A successful DIY approach is sealing up cracks and crevices. Use caulk to fill small holes and gaps in walls, baseboards, and furniture. This cuts off their hiding places. In one story, a person did this along with regular vacuuming and they were able to get rid of bed bugs in a few months. They also placed double - sided tape around the bed legs to catch any bugs trying to climb up.
The fact that they are so hard to get rid of. You might think you've eliminated them, but they can come back and infest your place again. They hide in small crevices and multiply quickly, which is really scary.
It could be a personal preference or a specific reaction related to a particular event in the story. Maybe the character had a bad experience associated with the smell.
In some cases, using natural predators has been a success story. For example, certain species of mites can prey on bed bugs. In a small - scale experiment in a research facility, introducing these mites into an area with bed bugs led to a significant reduction in the bed bug population.
One success story involved using diatomaceous earth. Sprinkle it around the bed frame, along baseboards, and in corners where bed bugs might hide. The sharp particles cut the exoskeleton of the bugs, dehydrating them. Another person had success with heat treatment. They washed all bedding in hot water and dried on high heat, then used a space heater to raise the temperature in the infested room to a level that kills bed bugs.
Once, a family went on a vacation. When they came back, their beds were infested with bed bugs. They woke up every night with itchy bites all over their bodies. It was a nightmare as they tried everything to get rid of them, but the bugs seemed to multiply endlessly.
One way to handle it is to seal the affected books and comics in plastic bags and put them in a freezer for a few days. This can kill the bed bugs. Also, regularly vacuuming the storage area can help prevent infestations.