Bed bugs are a big problem for homeowners. They are too small to be seen and reproduce fast, making matters worse.
Struggling with bed bugs? These tiny pests can cause big problems, but don’t worry. With the right steps, you can eliminate them and reclaim your home. How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs involves simple yet effective strategies to ensure they’re gone for good. Say goodbye to these unwelcome guests and enjoy the peace of a bug-free space!
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs rid of bed bugs seems to be a hard thing, but it is achievable when the right approach is made. First, clean the house completely and use the hot dryers to kill the bugs. You can also use the sprays for bed bugs and mattress covers. Just inspect any second-hand furniture before bringing it inside. Being patient and persistent, you will eliminate them once and for all!
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown insects that feed on blood. Before feeding, they are roughly the size of an apple seed. Bed bugs are nocturnal, going out at night to bite their hosts. They do not have wings but can move very quickly across walls and floors.
Bed bugs hide during the daytime in dark, shady places. They hide around mattress seams, bed frames, and cracks in walls or furniture. Due to their small size and color-mixing ability, they are hard to recognize. Blood marks or some bite marks on your skin may suggest that there is an infestation by a bedbug.
How to Identify Bed Bugs
Identifying whether you have bed bugs is the first step to elimination. A person starts by checking for these physical signals:
You could see bugs.
Bed bugs are very small reddish-brown insects and can easily be viewed by the naked eye. Often found on mattress seams, bed frames, or furniture, they hide out during the day to hunt at night to feed. An unfed bed bug is the size of an apple seed.
Bites
The bite appears in a line or a cluster on your skin, especially on the exposed body parts like arms, legs, and neck. They also get red and itchy in some cases. You’ll realize you have been bitten by bed bugs after waking up since they are most common when you are sleeping.
Fecal Spots
Bed bugs leave minuscule, dark brown spots of feces at places they infest. These spots generally appear on your sheets, mattress, or furniture. The fecal spots can be in the shape of dark spots or streaks. They are a big giveaway of a bedbug infestation.
Shed skins
As bed bugs grow, they shed their outer skin. These transparent husks can be found near their hiding spots. Shed skins are usually found in areas like mattress seams or cracks in furniture. They are a clear indication that bed bugs are present.
Bloodstains
Most often, bed bugs cause blood stains on sheets or pillowcases when feeding. These may be tiny reddish marks. At night, the bed bugs feed on your blood. Sometimes they will leave a trail. You will notice stains and, hence, suspect bed bugs are in your home.
Why Bed Bugs Are Hard to Kill
They hide very well, don’t feed for weeks at a time in many cases, and hide in locations no one would ever anticipate: behind the wallpaper or inside of the electrical box. They also prove themselves quite resistant to many types of pesticides, so here are just a few reasons in addition to their despicable ways in terms of their evil nature.
Step 1: Survey Your Home for Bed Bugs
The very first thing that you have to do is to inspect your house properly to know where the bed bugs are hiding. You have to know where they are so that you can treat those areas rightly.
How to Inspect for Bed Bugs:
- Check Your Mattress and Bed Frame: You start by checking your mattress, particularly from the seams and edges. Of course, bed bugs prefer to hide in those cracks.Inspect the furniture, under the cushions, and behind the rugs. They hide very sneakily.
- Inspect Walls and Baseboards: Check behind and beneath the walls and baseboards for small crevices or cracks through which the bugs might crawl to hide.
- Look in Cluttered Areas: They love to settle in cluttered drawers, closets, and even behind picture frames. These are hard places to inspect for the presence of bed bugs.
Step 2: Declutter and Clean:
Now, it is time to clean and declutter. Bed bugs prefer to hide in mess, so cleaning up will help to make it easier to eliminate them.
How to Clean and Declutter:
- Remove Unnecessary Items: Get rid of old clothes, furniture, or anything that might be hard to clean or could be infested.
- Vacuum the home: Thoroughly vacuum your house, including the mattress, bed frame, and furniture. This must pay particular attention to seams and cracks as they hide bed bugs.
- Bedding and Clothes to Be Washed: Wash every piece of clothing and bedding in your home with hot water and place them on a hot dryer setting for at least 30 minutes to ensure their elimination and the’ extermination of the eggs.
- Clean Upholstered Furniture: Use a vacuum equipped with a hose attachment to clean your furniture. Be sure to get the seams, folds, and cracks where bed bugs can hide.
Step 3: Use Heat as a Killer of Bed Bugs
Heat is one of the best extermination techniques for killing bed bugs and their eggs. Since extreme heat cannot kill bed bugs, applying a steam cleaner or hot dryer may remove them.
How to Eliminate Bed Bugs Using Heat:
- Use a steam cleaner: A steam cleaner is one of the best bed bug-killing agents. All surfaces on your mattress, bed frame, and furniture, as well as elsewhere bed bugs can hide, shall be steam cleaned. Steaming needs to come hot enough to kill the bedbug, which means it must be at least 130°F.
