Three sources, one answer
- NPIC (Oregon State): “Bug bombs (foggers) don’t work for bed bugs.” And: “These days, many bed bugs are resistant to common pesticides.”
- OSU Extension: “Eradication by homeowners is rarely successful because effective products are not available for purchase and effective methods can only be performed by a professional.”
- Oregon Health Authority: recommends a professional experienced in integrated pest management, and if you have already used pesticides and feel unwell, “Call the Oregon Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.”
Why foggers make it worse
A fogger fills the air. Bed bugs live in seams, voids and cracks the fog never reaches, and the repellent effect drives them deeper and sideways — into the next room and, in an apartment, the next unit. In a licensed Salem multifamily building that is also a code problem for the owner.
What you can do yourself
- Dry bedding and clothing on high for 30 minutes (NPIC)
- Encase the mattress and box spring — NPIC: if only one encasement is affordable, “the box spring should be encased first”
- Reduce clutter near the bed; vacuum seams and bag the contents
- Freeze bagged items for several days (NPIC) — OSU says seven to ten for luggage
Those steps shrink the population and protect you. They do not end an infestation. The treatment does.
Figures cited: Pacific Northwest Extension PNW 757 (Gouge & Stock, 2021,
Oregon State University co-publisher); OSU Extension “Bed Bugs, Cimex lectularius” (2013);
National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State (updated April 2026); Oregon Health Authority
“About Bed Bugs”; Kells & Goblirsch, Insects 2(3):412–422 (2011). Not
medical advice.