Proper Handling and Control of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are a worldwide problem. They’re like those zombies in the movies that just won’t go away, wherever you are. They invade your home, no matter how clean you think it is. In reality, their existence isn’t based on the cleanliness or dirtiness of one’s property. What’s even worse is that they are very difficult to eliminate, once they invade and infest your home. So for most homeowners, dealing with bed bugs always means tapping the services of a professional pest exterminator. However, you as a homeowner still have the responsibility of controlling and at least preventing the likelihood of bed bug infestation. Here are some steps you can easily follow:

Step 1 – Treat your bedroom and mattress. First off, you can try using a steamer. Steam cleaning is an effective way of killing bed bugs because these insects cannot survive in the temperature. But be reminded that this method won’t kill those ones hiding in crevices.

Step 2 – Vacuum the mattress at home. First, strip the bed of its bedding and then store the bedding in a double trash bag. Vacuum the mattress as well as the box springs. Do it thoroughly. It is very important to deal with your mattress the soonest possible time. Bed bugs will attack you at night while you’re sleeping. Therefore, once you see any signs of them, you need to focus on your mattress and isolate the bed with the bed bugs. Next, you will need to get an encasement for the mattress. Choose one that is designed to keep out bed bugs. Likewise, get one that is durable enough not to easily rip.

Step 3 – You also need to cover both your mattress and box springs with individual or separate encasements. With those casings on, bed bugs won’t be able to conveniently transfer from one place to another.

Knowing the Signs of the Presence of Bed Bugs

Step 1 – The first place you should be looking at are the crevices. Bed bugs have adapted to whatever kind of environment they’re in and because of that, they have become experts and masters at hiding. They easily can hide in cracks, bedside table items, and mattresses. You should bring with you a flashlight to successfully spot them.

Step 2 – Know the signs. Bed bugs will be leaving behind some small black flecks, which are actually leftovers of their feces. You can also confirm that there are bed bugs when you see small drops of blood in your bed in the morning. And mind you, it is your own blood.

Step 3 – Check yourself if you have bites. You should also know that not everyone will show signs of a bed bug bite, even if they are already bitten. As a matter of fact, only one third of people will develop tangible spots in their skin after being bitten.

Step 4 – Check every room in your home. If one room is infested with bed bugs, it is likely that other rooms have them, too. There’s a chance that you already are bringing with you bed bugs as you sit on the couch in your living room or you spend some time in another room.

Calling the Experts

Keep in mind that it’s not really practical to immediately use any kind of pesticide to deal with bed bugs. As a matter of fact, any pesticide won’t do any good. If you really aren’t confident that you can control and handle the problem on your own, the best course of action is to call a pest exterminator. With the pros, you have some certainty that the problem will be addressed with the use of advanced tools and extermination equipment.

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