Tips On How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

When you have a bed bug infestation, it's best to call in a professional exterminator. Bedbug problems have reached epidemic levels in some of the biggest cities in the US, making bedbug control a legitimate concern for households in every area. These insects are tiny, hardy and multiply quickly: a single bedbug can lay up to 500 eggs in its six-month lifespan. Here are some helpful tips you can use to protect your home, get the pests under control, and minimize the risk of getting re-infested.

Call an Exterminator Quickly

Because bed bugs tend to attack in the middle of the night while you are asleep, your first notice that they've arrived may be a line of itchy bites along your arms or legs. This is a sign of adult bed bugs somewhere in your living space. However, simply using a "bug bomb" may actually make matters worse by driving them further into places where they are hard to reach, such as wall cavities, box springs, or the interior of furniture. Stay calm, take some of the steps outlined below, and get a professional on the job.

Encase Your Mattress and Box Spring

Over 80% of infestations are found in a mattress or box spring. Don't drag these items through your house to throw them out – this can spread bugs and eggs to other areas which were previously not infected. A quality bug-proof cover will encase your entire mattress and box spring. Be very watchful for rips or holes – even a tiny hole can allow juvenile bugs to escape. A bed bug's maximum life span is about six months, so if a mattress has been encased for longer than that, it should be safe to unwrap or replace.

Reduce Clutter and Elevate Everything 

While bugs can hide in furniture or in the cavities inside walls, they usually approach along the floor, walls or wainscoting. Minimize the contact surfaces between furniture, walls and floor, and treat the areas where furniture touches the floor with bed bug specific pesticide to prevent them from migrating. Remember, pesticides formulated for ants and roaches will not work on bedbugs.

Treat All your Textiles

A professional exterminator can remove bedbugs from your rooms and furniture and use pesticide to help prevent them from finding their way inside again. However, any of your clothing or fabric items which may have been infested will need to be carefully washed. High heat, at or about 120 degrees Fahrenheit, kills bed bugs at every life stage – adults, larvae and eggs – so your best bet is to wash in hot water and dry all items thoroughly. 

For more information, contact Greenleaf Organic Pest Management or a similar company.


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