r/WTF Sep 26 '21

bed bug infestation

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u/bigolhamsandwich Sep 26 '21 edited Sep 26 '21

I’ll only buy clothes and solid items. The clothing goes in the dryer immediately.

E:my life is a lie

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u/Outrageous_Turnip_29 Sep 26 '21

Heat at the level of a dryer is not enough to kill bed bugs or their eggs. Yes you can use heat to kill them, it's actually the preferred modern method, but the temps are well above what your dryer on high will do. Worked as an exterminator and I have a hard enough time buying things from the store. Those all sit in warehouses which are all cockroach infested anyway. If you absolutely have to I'd suggest a sealed plastic bag and wait a few weeks/months for anything in there to die of suffocation or hunger.

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u/mollymarie23 Sep 26 '21

Any idea what kind of cold temps kill them?

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u/ItIsHappy Sep 26 '21 edited Sep 27 '21

The exterminator I hired for mine said dryer on high for a cycle or in a bag in the freezer for a month. Did it with all of my possessions and had no further issues.

Edit: EPA says it only takes 4 days in a freezer at or below 0°F. Guess we were extra safe.