Bed bugs are some of the worst pests that can invade your house. They are small, oval, brownish insects that can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings.
Bed bugs easily hide in mattresses, box springs, bed frames and headboards and they attack while you’re sleeping. While bed bug bites are painless at first, over time you will feel itchiness and welts.
If your home has been invaded, it’s vital to start the bed bug extermination process fast. Find ways to get rid of these hidden pests below.
Identify and Contain the Infested Area
When you see bed bugs in your house, the first step is to identify which areas are infested. You’ll want to check each room and see which ones are affected and which ones are not.
You can search for bed bugs yourself or hire a professional pest control company to inspect your house. A trained inspector will usually have the right tools or a trained dog that can sniff bugs, so they will be better and more precise.
If you want to inspect the house yourself, make sure to check near the tags of your mattress or box spring, in the cracks of the bed frame and baseboards, as well as between upholstery cushions.
You also want to check your bedroom furniture joints or underneath loose wallpaper because some bed bugs may be hiding there. Don’t forget to check inside your electrical outlets and the underside of your paintings and posters as well.
Once you have inspected all possible hiding places, you need to keep them contained to get rid of them. House cleaning tools like a vacuum can help you trap bed bugs.
Make sure to empty the contents of the vacuum inside a sealable plastic to avoid bed bugs escaping. Clean your vacuum thoroughly after as well just to make sure you’re not letting a single one escape.
Clean your bedroom furniture and wash all your linen at the highest dryer temperature to remove any bed bugs.
Bed Bug Treatment
Once you’re done cleaning, your next step is to use deb bug treatment to get rid of any bed bugs lying around. Before you begin, however, be sure to thoroughly prepare the infested areas to maximize your success.
You can do this by making sure any linen, carpet, window blinds, clothes, or other possible hiding places have been cleaned or thrown out. Also, get rid of any bed bug hiding places like books, magazines, or any item on your floor.
You also want to seal up any open area like loose wallpaper, caulk cracks around furniture or baseboards, and open electrical outlets.
Once you’re ready, you can start killing bed bugs. Extreme temperature is a great way to get rid of them without chemicals, so you can try sealing infested items up and leaving them under the sun or inside the freezer.
A washing machine dryer and a steamer also do the trick sometimes. However, if these tricks don’t fully exterminate the bed bugs, you may need to use non-chemical or chemical insecticides.
There are many available insecticides that you can buy including plant-based oils, bug bombs, pyrroles, neonicotinoids, or desiccants. Whichever product you choose, be sure to check the instructions and wear personal protective equipment to avoid inhaling the product.
Prevent Future Bed Bugs
Now that you have gotten rid of bed bugs in your home, it’s important to keep them out. Always clear up your clutter and cover your mattress with a bed bug cover to keep it sealed and protected.
You also want to vacuum and wash your bedding often to avoid infestation. Finally, seal any crack around your house so bed bugs have no space to sneak in.
If you’re not sure if you were able to get rid of all bed bug traces, it’s best to let the professionals handle it. Find the best bed bug exterminators in Edmonton and let them protect your house from bed bugs.