3 Tips For Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs
Do you have bed bugs in your home? Bed bugs can be one of the most difficult types of bugs to eliminate. This is partly because they're so small. You often may not realize you have bed bugs until they've spread throughout your home. If you do find bed bugs in your home, the most effective solution is usually to work with an exterminator or pest control expert who can implement a coordinated approach to eliminating the bugs. However, you may want to take immediate action on your own. Here are a few immediate steps you can take to start eliminating bed bugs until the exterminator arrives:
Make your bed safe to sleep in.
This is probably your top priority as your bed will likely have the highest concentration of bed bugs. The most effective solution is to simply get rid of your mattress, box spring, and bedding. You can try to rid your current bedding of bugs by running it through the laundry. And you can bag your mattress and box spring and put it in sunlight. However, there's no guarantee that these methods will work. Disposing of the bed and bedding is usually the more effective solution.
Before you pull the mattress and box spring out of your home, make sure you wrap them with shrink wrap. This will prevent bugs from spreading to other areas in your home. Also, purchase encasements for the new mattress and box spring. These encasements go over them and prevent bed bug infestation. All bed bugs will be on the outside of the encasement, where you can easily spot them and kill them.
Finally, install bed bug interceptors on the posts of your bed. You can find these at any hardware store. They sit under each bed post and prevent bed bugs from climbing into your bed from the carpet.
Bag any exposed materials.
This may be time-consuming, but it's a critical step if you want to stop the spread of the bugs. Bag anything that may have been exposed. This could include clothing, bedding, toys, and nearly anything else in your house. Get the bagged items out of your home and try to put them in an area that will get sunlight. If possible, put the items through the washing machine. If they can't go through the washing machine, you can let the items sit in the bags for as long as possible and then wash them with a mix of soap and hot water.
Vacuum and clean exposed rooms.
Identify any rooms and pieces of furniture that may have been exposed to the bed bugs. Vacuum the room thoroughly. You may even need to move furniture so you can access the carpet underneath. As you're vacuuming, you may also want to sprinkle carpet cleaning powder that is designed to fight fleas and ticks. Even though bed bugs aren't technically the same as fleas and ticks, they can be vulnerable to the same types of chemicals.
Of course, the most effective solution is to have your house treated by a pest control professional. They can inspect the problem and recommend a comprehensive solution. Take a look at sites like http://cavanaughspest.com for more information.