The width of a bedbug is only 5 millimeters, which is smaller than a pencil eraser. These insects are intelligent and resilient, and they reproduce rapidly. Bedbugs are adept at evading detection and can survive for months without feeding. A female can produce 500 eggs throughout her lifetime.
It should come as no surprise that these small bloodsuckers may cause a great deal of difficulty in your home. If they share your bed, they can leave you covered in red, itching welts. Because of this, it’s crucial to know How To Get Rid of A Bed Bug Infestation the correct way!
Can you eliminate bed bugs by yourself?
You can eliminate bed bugs. Be patient, as eliminating bed bugs typically requires time, effort, and pest control services near me. Depending on the severity of the infestation, you may need to employ many chemical and non-chemical treatments.
Several reasons can make bed bug removal more difficult. If your home has a lot of clutter or if you travel frequently and bring bed bugs back in your luggage, it may be more difficult to eradicate them.
If you are unable to eliminate them on your own, you may need to hire a professional exterminator. Read on for step-by-step instructions on getting rid of bed bugs.
Step 1: Locate all infected sites
If you have bed bugs, you should discover them before they begin to breed. A little infestation is significantly easier and less expensive to treat than a large infestation. However, minor infestations may be difficult to detect.
You may inspect for bed bugs yourself, or you can engage an expert. Some inspectors utilize specially trained dogs to sniff out bedbugs.
The thin and slender bodies of bedbugs allow them to fit into microscopic spaces, such as the seams of a mattress or sofa and the folds of draperies. Also, search for them:
- Close to the labels on the bed and box spring
- In the bed frame and headboard fractures
- Behind/In baseboards
- Among sofa cushions
- In furniture joints
- Within electrical sockets
- Beneath loose wallpaper8
- Below the artwork and posters on the walls
- At the seam where the ceiling and wallpaper meet
- Utilize a flashlight and magnifying lens to inspect each of these locations
Bedbugs can be identified by the following symptoms:
- Reddish, approximately 1/5-inch-long bed bugs are alive.
- These dark dots approximately the size of a period are bed bug feces.
- There are crimson stains on your mattress from crushed insects.
- Tiny pale yellow eggs, egg shells, and the yellowish exoskeletons of immature bed bugs.
Once you discover a bedbug, place it in a jar with one teaspoon of rubbing alcohol. Other sorts of insects can resemble bed bugs in appearance. Bring the insect to an exterminator or entomologist for identification if you are uncertain of its kind.
Step 2: Contain the outbreak
Once you realize you have bed bugs, you must contain them to eliminate them. Your vacuum is a quick and easy technique to trap bed bugs. Pass the vacuum over any potential hiding spots.
This consists of your:
- bed
- dresser
- carpets
- electronics, such as televisions
Place the vacuumed material in a plastic bag and dispose of it. Then, carefully clean the vacuum’s interior.
Seal all linens and affected garments in plastic bags until they can be washed. Then, wash and dry them at the highest temperature settings available. If an item cannot be washed, dry it on the highest heat setting for 30 minutes.
Everything that cannot be laundered and dried should be placed in a plastic bag. If possible, leave it there for a few months to ensure that all the insects perish.
If furniture cannot be cleaned, it should be discarded. Tear it up and spray-paint the term “bedbugs” on it to discourage anyone else from taking it home.
Step 3: Preparation for bedbug treatment
Before you begin treating your home, you need to do some preparatory work to increase your chances of success. Ensure that all of your linens, carpets, draperies, clothing, and other hiding spots have been thoroughly cleaned or discarded.
Next, eliminate bed bug hiding spots:
- Books, magazines, clothing, and any other items lying on the floor and under the bed should be gathered.
- Get rid of everything you can.
- Do not transfer objects from an infested room to a clean one, as doing so could spread the infestation.
Seal any exposed spaces:
- Apply adhesive to loose wallpaper.
- Fill cracks in furniture and along baseboards with caulk.
- Plug up any exposed electrical outlets.
Finally, move your bed at least 6 inches away from the wall to prevent bedbugs from climbing onto it.
Step 4: Eliminate bedbugs.
