Bed bugs can be the worst pests to have in your home. They infest your couches, seat cushions, clothes, and, worst of all...your bed.
They are tiny and almost undetectable, come in large numbers and feed on your blood.
Bed Bugs make it difficult for you and everyone in your home to have a good night’s sleep. If it isn’t the actual bites and itches bothering you, just the simple idea that you have bugs on the bed can be a source of sleepless stress.
So you want to ensure a bed bug-free home. You want to prevent them from entering your home and eliminate them when they’re present.
And the quickest, simplest, safest and most convenient way for you to do so is by hiring a professional pest control service.
But if you have the time and capability, you can do all anti-bed bug measures with DIY steps.
Here’s a helpful guide if you’re going at it yourself.
Bed bugs come out of their hiding during the night. And this time is when you probably have blurry memories of seeing the pests while you’re in the bed.
But seeing bed bugs this way is nothing definitive. Hence, you need to be able to really check if you have bed bugs in the morning.
However, since bedbugs hide entirely during daylight, you need to identify where they most likely harbor to confirm if you have them or not.
Any part of your bed where they can keep away from sunlight and external disturbance is usually their hiding spot. So if you lift your mattress, you can see that they will scatter and find a quick way to hide away from you and the light.
Also, you can determine whether you have a bedbug problem by assessing if you have the following signs in your home.
If you wake up with itching body parts where you did not have them when you went to bed, you may have bed bugs, especially if you purchased a used bed or other second hand furniture around the period the bites began.
Other indications that you have bed bugs are:
But take note that if you already know you have a bed bug infestation, there's little use in looking for them. Finding and squishing bed bugs is a futile endeavor.
It is far preferable to utilize traps and sprays (contact killers) or contact a professional Pest Control company.
When you suspect an outbreak, remove all mattresses and thoroughly inspect them for traces of the pests or their feces. Inspect the gaps in the wood structure by removing the dust cover from the base of the box springs.
Remove the staples that hold the fabric to the wood frame.
Examine the environment around the bed, as well as inside books, telephones, or radios, the carpet's edge, and even electrical outlets.
Bedbugs can adhere to clothing, so also check your closet.
If you are unsure about bedbug signs, contact an exterminator who will know what to look for.
If you notice evidence of an infestation, take action to get rid of the bugs and keep them from returning.
Cleaning up the areas where bed bugs live is the first step in getting rid of them.
So you should first do the following:
If your mattresses are infested, you may want to get rid of them and find a replacement.
But make sure to get rid of bedbugs from the rest of your home at the same time. If not, they will infest your new mattress.
So the next thing to do is to kill the bed bugs.
Cleaning up contaminated areas might help reduce bedbugs. But to eliminate them entirely, you will have to use chemical pesticides.
And because applying pesticides to your bed and bedroom might be hazardous, it is critical to pick solutions that can be used safely in bedrooms.
Unless the label clearly states that they can be used on bedding, do not treat mattresses or bedding.
And before you start spraying anything, ensure your safety and the safety of those who live with you entirely.
Wear protective gear like safety glasses, long sleeves, a face mask, gloves, and others. And ensure to evacuate the infested areas of people and pets.
You can also use special traps for bed bugs.
Bedbug traps are classified into two types.
The first is passive traps, which catch bed bugs without drawing them in.
A passive trap is placed in an area where bed bugs are likely to pass. They can enter, but they can't leave.
The best passive traps are those that fit around the legs of your bed and contain a small amount of water. Even a modest amount of water easily drowns bed bugs.
On the other hand, active traps impersonate a sleeping host by using carbon dioxide and warmth. The bed bug is attracted, enters looking for a meal, but is unable to exit.
They can be filled with water too which will drown and eliminate the bed trapped bugs.
You may use one of these traps to find bed bugs throughout the day and count how many there are.
When the sun is out, however, you're unlikely to catch many of these pests. Bed bugs often fall prey to active traps only at night as it is when they are looking for a meal.
Nevertheless, traps are still a terrific way to discover bed bugs without having to do all of the work yourself.
In general, hiring an expert pest control professional for bed bug treatment is the safest and most effective option.
It saves your time and ensures that you avoid erratic DIY work.
Learn more about how Agro Pest Control can help you maintain a bedbug-free, comfortable home.
