Bed bugs are epic travelers. They might be no bigger than one-quarter of an inch but they can travel over 100 feet in a single night. What gives them their name is that they tend to stay within 8 feet of a bed.
Finding you have bed bugs can be upsetting at first. Don’t worry. Read on for five pro tips for dealing with bed bugs.
Dealing With Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are extremely tough opponents. Not only are they resilient but they breed very quickly too. Acting to eradicate them is no simple matter.
Bed bugs are not just unpleasant bedfellows. They are harmful too. Several physical and mental health issues are associated with bed bugs.
Knowing how to kill bed bugs involves knowing how to spot bed bugs as well. While you can do some of this yourself, the most effective solution is to leave it to the professionals.
1. Diagnosis
Your suspicions about a bed bug infestation may be raised by some common signs. You may be able to see bed bugs. They’re tiny creatures and slightly red.
You may also detect their droppings. These appear as dark dots. They’re the same size as a printed period in a newspaper.
If the bed bugs have been squashed by your body movements in bed you may see stains on your bedding or mattress.
The yellow bed bug eggs are also tiny. You may see debris from the hatched eggs or even the yellow skins shed by the young bed bugs.
Bed bugs are difficult to detect as they hide in small crevices.
Check the seams in your mattress. Cracks in the frame of your bed, bedroom furniture, and baseboards are also favorite haunts. They can also find a home around the edges of wallpaper, in soft furnishings, and even in electrical outlets.
If you find what you think is a bed bug, capture it. You could show it to a professional bed bug exterminator for confirmation.
2. Containment
If you discover bed bugs you need to stop them from continuing to multiply until you can treat the infestation. Bed bug spread has to be prevented.
Reduce the numbers by vacuuming throughout your bedroom. Make sure you vacuum your mattress, carpets, furniture, and even electrical appliances like your TV.
Place the contents of your vacuum in a plastic bag and dispose of it safely, away from your home. Clean out your vacuum to remove any remaining bed bugs or eggs.
Wash all bed linen at the highest temperature you can and dry them in a tumble dryer. Heat kills the bed bugs and their eggs. Steam cleaning your carpets and bed.
Remove any other items including furniture and seal them in plastic. Don’t use them for several months as it can take up to five months for bed bugs to be eradicated this way.
3. Preparation
Preparing for treatment will help make the treatment more effective.
Remove any bed bug hiding places. This may be as simple as tidying up. Don’t move things from your bed bug-infested bedroom to another room. You’ll be spreading the infestation.
Seal up any gaps in baseboards or walls. Apply adhesive to any peeling wallpaper and move furniture away from the walls.
4. Treatment
If you have been thorough in your containment and preparation you are ready to treat the bed bugs.
There are two main approaches to killing bed bugs. These are insecticides or heat.
As a bed bug is an insect they can be killed using insecticides. There is a wide range of insecticides you can use.
These vary in effectiveness and risk to other wildlife and humans. Some bed bugs have developed resistance to certain insecticides so choosing the right chemical treatment may be difficult. Several treatments may be necessary.
Using insecticides is not generally advised for non-professionals.
In the same way that hot washing and drying in a tumble dryer kills bed bugs in your bedding, so heat can be used to treat the rest of your home. The equipment for doing this is specialized but very effective and only one treatment is needed.
This process eradicates bed bugs. It also destroys the eggs and the immature form of bed bug called a nymph. The heating equipment raises the ambient temperature above 120 degrees Fahrenheit which is lethal to the bed bugs.
Working with temperatures as high as this in your home takes special training and experience. It’s not for amateurs or even home improvement enthusiasts. Technicians have to complete months of training and qualify to use the equipment safely.
In a single day, your bed bugs can be destroyed and you can return to your home. There is no need for repeat treatments so long as the bed bugs don’t return.
5. Follow Up
Even if you have destroyed every bed bug and all their eggs, bed bugs from another source can return. It’s important to be vigilant.
Check for bed bugs regularly. Look out for the bugs, their eggs, and debris.
Fitting bed bug interceptors to each leg of your bed can also be helpful. These devices catch the bed bugs as they try to climb up the bed legs into the bed. Check the interceptors for any sign of re-infestation.
If you have a re-infestation you should try to find out where they are coming from. The source of the infestation may have to be treated too. You may need to treat your room again if there is a new infestation as a bed bug treatment is not a preventative.
Say Goodnight to the Bed Bugs
Dealing with bed bugs is a job for professionals. Take advice and have the bed bug infestation treated. Say goodnight to the bed bugs.
Talk to us about bed bugs today.
