Smaller than a pencil eraser, bedbugs have a body length of only 5 millimeters. These bugs are hardy, smart, and reproduce swiftly. The female bedbug can produce up to 500 eggs in her lifespan and can survive for months without food. These minuscule bloodsuckers may wreak havoc on your house, as you might expect. In bed, they can cause welts to appear all over your body that are red and itchy. Incapable of getting free of the pests on your own? Hire an exterminator. Learn how to control and get rid of bedbugs using pest control service in the following paragraphs step by step.
Step 1: Identifying Infected Locations
Bed Bugs can spread quickly if you don’t catch them early enough. Getting rid of a minor infestation is far easier and more cost-effective than dealing with a much larger one. However, lesser infestations may be more difficult to detect.
Make an effort to find bedbugs on your own, or get someone to do it for you. To find bedbugs by scent, some inspectors employ specially trained canines. Tiny spaces, like the seams of a mattress or couch and the folds of draperies, are the perfect places for bedbugs to hide out and breed. Find them in areas like this:
# The mattress and box spring tags are located near each other
# In the bed’s frame and headboard’s cracks
# The bottoms of the baseboards
# Between the bolsters of a chair
# In the furniture’s ties
# In the electrical outlets themselves
# Behind a sheet of sagging wallpaper
# In addition to the artworks and posters on the wall,
# Where wallpaper and ceiling meet in the seam
Immediately after finding one, put it in a sealed container with 1 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol. Bed Bugs can be mistaken for a variety of other bugs. An exterminator or entomologist can help you identify the bug if you’re unsure.
Step 2: Get Rid of the Pests:
Once you discover that you have bed bugs, you must contain them to eradicate them. With a vacuum cleaner, you can catch bed bugs quickly and easily. Check all probable hiding places with the vacuum cleaner. Yours, too, is included:
# Bed
# Dresser
# Carpets
# Computer systems (like TVs)
Get a plastic bag and dispose of the vacuumed contents. Then, thoroughly clean the vacuum cleaner. To wash your linens and contaminated clothing, put them in plastic bags to keep them safe. Then, wash and dry them at the highest temperature setting available. You can dry an item that can’t be washed by placing it in the dryer for 30 minutes on the highest heat setting.
Place any items that can’t be washed or dried in a plastic bag. If you can, leave it there for a few months to ensure that all the bugs have died off. It’s best to discard furniture if you’re unable to clean it. Spray paint the words “bedbugs” on it before anyone else attempts to take it home to ensure that no one else will take it.
Step 3: Prepare for Bedbug Treatment:
Begin by doing some preparatory work to increase your chances of a successful outcome. Ensure that all of your bedding, carpets, draperies, clothing, and other potential hiding places have been thoroughly cleaned or disposed of (see Step 2).
Next, get rid of the spots where bed bugs hide. Organize everything that’s strewn across your floor and stuffed beneath your mattress. Whatever you can, get rid of it. Moving objects from an infested room to a clean one could spread the pests throughout.
Make sure there exist no holes in the walls. Glue down any loose wallpaper that may be hanging about. Caulk furniture and baseboard cracks with caulk. Use masking tape to cover any exposed electrical outlets. As a final precaution, move your bed at least six inches away from the wall.
Step 4: The Bedbugs must be Exterminated:
Bedbugs can be removed without the use of pesticides. High temperatures of 115°F (46°C) or extremely cold temperatures of 32°F (less than 0°C) can easily destroy these bugs. Bed Bugs can be treated in a variety of ways, including:
# Using hot water, wash bedding and clothing for 30 minutes. Finally, dry the items at the highest temperature for 30 minutes.
# Bed Bugs like to hide in mattresses, couches, and other soft furnishings, so use a steamer to get rid of them.
Keep infested objects in black bags and store them in a hot car or outside on a 95-degree day. Seal-up bugs can take up to five months to die in lower temperatures.
# Freeze the bags containing bedbugs at 0°F (-17°C) in the freezer. When in doubt, get a thermometer and do a quick check. For at least four days, keep them in there.
# Remove all visible bedbugs from the area before making it hostile for their symbiotic partners. Cover your bed and package bound with bedbug-proof concealments. Covers can be zipped up all the way around. Insects caught within will die, and fresh bugs will be unable to get in, so it’s a win-win situation.
# A pesticide may be necessary if these procedures don’t eliminate all the bugs.
Biological and Chemical Methods:
Bedbugs can be eliminated from your home with the use of insecticides. The EPA-registered and “bedbugs”-specific products should be sought out. The following are a few options for insecticides:
# Chemicals like pyrethroids and pyrethrins are the most commonly utilized in treating bedbug infestations. However, some bedbugs have adapted to them and are now resistant.
# To kill bed bugs, pyrroles like chlorfenapyr damage their cell membranes, therefore killing them.
Neonicotinoids are synthetic analogs of nicotine. Pests are harmed because of the chemicals. Bed Bugs resistant to other pesticides can be treated with this sort of chemical.
# As the name suggests, desiccants are compounds that break down the bugs’ outer shell. The bugs perish if they aren’t coated with this substance. Silica aerogel (Tri-Die and CimeXa) and diatomaceous earth are examples of desiccants. Desiccants have the advantage that bedbugs can’t develop resistance, but they take a long to act. It may take a few months for these solutions to eliminate all bugs.
# It is impossible for foggers or insect bombs to reach nooks and crevices where bedbugs hide. Toxic, if used incorrectly, can also harm human health. The product’s label should be read attentively. The fogger will go off if you’re still in the room.
# It is less harmful to use plant oil-based insecticides like EcoRaider and Bed Bug Patrol, as they are less toxic than chemical insecticides.
Step 5: Keep a Close Eye on the Damaged Region:
It may take some time to eradicate bedbugs. Proof that the bugs have been eliminated is necessary before you conclude that your treatment has been successful. Infested regions should be checked for evidence of activity every seven days.
Placing a bed bug interceptor under each bed leg will make it easier to find any surviving bed bugs. These devices will prevent bed bugs from infesting your mattress. Interceptors may need to be monitored for a year.
Step 6: If Necessary, Retreat:
The bedbug is a tricky bug. Despite your best efforts, you may come upon them again. A variety of treatments may be necessary to rid the area of the infestation. And if it doesn’t work, you’ll need to hire a pest control company.
Step 7: Get the Experts Engaged:
It’s time to call in the experts if you can’t get rid of bedbugs on your own. Pest control businesses can use chemicals and other treatments available to you. It is possible to use insecticides that kill bed bugs on the spot and those that remain in furniture and cracks to kill the pests over time. Pest control firms can also use heat treatments in complete rooms. To get rid of the bedbugs, they bring in special equipment that heats the room between 135- and 145-degrees F.
You should receive advice on preparing your home for pest control before they arrive. You’ll have the best chance of eliminating the bugs if you properly follow their instructions. To see results from professional treatments, you’ll need two to three sessions. Depending on the strength of the insecticides used, you may have to wait a few hours after each application before returning to the treated areas.
Conclusion:
Fortunately, bedbugs can be controlled using pest service. Removing bed bugs can take some time and effort, so be patient. If you have a huge infestation, you may try various chemical and non-chemical methods. Bed Bug extermination can be complicated for a variety of reasons. Clutter and frequent travel can make it more difficult to get rid of bedbugs in your house.
