Out of all the nasty bugs that creep us out, the bedbugs are most likely the worst. Getting rid of them is anything but easy and they can enter our home without much hassle. Their appeal for human blood makes them a health risk that needs to be dealt with. A new study shows that the most common ways to handle these intruders, bug bombs and foggers, are ineffective against bedbugs.

So, as it turns out, getting rid of bedbugs is even more difficult than imagined. A new study, published in the “Journal of Economic Entomology”, researchers announced that bug bombs and foggers are ineffective against the pesky bedbugs. According to their conclusions, these by now conventional methods to fight against bedbugs simply don’t work against the ongoing “invasion”.

Susan Jones, lead author of the study and urban entomologist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, explained: “There has always been this perception and feedback from the pest-management industry that over-the-counter foggers are not effective against bedbugs and might make matters worse”.

So, the researchers put at work three different bug bombs or foggers: Hot Shot, Spectracide and Eliminator. Five different bedbug populations were impacted, but there were very little to none results. Researchers believe that foggers are ineffective against bedbugs because they “don’t penetrate in cracks and crevices where most bed bugs are hiding, so most of them survive”.

From what Susan Jones is saying, on your own you’re not going to have much success in getting rid of the bedbugs. “Bed bugs are among the most difficult and expensive urban pests to control” said Jones. “It typically takes a professional to do it right. Also, the ineffective use of these products can lead to further resistance in insects”. The CDC has a similar take, saying you’d be better off leaving it to the pros.

WebMD writes that bedbug infestations usually occur while you’re traveling or spending time in hospitals. The pesky parasites have a taste for human blood, but they can survive months at a time without feeding. Although the bedbugs aren’t known to carry diseases, some people are highly allergic to their bites. In some rare cases people have died because the bite had triggered anaphylaxis.