How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs do not discriminate, so many have needed to know at some point how to get rid of bed bugs. First, what are bed bugs? Bed bugs are tiny, light brown, oval shaped insects that feed on human and animal blood. The adults have extremely flat bodies that can fit through spaces a thin as a credit card. After they get a good meal, their bodies swell up and turn more red. One female bed bug can lay hundreds of dust-speck-sized eggs throughout her life. They don’t carry diseases, but their bites cause uncomfortable, itchy, red swelled bumps.
Sometimes bed bugs go left untreated if people attribute those itchy, red welts to other causes. Bed bug bites are commonly misidentified as mosquito bites. In order to confirm a bedbug infestation, you must locate and identify the bed bugs themselves.
Besides the obvious bite marks, there are other signs of bed bug infestation. Blood spots on pillows, mattresses, sheets, or pillowcases occur during a bed bug infestation. There are usually dark, rusty colored stains from bed bug feces on pillows, mattresses, headboards, and walls. Along with fecal matter, bedbug eggshells and shed skin are also found in areas where the bed bugs live. There is often a pungent, foul, moldy odor that appears from the bug’s scent glands. Examine the lining that is on the bottom of the box spring. Check all the cracks, corners, nooks, and crannies of the mattress and box spring. Bed bugs are so small and they like tight spaces. So, when examining around the bed, make sure to include papers, books, carpets, outlets, and baseboards. Since bed bugs can travel relatively far (considering their size) make sure to check out your closet.
Now, the reason you’re here: How to get rid of bed bugs
The first move thing should do if you suspect a bed bug infestation is to CLEAN! Remove all bed clothes, curtains, and washable rugs. Immediately wash them in hot water and dry them on the highest dryer setting. If you suspect your closet to be infested, wash your clothes with the same settings. You can tumble dry shoes, stuffed animals or other items that can’t be machine washed.
To ensure bed bug egg removal, scrub your mattress seams with a stiff bristled brush to loosen the eggs before vacuuming. Vacuum your mattress, rugs/carpets, and baseboards as often as possible. It is important to immediately remove the vacuum bag/dirt collector from the vacuum cleaner, place in a sealed plastic bag, and discard the plastic bad in the trash can outside.
Mattress encasement is an awesome tool for fighting bed bugs. Encase both the mattress and box spring with a tightly woven mattress cover with a tight zipper. These encasements keep any bed bugs/eggs that were not removed while cleaning from escaping, reproducing, and feeding on you or your loved ones! Keep in mind that bed bugs can live up to a year without feeding, so do not remove the mattress encasement for an entire year to ensure all the bugs inside do not survive.
If your mattress is just too far gone for treatment, make sure you get rid of the bed bugs around your home first. You do not want your new mattress to get infested, too!
Bed Bug Extermination
Just like many other infestations, cleaning up and keeping things tidy can help the spread of the bed bug infestation. These are good suggestions about how to get rid of bed bugs, however, getting completely rid of bed bugs usually requires chemical treatments. Putting chemicals around your home, and especially in your bed, can be a dangerous risk. If you choose to try a do-it-yourself treatment, make sure you only put product on your mattress if the product’s label specifically mentions it is safe to do so.
So, as you can probably tell, treating bed bugs yourself can be not only dangerous, but extremely time consuming. Not to mention, if you end up spending money on Do-it-yourself bed bug products can still be expensive and may not even work in the long run. For these reasons, it’s probably more effective and safer to hire an experienced pest control professional to take your bed bug extermination. If you are looking for pest control in Charleston, SC or the surrounding areas, be sure to check out Advanced Termite and Pest Control.
Bed bug Life Cycle