Resistance to pesticides has increased significantly over time, and there are concerns about harm to health from their use.Once established, bed bugs are extremely difficult to get rid of. Bed bugs are particularly difficult to eradicate in apartment complexes as harbors can exist in other areas of the building when single units are treated.Mechanical approaches, such as vacuuming up the insects and heat-treating or wrapping mattresses, are effective. An hour at a temperature of 45 °C (113 °F) or over, or two hours at less than −17 °C (1 °F) kills them. This may include a domestic clothes drier for fabric or a commercial steamer. Bed bugs and their eggs will die on contact when exposed to surface temperatures above 180 °F (82 °C) and a steamer can reach well above 230 °F (110 °C). A study found 100% mortality rates for bed bugs exposed to temperatures greater than 50 °C (122 °F) for more than 2 minutes. The study recommended maintaining temperatures of above 48 °C (118 °F) for more than 20 min to effectively kill all life stages of bed bugs, and because in practice treatment times of 6 to 8 hours are used to account for cracks and indoor clutter. This method is expensive and has caused fires. Starving bedbugs is not effective, as they can survive without eating for 100 to 300 days, depending on temperature.It was stated in 2012 that no truly effective insecticides were available. Insecticides that have historically been found effective include pyrethroids, dichlorvos, and malathion.
References
External links

Bed bug on the University of Florida/IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
National Geographic segment on Bed bugs on YouTube
Bed bugs – University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital Department of Medical Entomology
Understanding and Controlling Bed Bugs – National Pesticide Information Center
CISR: Center for Invasive Species Research More information on Bed Bugs, with many photos and video
EPA bedbugs information page
A Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bugs in Australia, ICPMR & AEPMA, Sydney Australia, September 2011. ISBN 1-74080-135-0. "Bed Bug Home Page". Bedbug.org.au. 14 October 2005. Retrieved 11 November 2013.