In an age of home remedies and DIY hacks, bed bugs get just as much attention as any other problem that people want a quick fix for. One of the simplest proposed solutions that you might have seen mentioned online is using dryer sheets to treat bed bugs. Simply put, this is not an effective method.

The method you might see says that you should place dryer sheets under your mattress, in drawers, or underneath sofa cushions, pretty much everywhere that you might think a bed bug might try to live. The hope is that this will drive away the bed bugs and ultimately get rid of your problem. Unfortunately, this is a myth and isn’t backed by any scientific findings: There’s no proof that dryer sheets will kill or even repel bed bugs.

Mothballs have a deep history of being used for pest management and prevention. As their name suggests, they are widely used to prevent damage from moths such as clothes moths. They are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant, which people have also claimed to help with snakes, bats, rodents, silverfish, and bed bugs.

Many of these claims fall into the category of myth or old wives tale because mothballs have not been able to effectively treat much beyond moths and some mold due to their composition.

Dealing with bed bugs is extremely frustrating and although drastic times lead to drastic measures, you should not try and kill bed bugs with boiling water. This is one method you may have heard of because a bed bug cannot survive boiling water being poured on it, however, it will not address your situation.

The myth goes, that by pouring boiling water on your affected mattress, you’ll get rid of your bed bug problem. Although this method may seem logical, it is not effective for treating a bed bug infestation. The water may kill some of the bed bugs, but you’ll miss the bed bugs tucked away in other areas of the room. Since bed bugs are masters at hiding, you won’t be able to reach all of them in an affected area with boiling water.

Though pesticides are a common application, other treatments use a similar method. Diatomaceous Earth is one substance that’s chalk-like in texture and known to kill bed bugs. Comparably, baking soda is another powder that has been credited with bed bug removal. These powders both work by dehydrating the bed bugs as they walk around.

A mattress encasement is essentially a plastic bag that that wraps around your bed and seals it off from its surrounding environment. It curtails the spread of bed bugs by suffocating the ones that live directly on your bed. Additionally, they can be used as a line of defense to prevent bed bugs from making your bed their home. Even more, mattress encasements can often be fire retardant and antimicrobial. Because they can be helpful, we recommend using a mattress encasement in most situations if you think you are at risk for bed bugs.

A common method for getting rid of any pest is the use of chemicals to kill them. Many people don’t realize that chemical treatments are poisonous and considered very dangerous to human and environmental health. Organizations like the Center for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency recognize the dangers of pesticide use and recommend alternative treatments whenever possible. You should speak to a professional before treating with chemicals because there are safer treatment methods. Here are several details you need to consider:

• You shouldn’t use outdoor pesticides in your home, and you must strictly follow product recommendations. More isn’t always better, and if you use more than recommended it could make your family very ill.

When you wash your bedding regularly you’re working to prevent a host of issues, and bed bugs are one of them. However, no matter how clean you keep your bed if you travel, you risk bringing back bed bugs from a hotel room. Don’t let this keep you from traveling and staying in hotel rooms because you can protect yourself from hotel bed bugs by using these tips:

• Inspect your hotel room prior to unpacking by looking for bed bug castaway shells or little dark stains which could be the sign of an infestation.