We’ve all been there. No one wants to invite bed bugs into their home. They’re disgusting and extremely unwelcome as they invade your mattress, furniture, and bedding.
It’s difficult to get rid of an infestation once it has begun. Most people seek out a professional pest control company when the time comes.
If you’re currently experiencing an infestation, here’s some helpful advice that may help you get rid of the pests that are now taking over your home.
Are there really bed bugs in my house? Bug Detection
Bed bugs can take a toll on us physically. This can happen even when they’re naked to the human eye. Sadly, it’s impossible to tell, with the only sign biting on the body.
Your discomfort could be due to a lot of things. Bed bug bites can look very similar to skin conditions or allergies. In some cases, there’s no physical mark left by the bugs.
If these critters are left undiscovered, they’ll have plenty of time to bread, feed, and spread across our furniture. It’s important to start the detection early, as the longer it stays, the worse it will get.
- Pay attention to the signs that you may have a bug infestation:
- Seeing bugs crawling around your couch cushions, mattress, or bedding
- Have you noticed casings and eggs around?
- Excrement-You may notice little dark flecks that bleed into your mattress
- Skin that’s shedding and growing larger
- Are there dead bugs?-you may notice small dead bugs around or little reddish stains from bugs that have been crushed?
- Is there an appropriate place to look for bed bugs around the home?
Treating Bed Bug Infestations
It’s impossible to treat bed bug infestations quickly. It’s important to note that this may be a long process. There are two major ways to treat infestation. Homeowners either use chemicals or find a more natural way to get things done.
Regardless of whether you go with a chemical or natural approach, they are both excellent options. Those who integrate both see better results.
Homeowners have found before you that integrating both methods to get rid of bed bugs has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the process.
Take These Steps When Fighting a Bed Bug Infestation
Recommended steps:
- Make sure all items around the infestation are clean
- Take away items that make an excellent hiding space for bugs (These could include clutter lying around or storage boxes)
- Get rid of their habitats
- Get rid of them through the use of cleaning
- Incorporate all-natural methods
- Only use pesticides as recommended by the manufacturer (You may want to hire a pest control company)
- Always keep up with inspections after treatment and do re-treatments
All Natural Ways to Treat Bed Bugs
Be sure to launder all clothing and bedding in hot water. Remember, cleaning your linens and clothing is not enough to exterminate the bed bugs in your home. Always dry your items at a high temperature as well.
Try using 118F heat for about an hour on infested areas to kill the bugs. The hotter you make the temperature, the less time it will take.
Some use cold temperatures. They must be below 0F for 120 hours to get rid of their bed bug infestation. The colder the temperature, the faster it will take. Remember that the freezer at home does not carry cold enough temperatures to kill them.
Chemical Treatments
The supermarket is littered with products that will help repel the infestation your currently experiencing in your home. Sadly, a lot of these products come with minimal results.
As a result, a lot of homeowners go through treatment after treatment to try and kill the invaders without seeing any results. They may have been better off with professional assistance.
Many DIY projects carried out by the homeowner either use too much product or do not place it in the right area. A lot of homeowners are left with itchy and inflamed skin from pesticides.
It’s impossible to let you know the strengths and weaknesses of all of the chemicals you’re using in your DIY project.
That’s why it’s important to seek out the manufacturer’s listing on how strong the product you are using is. (Pest control companies may not have the information you need to understand how effective your DIY chemicals are)
Keeping Them Out of the Home
These creatures know how to move around the home. They jump from one infested site to the next in an instant. They are able to do so because they do not have to feed very often.
Each bug only needs to consume blood from either a person or an animal once every five or more days. Some bugs can live as long as ten days without feeding on a host. It’s not unheard of for a bed bug to live up to twelve months without a host.
Here are some steps you can take to keep your home safe from a bed bug infestation:
- Keep protective covers on that’ll encase your box springs, mattresses, and furniture (This will make it so that they have no place to hide)
- Take away clutter where the bed bugs may hide
- Always be careful when purchasing used furniture. A proper inspection should be done
- Ways to stop bed bugs from staying on you or your belongings as a host when staying at a place other than your home:
- Take a good look at your hotel room to see if there are bugs
- Take advantage of any luggage racks you see present, and keep contact with clothing and bedding at a minimum
- Always perform a good inspection of all luggage and clothing upon returning home
We’d rather not have to deal with bed bugs at all. If you are careful and knowledgeable about them, you should be able to beat or avoid an infestation.
