What’s far worse than sleeping and having that nightmare of falling into a bottomless pit?
The answer may be a lot of things, but one of the top real-life nightmares on our list is waking up to little insects crawling around your bed and leaving red itchy bites all over your body. Yep, we’re talking about gross, little bed bugs!
Even though bed bugs technically do not spread diseases, if you have an infestation you know how disgusting it feels to be violated by unwanted visitors feeding on you while you sleep.
Getting rid of bed bugs is no easy feat, but you can do it! Just avoid the following mistakes when trying to evict those creepy crawlies.
1. Don’t Panic!
It’s true: Blood-sucking creatures are disturbing and frightening no matter what form they take. However, keep a calm and clear mind. This will help you to make a concrete plan of attack without going into full-blown reactionary mode.
Stay focused on getting rid of the bed bugs first. You can have your freak-out moment after they are gone.
Concentrating on the task at hand in a calm, collected manner will help you avoid any of the mistakes outlined below.
2. Don’t Sleep in a Different Area
The first thing most people do when they discover bed bugs is move to another spot in the house. Pro-tip. Don’t move your sleeping quarters.
It’s understandable to want to get a good night’s sleep without unwanted bedfellows. However, bed bugs are remarkably resilient. They’re fast travelers, too.
In fact, they can travel a meter a minute. They move quickly across your clothes (without you noticing). For this reason, it’s easy for them to infest your couch and other furniture.
Above all, don’t leave your home. If you try to get away from these pests by staying at a friend’s or family member’s home, you could spread the bed bug infestation to their residence, too. Don’t become a pesky guest!
3. Don’t Forget Bed Bugs Can Live Anywhere
Despite the name, bed bugs aren’t limited to inhabiting your sleeping space. They can also be found in a variety of dark, small spaces in your house.
As long as they are 10 to 20 feet away from a food source, they can hang out in some of these shocking places:
- Behind picture frames
- Near electrical outlets
- In nightstand drawers
- And even in stacks of paper
So if you suspect bed bugs are in your house, take a look thoroughly in every nook and cranny. They’re most likely somewhere in your bedroom, so concentrate on that room first.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Notify Your Landlord
If you are a renter, it is crucial that you notify your landlord as soon as you suspect a bed bug infestation in your apartment.
Bed bugs are extremely difficult to track. Therefore, they may have migrated to your apartment from a neighbor, and the sooner the landlord can get a full picture of the infestation, the sooner it can be handled completely.
By staying quiet about what seems like a personal problem, you can cause the entire building to be overrun by bed bugs. That’s one nightmare you don’t want to be responsible for!
Also, keep in mind that your landlord may be able to pay for getting rid of bed bugs. Depending on the terms of your lease agreement, your landlord can pay for a pest control operator to do a professional extermination.
5. Don’t Neglect The Vacuum Cleaner Bag
One of the most popular methods of getting rid of bed bugs is to vacuum every inch of your bed and surrounding furniture. The goal is to suck up all the bed bugs, their eggs, and any litter that has been left behind.
However, the mistake you can’t afford to make is not disposing of the bag entirely.
Vacuuming helps, but it does nothing to kill the persistent little critters, and if you don’t securely tie the bag and properly dispose of it, the bugs can escape and infest someone else’s home.
6. Don’t Cover Yourself In Nasty Bug Spray
You might think that if bed bugs are attracted to the smell of your blood, the best solution is to smother your skin in insect repellant. This well-intended idea only causes you more of a hassle, though. Unfortunately, most insect repellents that are marketed as skin safe are meant for mosquitoes, not bed bugs. Also, most of those sprays only last a couple of hours. Simply put, they don’t have any effect on bed bugs.
Moreover, by the time bed bugs come out of hiding in the pre-dawn hours, most of the repellant will rub off onto your bed. This leaves you with sticky, smelly, bug-infested sheets, and skin as bare and available to hungry bed bugs as before.
7. Don’t Forget to Inspect All Pesticide Labels
By default, pesticides are chock-full of toxic chemicals. After all, only strong chemicals can possibly exterminate unwanted bed bugs.
When choosing a pesticide to kill off bed bugs, be sure to check if it’s safe to use in your home. The label will clearly state if this is the case.
By law, all pesticides must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency. That being said, it’s still a good idea to not use them near other humans and pets.
In addition, some pesticides are only meant to be used outdoors. Using outdoor pesticides in an unventilated space could make you, your family, and pets extremely ill.
8. Don’t Avoid Help In Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs
Sometimes, even if you follow all the recommendations and avoid every mistake to the tee, you may still have bed bugs. It’s not your fault. Getting rid of bed bugs is best left to the professionals at that point.
Professional exterminators have years of experience dealing with infestations. In most cases, no problem is too big to manage.
Some professionals use an integrated heat treatment process to get rid of all your bed bugs in one session. Heat treatment is by far the most efficient and quickest method of getting rid of bed bugs.
Ready To Call For Help?
At Custom Bed Bug, getting rid of bed bugs is our specialty. From thermal heat treatments to canine inspections, we do everything to ensure that bed bugs in your home are not a recurring issue.
So what are you waiting for? Contact us today to get rid of those creepy crawlies as soon as possible.
