately. In rare cases, bed bug bites can lead to allergic reactions that include hives and blisters. Your physician can help treat these symptoms and may direct you towards local bed bug resources.