Bed Bugs Getting Rid Of
"Bed bugs getting rid of the pests. While we always recommend that a professional treat bed bugs, with some hard work and perseverance, you can get rid of bed bugs in your home or apartment. Follow the steps outlined in this guide to rid your home of a bedbug infestation. "
Getting rid of or killing bed bugs is a multi-step process which requires thorough cleaning of infested rooms and at minimum an inspection of adjacent rooms. On average, bed bugs will travel approximately 20 feed to find a host. Use that as a general rule when deciding what rooms to clean. Bed bugs will also to adjacent rooms that are above and below the ones where your spotted the bed bugs.
This can be a frustrating process since it is easy to miss bed bug eggs which are small and white and can be found anywhere. However, if you keep on attacking the problem, eventually it will be at tolerable levels and then completely gone. If you live in an apartment, be sure to involve the landlord and other tenants, since rooms above and next to the bed bug problem may be the cause.
It is unlikely that products made for other insects will kill bedbugs, since insecticides tend to be insect specific.
Bed bugs getting rid of them will at minimum take a full day for each room. Because this is a difficult process we recommend that you confirm the presence of bed bugs by calling in a professional. We suggest a 2 step process:
1. Contact a Local Firm that has been pre-screened by a national network: Service Magic will provide 4 free quotes from local bed bug experts. Their toll free phone number is 877-233-1145. Network members also must be licensed and insured.2. Check our List of Bed Bug Experts: You can search our list of bed bug exterminators here.
It is not unusual for 2 to 3 bed bug treatments before a bed bug problem is brought under control.
Bed Bugs Getting Rid of Them
The key to getting rid or killing bed bugs is to not only kill or remove the bugs themselves, but to protect against the eggs they leave behind.
Identify Bed Bugs First
Bed bugs getting rid of them involves looking around, under and behind every object in the room. The bugs are flat and range in size from a speck or poppy seed sized when born to 1/4 inches when they are adults. They can cling to any surface, even upside down. Bed bugs have a range of colors including burnt orange, brown and even white if they just molted.
Here are some pictures to help you identify bed bugs.
Photo of Bed Bug - Adult
On a mattress you can identify bed bugs by
looking at the seams and
what they left behind. If a bedbug has been on a mattress, they
sometime leave behind blood stains or fecal matter.
Bed Bugs Getting Rid of Photo of Bed Bugs
Source: University of Kentucky
Preparing the Room Before Bed Bugs Getting Rid of Action is Taken
There are several steps involved in preparing a room for bed bugs getting rid of treatment. Steps for how to kill bedbugs include:
- Loosen carpets around the edge of the room if possible since this is a possible bedbug hiding place.
- Removing all bed linens. Bag and wash them.
- Loosen all electrical and cable switch plates so that you can inspect behind them.
- Make sure there are no items in the floor
- Empty and bag the contents of closets and any nearby drawers. Never transport items from the infested room to another area such as a washing machine unless they are bagged to avoid dropping any bed bugs around the house.
- Throw out any items such as newspapers and magazines since these are favorite hiding places.
Bed Bugs Getting Rid of Them - Products You Will Need
There are several products that will be helpful in bed bugs getting rid of them. To save money you can buy all you need in an organic kit from All Stop or Dermisil for Bed Bugs. If you prefer to use insecticide based products, the New York Bed Bug Kit is a good choice. We highly recommend a kit since they come with detailed instructions.
Products you will find in a kit for bed bugs getting rid of include:
Bed Bug Spray:
A bed bug spray will kill bugs on direct contact. This is what is known
as a "knock down" spray as they help to reduce the population of bed
bugs. They are helpful since they
can reach into cracks in the floor. A few organic products to consider
are Bug
Patrol,
and Dead
Bed Bugs Contact Killing spray. Keep a bottle of spray handy,
since it kills the bugs on contact. The best insecticide based spray which is mattress safe is Sterifab.
These
knock down sprays should be used together with a spray that has a
lasting effect (called residual effect). We suggest either Phantom or Bedlam. These take up to 7 days to fully work, but will not repel bed bugs and will provide several weeks of protection.
Dust to Kill Bed Bugs: A fossil dust to kill bedbugs is sprinkled around the room, particularly in cracks and crevices, after you do your thorough cleaning and spraying. The reason is that since bed bugs are hard to find, any that you miss will come in contact with the dust, which will attach to their outer shell and kill the bed bug. Also, since bed bug eggs are very hard to find and destroy, when they hatch, the new born will come in contact with the dust. It is easy to miss the eggs since there is no specific place where they are laid out by the female. Eggs take 10 days to hatch. Dust is also helpful around electrical outlets, since liquid sprays could be dangerous.