- Put bedding in the dryer: Place bedding in the dryer with hot heat for 30 minutes. The bedbugs and eggs will be destroyed. Repeat the process for all clothing and bedding.
Step 4: Fill Cracks and Crevices
Bed bugs like to hide in minuscule cracks and crevices about your house, so sealing them ensures they never return.
How To Seal Cracks And Crevices
- Fill In Gaps Under Doors and Windows: Sealing Gaps: Fill in any spaces with caulk around your doors, windows, or even your baseboards.
- Fix Leaky Pipes: Bed bugs can hide in the gaps around pipes. Seal any cracks or holes where pipes enter your walls.
- Cover Electrical Outlets: Bed bugs can also hide behind electrical outlets. Use outlet covers to block their entry.
Step 5: Use Bed Bug Traps
Bed bug traps make it very easy to monitor the situation and catch the bugs. These are made of such material that attracts the crawling bed bugs to capture.
How to Use Bed Bug Traps:
- Place traps near beds: Place the bedbug trap near the legs of your bed or any area where you feel there may be a presence of bedbugs.
- Monitor for Activity: Check the traps regularly to see if they have captured any bed bugs. This will help you track the infestation and determine whether your efforts are working.
Step 6: Consider Pesticides
If the problem persists, then pesticides will have to be used. But again, there should be caution about using chemicals since improper use can cause some harmful effects on a person.
Safe Use of Pesticides
- Choose bed bug-specific pesticides: It is labeled for controlling bed bugs. Follow instructions accordingly.
- Pest Dispersal in Critical Sections: Apply pesticides to cracked and creviced hiding spaces with the bed bugs. Avoid dispensation of pesticides on your beds or bedding.
- Use Chemical-Free Products: Diatomaceous earth is one form of chemical-free product for use in areas where they hide. It kills these by drying out their exoskeleton.
Step 7: Call a Professional Exterminator
If your infestation is rampant, or even after applying every single remedy, it has not helped to get rid of these pesky creatures, then call a professional pest control company. Bedbug infestations are very hard to handle, so professionals know the best way to treat them and have all the necessary tools.
When to Call a Professional
- Severe Infestation: This is when you find out that there are bed bugs in several rooms or you have tried the above DIY methods and failed.
- Unidentified Problem Areas: The problem is that you cannot trace the source of infestation. You do not know what areas the bedbugs prefer to hide.
- Continuous Bites: You are continuously receiving bites even after you have tried all the do-it-yourself methods.
A professional exterminator will assess the situation, use the most effective treatment methods, and help you get rid of the infestation permanently.
Keep Bed Bugs Away Forever
Having eradicate bed bugs means you have to do something so that they may not come again. Here is how you can keep them away forever from your home:
Be Aware When You Travel
Once you’ve successfully eliminated bed bugs, it’s essential to take steps to prevent them from coming back. Being cautious while traveling is one of the key strategies. Always check hotel rooms for signs of bedbugs before unpacking your luggage and avoid placing your bags on the bed or floor.
Inspect Second-Hand Furniture
Inspect and check your second-hand furniture purchased for bed bugs before introducing it into your home. Examine seams, cushions, and hidden areas. Bed bugs can readily hide behind furniture, so a comprehensive and time-consuming investigation of the furniture is needed to avoid infestation.
Apply Bed Bug Covers
They ensure that the bugs cannot hide underneath your bed because they utilize bed bug-proof mattresses and box spring covers. They will try their best to hide in your bed, and it is because a barrier has been created.They will take more time to allow your house to remain free from bugs.
Carry on cleaning normally.
Keeping cleaning up is the key to continued protection. Vacuum frequently. Clean especially the space where your bed is and the furniture in it since these are prime bed bug hiding spots. Having your home free of clutter helps minimize the number of spots to hide and gives the bugs less time to stay long enough to lay eggs, hence making it easier to catch them at their immature stages.
FAQs
How can I know if I have bed bugs?
Look for small reddish-brown bugs along mattress seams. You might also see small blood spots on your bed sheets.
Can I get rid of bed bugs myself?
Absolutely! Cleaning, vacuuming, and putting on protective bed covers can make them disappear.
How long does it take to eliminate bed bugs?
In most cases, it depends on the magnitude of the infestation. A consistent effort may take a few weeks up to a couple of months.
Are bed bugs harmful to my health?
Not too much. They are not an infectious agent, but their bite causes itching, an allergic reaction, and discomfort due to the bite.
May pesticides be used safely for managing bed bugs?
Pesticides may work but should be applied with caution. If in doubt, it would be better to call an expert.
Conclusion
Bed bugs can be eliminated if proper control measures are implemented, though the time and effort that would go into it is very extensive. One can, however, make the house safe and comfortable once more by following the instructions below.
Prevention is a great way of avoiding future infestation. Inspect your luggage anytime you travel, check second-hand furniture, and use a mattress cover to protect yourself. All this can be done when being alert, and it saves one from all the pests brought by the bed bugs.
