What would you do if you woke up in the morning with bites all over your body and your home crawling with blood-sucking insects that you seemingly could not get rid of easily? Unfortunately, this is very much the case among unlucky tons of people whose homes suddenly become plagued with Bed Bugs every year. Believed to have been introduced to the continent by early European settlers, the common Bed Bug, also known as Cimex lectularius, is a tiny oval-shaped parasite that invades homes, reproduces, and feeds on the blood of its hosts (Criado et al. 74). These insects can cause quite a disturbance in homes and reported infestation cases of Bed Bugs have peaked in North American countries in the past few years due to insecticide resistance (74). Unfortunately, these infestations are so challenging to control that even for those who can afford the most efficient solution, the solution itself can still be dangerous and generally ineffective. However, new research is available on safer and more efficient alternative methods of prevention and treatment to the usual chemicals found in traditional treatments used to combat these pests.  

     Implementing broad preventative actions, such as educating the public about the issue, is a wise and worthwhile effort to stop Bed Bugs from infesting homes around the United States in the first place. As Professor Michael Potter, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky, says, “Prevention is one of the most important lessons to be learnt from the past, and it has been a consistent theme throughout the annals of bed bug treatment" ( Potter 15). Unfortunately, learning about Bed Bug prevention, detection, and management may appear inconvenient to some people. However, infestations are costly, time-consuming, and a general inconvenience. For this reason, it is beneficial to raise awareness about the issue, learn how to recognize and contain early infestations, and learn how to stay safe in areas that are prone to Bed Bugs. Recognizing and dealing with the problem as soon as it arises is necessary in order to prevent the infestation from spreading across the country.

     Catnip Oil is one of the newest methods recently investigated as an alternative to conventional chemical Bed Bug repellents. Essential oils derived from plants, such as lemongrass, tea tree, cloves, coconuts, and Nepeta cataria (Catnip), have been shown to be effective repellents against Bed Bug infestations (Shi et al.1). According to researchers' findings, these essential oils are even more effective than conventional chemicals in preventing Bed Bug infestations: "Results from this study suggest that catnip oil shows great potential as a repellent for protecting personal items"(Shi et al.3). Although this solution may be unwelcomed by people because there is no commercial repellent that uses essential oils to repel Bed Bugs, and due to convenience, people may prefer to continue using insecticide repellent (Shi et al. 4). Researchers also say the public may not want to use Catnip as a repellent for the strong odor it produces (Shi et al. 4). Recently, researchers conducted an experiment to compare the effectiveness of the chemical repellent N-Diethyl-3-methyl benzamide, more commonly referred to as DEET, and a repellent that contained a high concentration of essential Catnip oil (Shi et al.1). The results of the experiment demonstrated that the latter repellent was significantly more effective. According to the findings of certain studies, not only is using catnip oil a cost-effective technique for preventing Bed Bugs, but it is also less likely to cause allergic responses or skin irritation compared to using DEET (Shi et al. 3).      

     One of the most effective methods for combating an infestation of Bed Bugs is to subject infested areas to heat treatment. Dr. Dini Miller at the Virginia Tech Department of Entomology says the use of heat treatment is a tried-and-true strategy for controlling Bed Bugs that experts in the treatment of infestations utilize: "Heat treatment offers certain advantages when it comes to bed bug management"(Miller). However, given that heat treatment can be expensive and does not produce a long-lasting repellant effect, some individuals may opt for chemical insecticides as an alternative (Miller). Nevertheless, heat treatments are a risk-free, non-toxic alternative to pesticide treatments (Miller 1). Allergic responses and irritations are not an issue with heat treatments like they are with chemicals. In terms of cost, there are ways to achieve the same effect as professional heat treatments in a more cost-efficient way, such as using clothes dryers or iron, hair dryer, or space heater to treat infested items and areas to exterminate any population of Bed Bugs in the home completely (Fry and Gangloff-Kaufmann 24).

     Steam treatment is another risk-free method that can be used to treat Bed Bug infestations. The use of steam treatment to cure Bed Bug infestations in homes is an efficient and cost-effective method that eliminates the need for potentially harmful chemical treatments. According to Entomologists Stephen Doggett and Chow-Yang Lee, "Proper use of steamers can kill all life stages of bed bugs" (Doggett and Lee 170). Yet, considering the high cost of renting professional-grade steamers, some people may hesitate to use this method (Wang et al. 2). However, Bed Bug infestations are in fact, treatable by using low-cost conventional steamers available for purchase in stores (Wang et al.3). A different and low-cost but equally effective way to use steam treatment is to gather all of the infected items into one location and then construct a steam chamber out of common household items (Fry and Gangloff-Kaufmann 53).  In addition, steam is a preferable method for treating fabric materials because it can reach the creases and folds in which the insects may be hiding. Also, using steam allows one to avoid needing to saturate fabrics with chemicals that may cause irritation to the skin.

     Beg Bug populations can also be killed in a risk-free and uncomplicated manner by dehydration using Desiccant Dusts such as Silica Gel. As Matthew Frye and Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann from the New York State IPM Program say,“Based on their demonstrated safety, Desiccant Dusts have a broad application label and can be used in a variety of sites and locations" (Fry and Gangloff-Kaufmann 59). However, using Desiccant Dust can be time-consuming, which is one of the product's drawbacks. Nevertheless, considering the procedure's low cost and high level of efficacy, it is well worth one's time to use Desiccant Dusts.

     The Bed Bug infestation epidemic that once only affected certain places associated with the tourism industry now affects many places worldwide, from public areas to private family homes. In some countries, infestation percentage rates rose by thousands from 2000 to 2006 (Ashcroft et al.). With the new methods that are now available as opposed to traditional chemical pesticides, it can now be easier, safer, and more cost-effective to control and contain this epidemic.