Since bed bugs hide and live in small and secluded places such as sheets and mattresses, in cracks and crevices, deep inside carpets, etc., a bug bomb (fogger) won't eliminate bed bugs. The bottom line is the aerosol mist from the fogger can't make its way into the cracks and crevices where the bed bugs live. Ohio State University conducted a study that found that foggers were ineffective for bed bug control. In the study, the researchers collected bed bugs from residents in Columbus, Ohio. They observed little to no adverse effects from the field-collected bed bugs within a 7-day period following 2-hour direct and in-direct exposure to three commonly sold OTC foggers.

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While the bug bombs have little effect on eliminating bed bugs, they can also spread bed bugs into other areas of your home, actually making the problem worse since they may now be in areas where they would not typically live. This is because bed bugs tend to cluster in small areas, and once the room is fogged, the bed bugs scatter. Once the pesticide settles into the room, bed bugs can sense the pesticide and will avoid those surfaces. If you live in an apartment building, using foggers may also spread the bed bugs into other apartments, in turn making the problem even worse.

​At best, fogging has dubious effectiveness on bed bugs as the pyrethroid chemicals do not kill most populations of bed bugs. In addition to this, foggers can be dangerous and harm you and your family if not used properly. If you or your landlord are considering hiring a pest control company to treat for bed bugs, ask them what their treatment plan is. If they say they are going to fog your home or apartment, do not hire them!

If you suspect bed bugs are living in your home, please give EcoShield a call or fill out the form on this page for a free no-obligation estimate.