Even a little thought of bed bugs can give many sleepless nights. Probably, this will be the last thing you want to think about when you lie down in your bed and try to sleep. However, these days bed bugs are pretty common! A survey shows that “one out of every five Americans has had a bed bug infestation in their home.”
Do bed bugs inside your bed mattress bother you at night too? Or do you know someone who has experienced bed bug infestation at their home?
So, if you’re looking up some easy ways to get rid of bed bugs from home, keep on reading! Today in this blog, we’ve explained everything related to bed bugs and how to remove them permanently from your home in a step-by-step guide.
Bed bugs are very small. They measure about 5 millimeters, which is smaller than a pencil eraser, but they’re still hard to get rid of. Bed bugs usually hide in hard-to-find places and breed quickly. A healthy female bug can live for months and lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. So, in a matter of a few weeks, there may be a serious infestation at your place.
Don’t panic if you have bed bugs in your bed or home. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to get rid of them.
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs (scientific name Cimex lectularius) are small, flat blood-feeding ectoparasites that feed on the blood of humans. These oval-shaped, brownish color insects generally hide in cracks and crevices of mattresses, box springs, bedside tables, bed frames, and headboards.
Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation
So how to determine whether you have bed bugs at your bed or home? Here are a few signs which show that you have bed bugs are:
- Tiny bloodstains on your sheets or pillowcases
- Bites or bumps on your body.
- Eggs, eggshells, or shed skins on your bed.
- An offensive, musty odor near your bed.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Once you know that you have bugs at your home, now it’s time to remove them permanently. You can then finally sleep peacefully, right! Follow these steps to get rid of these invasive pests:
Step 1: Identify All Infested Areas
Once you’ve identified a bed bug infestation, it’s time to act fast as they can reproduce quickly. You can search for the bed bugs yourself or even hire a professional to do an in-depth inspection of your home.
Bed bugs are small and mostly in tiny spots like in the seams of a couch and the folds of curtains. Apart from this, you should look for bed bugs in places like:
- You can see cracks in the bed frame and headboard
- in baseboards
- in furniture joints
- in seams of your mattress and box spring
- in seams and between the cushions of your sofa
- along the seam of your carpets
- inside electrical outlets
- underneath paintings and posters on the walls
Step 2: Contain the Infestation
Once you’ve found the bed bug infestation, you need to keep them contained. A quick way to trap bed bugs is to use a vacuum. Run the vacuum over the places that we mentioned above as their hiding places.
Clean all the fabric window coverings and hardware. Anything that can’t be washed or cleaned seal those contents into a plastic bag and throw it away.
Step 3: Bed Bug Treatment
After you contain all the infested areas, now it’s time to kill all the bed bugs and get rid of them permanently. Here’s how:
Non-Chemical Methods:
- According to the manufacturer, wash and dry clothing and beddings at the highest possible temperature.
- You can’t wash or heat things like LCD screens, pictures, books, shoes, and toys. You can freeze them at zero degrees Fahrenheit; 0°F (-17°C). Just seal them in plastic bags and freeze them for at least four days.
- Use steam cleaners (wet or dry) with a temperature of at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit and clean carpets, headboards, bed frames, and other furniture items. Make sure to use a diffuser and low setting airflow as the forceful flow can scatter the bugs.
Chemical Methods:
Nowadays, many insecticides and pesticides are available to remove bed bugs. You can easily purchase them online or from nearby hardware stores. You can use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered chemicals such as
- Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids
- Pyrroles
- Desiccants, such as boric acid and diatomaceous earth.
- Biochemicals like cold-pressed neem oil.
- Neonicotinoids
- Foggers or bug bombs
- Insect-growth regulators, or
- Plant oil-based products like EcoRaider and Bed Bug Patrolare
Whenever you’re buying an insecticide for bugs, make sure that it is EPA-registered and bed bugs are mentioned on its label.
Step 4: Prevention
Once you clean the bed bug infestation, you’ve to make sure that they stay away from your home. So, even after your bed and other spaces are free of bed bugs, you’ve to regularly check them for any repeated infestation.
Here are some prevention tips to keep bed bugs out from your home:
- Clean and vacuum your bedding, curtains, furniture, and carpets on a regular basis.
- Avoid cluttering your spaces.
- Clear up papers, magazines, clothes, or other stuff on the floor.
- Cover your mattress and box spring with a bedbug protector.
- If you have any cracks around the sockets, baseboards, and electrical outlets, seal them immediately.
Whenever you are traveling or staying away from your home, make sure to check the surroundings well. When you return home, check your travel suitcases and bags carefully. Use Vacuum and wash your clothing, accessories, and other things to avoid bed bug infestation.
Keep Bed Bugs Away!
Bed bugs are a common problem in homes, but they can wreak a lot of havoc in your home, if not treated properly. Some people even have serious allergic reactions to bed bug bites. So, to keep yourself and your home safe and bedbug-free, follow the above instructions and prevention tips.
If you have a bed bug infestation in your home, you can quickly remove it with the treatments that we’ve mentioned above. You can also seek professional help as they can inspect deeply and treat the infestation using pesticides.
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