The bites in the middle of the night, the constant fear that something is going to get you while you sleep--bed bugs are no joke. If you discover that you have managed to carry a few of these bugs home with you and they have set up shop in your mattress, you may be willing to try many things to get rid of the problem. The Internet is full of misleading information when it comes to bed bugs, so you do have to be careful with the home remedies you try. Here are a few of the most common remedies for bed bugs you should avoid.

Remedy: Turning up the heaters to get your home a higher temperature than normal.

It is true that heat treatment can work to eliminate bed bugs, but heat treatment is not something you can safely do on your own. In order to effectively kill bed bugs and their eggs with heat, you have to reach a temperature of 113 degrees and stay at that consistent temperature for at least an hour and a half. Not only is this practically impossible with regular heaters, it can be dangerous to try as well, putting your home at risk for a fire.

Remedy: Using rubbing alcohol as an inexpensive bed bug killing spray.

Rubbing alcohol is praised in a lot of places online by people who claim that a few bottles is all you need to rid yourself of a bed bug problem. While the plain old rubbing alcohol you can get at just about any retail or drug store can kill bed bugs, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to eradicate the problem using alcohol alone. In fact, one study revealed that alcohol was only effective at killing about half of the bugs it came in contact with.

Remedy: Using mothballs to drive away bed bugs.

For years, mothballs have been used to keep all kinds of pests at bay, from the moths that like to hang out in closets to other creepy crawlies that just are not welcome in the home. However, mothballs will do little to deter bed bugs in the house, no matter how much of the things you have hanging around. Even though bed bugs may not enjoy the smell, they can withstand it better than many types of insects and will most likely not be put off by mothballs in your mattress, closet, or otherwise. The best way to ensure they're all gone is to use a pest control service such as Emory Brantley & Sons Termite and Pest Control.