How to eliminate bedbugs in the home
You might initially attempt to eliminate bed bugs without pesticides. These bugs are easily killed at 115°F (46.11°C) or 32°F (0°C).
Here are a few approaches to treating bed bugs with these techniques:
- 30 minutes of washing bedding and garments in hot water. Then, dry them on the maximum heat setting for thirty minutes.
- Utilize a steamer on mattresses, couches, and other hiding spots for bedbugs.
- Wrap contaminated objects in black bags and leave them outside on a 95°F (35°C) day or in a car. In lower temperatures, sealed-up bugs can live for 2 to 5 months.
- Bags containing bedbugs should be frozen at 0 F (-17.78 C). Utilize a thermometer to determine the temperature. Leave for 4 days.
After eliminating any visible bedbugs, make the place unpleasant to the remainder. Place bed bug-resistant coverings on the mattress and box spring. Completely zip these jackets. Existing insects will perish, and no new ones will be able to enter.
If these approaches are ineffective, you may need to employ a pesticide.
Non Chemical and chemical methods of therapy
Insecticides can help eliminate bedbugs from your house. Look for bedbug-specific products that are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and designated as such.
Here are some insecticides you may want to try:
- Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most often used pesticides against bed bugs. Nonetheless, some bedbugs have developed resistance.
- Pyrroles, such as chlorfenapyr, eliminate bedbugs by destroying their cells.
- Neonicotinoids are nicotine derivatives. They harm the insect’s neurological system. This chemical is effective against bed bugs that have developed resistance to other pesticides.
- Desiccants are compounds that break down the protective outer covering of insects. Without this layer, insects die of dehydration. The desiccants silica aerogel (Tri-Die and CimeXa) and diatomaceous earth are two examples. The benefit of desiccants is that bed bugs cannot develop resistance to them, although they are inefficient. It may take these products several months to eradicate all insects.
- Foggers and bug bombs kill bedbugs, but they cannot reach their hiding places in cracks and crevices. They can also be hazardous to people if used improperly. Read the label with attention. Leave the room before activating a fogger.
- Products derived from plant oils, such as EcoRaider and Bed Bug Patrol, are less hazardous than conventional insecticides and effective against bedbugs.
5. Evaluate and prevent future bed bug infestations
It may take some time to eradicate bedbugs. Before you can be certain that your treatment was effective, you must have evidence that the insects have moved on. Once each week, inspect the affected regions for evidence of activity.
Place bed bug interceptors beneath each leg of the bed to make surviving bed bugs easier to notice. These devices will trap bed bugs before they can ascend your mattress. You may have to continue inspecting the interceptors for an entire year.
Bed bugs are resilient creatures. Just when you believe you have eliminated them, you may encounter them again. You may need to employ many treatments to eradicate the infestation. And if they persist, you will need to contact a professional exterminator.
Step 6: Involve professionals
If you cannot eliminate bedbugs on your own, it is time to call in the experts.
Pest control firms have access to pesticides and other treatments unavailable to the general public. They have pesticides that kill insects on touch and also remain in furniture and gaps to kill bedbugs over time.
Also available to pest control firms are whole-room heat treatments. Special equipment heats the space to 135 to 145°F, killing bed bugs.
Before the pest treatment firm arrives, they should provide you with preparation instructions. If you properly follow their instructions, you will have the best chance of eliminating the insects.
Professional treatments require two to three visits before they become effective. After each application, you may have to wait a few hours for the pesticides to dry before entering the treated rooms.
What is the distinction between flea and bedbug bites?
Step 7: Prevent bedbug entry
Once the bed bugs are exterminated, you’ll want to ensure they never return:
- Remove any clutter. Papers, periodicals, clothing, and other items should not be left on the floor.
- Completely encase your mattress and box spring in a bedbug-proof cover.
- Regularly vacuum and launder bedding, furniture, curtains, and carpets.
- To prevent bedbug entry, seal cracks around light sockets, baseboards, and electrical outlets.
- When traveling, check hotel rooms for bedbugs to avoid taking them home.
If you feel that you have encountered a bed bug infestation in your Hobart home contact Franklin Pest Control at (219)600-4910 now! Also, stop by our website for knowledge on After Bed Bug Treatment: What To Do?