Last Updated on April 18, 2024 by Umer Malik
The dreaded bedbug is the bane of many people’s existence. Every nation on the planet is home to these bloodsucking vampires, and it is estimated that there are 250 million infections in the United States alone. The majority of the time, you may find them in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, nightstands, and other pieces of furniture. This essay is not for you if you have never experienced a problem with these annoying creatures. However, if you’ve already been bitten by bed bugs or know someone who has, keep reading to find out how to get rid of them in your house.
DIY Bed Bug Control
DIY bed bug control works depending on how crucial the situation is, how much you know, the availability of the materials you have, and the equipment you own. There are minimal situations where you can just do it yourself, but there are serious situations where only professionals know how to handle it safely. Here are things you can do before calling a professional:
Study more.
Before you can get a good handle on how to control bed bugs, it’s important to know what they are and how they’d behave in your home. There are two main types of bed bugs: the bloodsucking “bed bug” (or Cimex lectularius) and the non-bloodsucking scuttle/bumblebee (or Cimicidae). Bed bugs tend to be more common in urban areas, but they can also live outdoors in rural areas if food is available.
Bed Bugs live all over the world—think back through history when people didn’t have indoor plumbing! They’re hardy creatures that can survive even the harshest conditions—including high temperatures or low humidity levels like those found inside homes during winter months when no one wants their heating system running 24/7 anyway!
As instructed, wash and dry all clothing.
The first step in preventing bed bugs is to clean and launder all of your clothes and linens. To kill any remaining eggs or larvae, wash them in hot water and dry them on high heat. If you can’t wash your clothes, clean your mattresses and upholstered furniture with a steam cleaner (and don’t forget to clean your pets’ bedding!
Thoroughly vacuum the entire house.
To get rid of bed bugs, you’ll need to vacuum the entire house. This includes closets and under furniture, as well as mattresses and box springs. You might also want to vacuum upholstered furniture (like sofas) and carpets (especially if they have been treated with pesticides). For hardwood floors and rugs where there are no visible signs of pests, we recommend using a steam cleaner first before attempting any DIY bed bug treatments—a chemical spray may not be enough to kill all the eggs that are hiding out in these areas.
Bedding and furniture with upholstery should be steam cleaned or thrown away.
Getting rid of bed bugs most effectively involves steam cleaning. Bed bugs are difficult to eradicate, so if the infestation is severe enough, you might need to discard your furniture and bedding.
Bed bugs have plenty of time to create eggs before being exterminated by steam or another means because they may go up to 18 months without eating. It’s critical to get rid of any adult pests and limit the spread of new ones if your home is already infested. In order to accomplish this, thoroughly steam clean each surface and object in question until no trace of the bugs is visible.
Make use of heaters and fans to increase the temperature in your home.
Bed bugs are attracted to warm environments, so it is important to use heaters and fans to increase the temperature in your house. Bed bugs are more likely to die when exposed to temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, so you should make sure that your room has a temperature of at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you have a space heater or fan that can create heat in small rooms like bedrooms and bathrooms, then use them! This will help kill off any remaining bugs already in those areas (or prevent new ones from entering).
Items that cannot be thrown away or washed ought to be frozen.
The best method for eradicating bed bugs is freezing. Bed bugs will perish if objects are frozen for at least 5 days because they cannot survive below -4 degrees Celsius. Additionally, make sure your freezer has enough space and cover whatever you’re freezing in plastic wrap or newspaper before putting it in (this helps prevent freezer burn).
Find any cracks or other hiding places and treat them.
You should be sure to treat all of your home’s cracks and crevices if you want the greatest results. This includes looking for cracks in baseboards, windows, walls, floors, furniture, and ceilings. This step is especially crucial if your home has any fractures or holes in the window or door frames that allow bed bugs to enter because that’s probably where they’re hiding from pesticides applied by professionals who spray for them.
Use tape or glue to seal off any holes you find after carefully studying them with a flashlight (or, even better, a bug zapper) to prevent further entry.
Infestations can be avoided with the help of bed encasements.
Encasements are an excellent way to keep pests away from your bed. They can be placed on top of a mattress, box spring, and other bedding items such as pillows and comforters.
They also come in a variety of easy-to-clean materials, such as foam, vinyl, and plastic. Vinyl is a low-cost and durable material (which feels like sleeping on clouds).
Encasements have been used for a long time; originally, they were made of a cotton or flannel liner with an elastic band wrapped around the mattress. They now come in a variety of forms, including waterproof fabric encasements that can be machine washed after use.
Consult a pest control expert if you have an infestation.
A professional pest control business should be considered if you have a serious infestation. They will be able to use a variety of techniques that are superior to do-it-yourself approaches.
- Use heat treatment
- This technique involves heating an item that is placed on your mattress or box spring until it starts to smoke, at which time all bed bugs inside the item are destroyed. The heat kills them as they attempt to skulk inside the material (or sometimes right under). Although it can take a few days, there shouldn’t be any more problems after that!
- Vacuum cleaners
- Professional cleaners use powerful vacuums with HEPA filters that capture everything, including dust mites, and immediately send them into incinerators where they are completely burned up without emitting any harmful chemicals into the air other than carbon dioxide from the combustion process itself (which doesn’t pose any health risks).
Give yourself a perfect sleep
Understanding bed bug control might be challenging. We are aware that bed bugs are uncomfortable and challenging to get rid of. The best course of action if you have a bed bug infestation is to employ a competent professional with experience handling this kind of infestation. The ideal course of action to pursue and the kinds of therapies that would be most suitable for your circumstance will be thoroughly understood by them.
Your capacity to relax before bed will increase. Your home will be free of infestations and bed bug bites will cease to exist. It’s time to call a professional for bed bug control if you’ve done everything on your own and still have a mattress insect problem.
Apart from this, if you are interested to know more about What To Do During A Bed Bug Outbreak then visit our HOME IMPROVEMENT category.
