Bed bugs are super smart bugs that are tough and reproduce fast. Just 5mm across, less than the size of a pencil eraser, each female can lay 500 eggs in their lifetime.
You only get wind of their presence when you start to find the telltale little red bites all over after sleeping. These little bloodsuckers know where to hide and how to evade eradication.
But, we have the secrets and the step-by-step guide to getting over bed bugs. Read on to learn more.
1. Find, Identify, and Quarantine All Infested Areas of Your Home
The easiest way to avoid a full-on scourge is to catch them early before they have a chance to lay eggs. Whenever you go on any trips or stay in a different place make sure you thoroughly inspect your luggage before bringing it back into the house.
Bed bugs can hide in tiny places so make sure you are putting your clothes from the hotel directly into the washing machine and wiping out your suitcase.
Here’s what to look for when trying to find out if you have bed bugs:
- Live bugs, reddish-brown in color and about the size of a pencil eraser
- Dark tiny dots on your bedding and mattress
- Red stains on your bedding from bugs that may have been crushed
- Small, light yellow eggs, shells, or small light yellow shed skins
If you believe you have found a bed bug, place it in a sealed jar. Then call Houseman Pest. We can take a look and confirm or deny if you in fact have bed bugs or another kind of infestation.
2. Containing the Infestation
Once you’ve confirmed the bed bugs are there now the real work begins. Your vacuum is extremely efficient at containing as many bugs as possible.
Go through your home and vacuum any suspected hiding spots. Make sure you hit all the mattresses in the house, the couches, dressers, electronics, and other places the bugs may be hiding.
Seal up the vacuum bag into another plastic bag, tie it tight, and throw it away. Then disinfect and clean out your vacuum.
Any bed sheets or other linens exposed to the bugs will need to be placed in tied plastic bags until they can be washed. Wash everything on the highest heat possible in both the washer and the dryer.
Anything that can’t go in the washing machine should be put in the dryer at high heat for around 30-40 minutes to kill any residual bugs.
If you have furniture pieces that cannot be cleaned you’ll need to get rid of them. Mark them for bed bugs so no one grabs the pieces off your curb.
3. Prep Your Home for Bed Bug Treatment
After you’ve taken care of all the fabrics in the home make sure you get rid of any other potential bed bug hideouts. They are particularly fond of books, magazines, piles of clothing, anything on your floor or around your bed.
Be careful not to take contaminated items into the clean rooms of your home or you can spread the infestation further. Seal up any potential hiding spots. Tape electrical outlets, move your bed away from the walls so desperate bed bugs can’t climb back on.
4. Let the Professionals Take Down Those Bugs
Now that you’ve finished preparing your home for the treatment let the professionals at Houseman Pest clear your home of bed bugs for good.
We will come in and make sure the bugs are eradicated. You’ll want to keep an eye on the situation over the coming months. You can place bedbug interceptors on the legs of the bed to check every seven days.
You’ll need to keep checking these for a full year after treatment to confirm the bugs have moved on completely.
Anyone Can Get Bed Bugs, Don’t Be Embarrassed, Get Help Right Away
The best way to stop bed bugs is to catch them early before the infestation gets too intense. At the first signs of a bed bug, you should be calling a professional.
If you catch the bugs before they begin to reproduce you won’t have to deal with such an ongoing process to get rid of them.
Think you may have a bed bug problem? Contact us today at Houseman Pest. We will be happy to come to take a look for you.