Removing Bed Bugs In Your Home
Bed bugs are smart, tough, and they reproduce quickly. Finding these tiny bugs needs attention and dedication because they know where to hide to avoid detection. They can live for months between meals. These bloodsuckers can wreak havoc in your home. If they get into bed with you, they can leave red, itchy welts all over your body and give you discomfort. The good news is you can get rid of bed bugs; patience is key. Removing bed bugs often takes some time and effort. You may have to try a few different chemical and non-chemical approaches, especially to get rid of a large infestation.
Step 1: Identify all infested areas
It's much easier and cheaper to treat a small infestation than a big one. Find it early before it begins to reproduce; a healthy female can lay 500 eggs in her lifetime. It is harder to detect small infestations. Search for bed bugs yourself or hire a professional to do an inspection. Some inspectors use specially trained dogs to hunt down bed bugs by scent. Bed bugs can squeeze into tiny spots like the seams of a mattress or couch and the folds of curtains because of their small and narrow bodies. Also, look for them in places like these:
- Near the tags of the mattress and box spring
- In cracks in the bed frame and headboard
- In baseboards
- Between couch cushions
- In furniture joints
- Inside electrical outlets
- Under loose wallpaper
- Underneath paintings and posters on the walls
- In the seam where the wallpaper and ceiling meet
Use a flashlight and magnifying glass to go over all of these areas. You can spot bed bugs by these signs:
- Live bed bugs which are reddish and about half a centimeter long
- Dark spots about the size of a period (these are bed bug droppings)
- Reddish stains on your mattress from crushed bugs
- Small pale yellow eggs, eggshells, and yellowish skins that young bed bugs shed
Step 2: Contain the infestation
Now that you've identified the areas that these tiny monsters are living in, you need to keep them contained so you can get rid of them ASAP. A quick and easy way to trap bed bugs is with your vacuum. Run the vacuum over any possible hiding places. These include your bed, dresser, carpets, and electronics like TVs. Seal up the vacuumed contents into a plastic bag and throw it away, then thoroughly clean out the vacuum. It is imperative to seal up all your linens and affected clothes in plastic bags until you wash them. Then put them on the highest possible temperature setting in the washer and dryer. Anything that can't be treated in the washer and dryer, rather throw it in a plastic bag. Leave it there for a few months if possible to make sure all the bugs die. If you can't clean furniture, throw it away. Tear it up first and paint the words "Bed Bugs" on it so that no one else tries to take it home.
Step 3: Home cleaning methods
You can first try to remove bed bugs without chemicals. These bugs are pretty easy to kill with high heat (46°C) or intense cold (less than 0°C). Here are a few ways to treat bed bugs using these methods:
- Wash bedding and clothes in hot water for 30 minutes, then put them in a dryer on the highest heat setting for 30 minutes.
- Use a steamer on mattresses, couches, and other places where bed bugs hide.
- Pack up infested items in black bags and leave them outside on a hot day (95 degrees) or in a closed car. It can take two to five months to kill sealed-up bugs in cooler temperatures.
- Put bags containing bed bugs in the freezer at -17°C. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. You can leave them in there for at least four days.
Once you've cleaned all visible bed bugs, make the area inhospitable for their friends. Place bed bug proof covers over your mattress and box spring. Zip these covers up all the way. Bugs trapped inside will die, and new bugs won't get in. If these methods don't wipe out all the bugs, you may need to try an insecticide.