Disinfectant and/or Steamer - Bed bug eggs stick to surfaces and can only be killed by a strong disinfectant such as PuraCleenRx, steam, bed bug insecticide based sprays or by a professional company that can super heat a room to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (45C). The kits mentioned above come with a steam cleaner for this purpose. Steam can also kill the bed bugs themselves.
Zippered Mattress and Box Spring Cover - After cleaning, lock any bugs or eggs you missed into the mattress and box spring with a zippered cover. The bugs inside will eventually die. Make sure the cover is made for bed bugs such as the one in the kits above or you can get the AllerZip Waterproof Bed Bug Proof Zippered Bedding Encasement from Amazon.com. If you buy one that isn't made for bed bugs or have one in the house, make sure it is hypoallergenic. You may also want to purchase a pillow cover, although these are just as easy to replace. If a mattress is ripped, it should be thrown out.
Bed bugs Getting rid of them is a multi-step process:
Note that is not unusual to have to repeat the process to treat bed bugs for 3 to 5 times since it is very easy to miss when eliminating bed bugs and their eggs.
1. Clean :
Vacuum
- A vacuum is a helpful bed bugs getting rid of method. If you have carpet, vacuum every
inch, and then do it again. Dispose of the vacuum bag in the room where
you just vacuumed by placing it in a securely tied plastic bag. Remove
and dispose out of door, preferably in a garbage can that is outside in
the sun.
Note
that a vacuum will not pick up bed bug eggs. A tip for bed bugs
getting rid of eggs is to pull them up with clear packing tape, kill
them with bed bug spray, or use a hand steamer.
Magnified Bed Bug Eggs
Use a Bed Bugs Getting Rid of Spray
Wash - Wash any fabric item in hot water including clothes, blankets, sheets and bedding. Wash in hot water. After the items dry, seal in plastic bags such as Ziploc Double Zipper Big Bags to avoid re infestation.
Clean Carpet - After vacuuming, there may be bed bug eggs in the carpet. Consider renting a carpet cleaner or if you have one, add a strong disinfectant to the cleaner such as the PuraCleen mentioned above. Test an area of the carpet first to avoid discoloring. If this doesn't work you may need a professional to super heat the room.
Inspect - Look in every crack and crevice, particularly near the bed. Look in the cracks of the bed frame, cracks in wooden floors, at the edge of carpets, in the box spring and behind the clock radio. Looks in the cracks of windows. Go inch by inch and check every item. Even pull off electrical plates and switch plates from the wall for inspection.
Bed
bugs can be sucked up in a vacuum cleaner as part of the bed bugs
getting rid of process. They can also be swept up in a rag, a fast and
convenient way for bed bugs getting rid of them. Vacuum
everywhere. Remove and dispose of newspapers and magazines. Bed bugs
only travel about 20 feed, to so don't move objects from one room to
another. Anything that leaves the room gets sealed in plastic bags. Do
not carry items into another room, this will only spread the bugs.
Bed Bug Hiding Places
2. Treat the Mattress, Box Spring and Furniture
For how to kill bed bugs
on the mattress, start by treating around buttons, the labels and
folds. After treatment, move to a "safe area" outside of the room.
After spray dries, place in a zippered cover. Use spray
lightly. For added protection, steam all seams before applying
spray, as bed bugs and bed bug eggs are killed from heat levels above
113F.
Treat
the box spring in the same way you treat the mattress. This is an
important part of the bed bugs getting rid of process as more bed bugs
might hide in the box spring. Approximately 50% of bed bugs in a
room are in and around the bed.
Inspect all furniture around and near the bed. Empty items in drawers into plastic containers with snap tight lids or Ziploc Double Zipper Big Bags. Treat furniture with a residual spray such as the Bedlam or Phantom. Be sure to test the spray in out of the way area to ensure that product doesn't stain furniture.
Treat remaining areas of the room. Vacuum along edges of carpet. Steam clean carpet as well.
3. Protect:
Zipper the Mattress/Box spring: Seal the mattress and box spring in a zippered casing as mentioned above. This will kill bugs trapped inside. WalMart offers lower cost options.
Use the Bed Bug Dust: Follow the manufacturer directions. Spread the dust under the bed, in cracks and anywhere else the bed bugs might be. When a bed bug nymph is born, the dust will kill them.
Put Climbup Interceptors under each bed leg: This is one of the more helpful bed bug remedies. When bed bugs approach the bed, they climb the outside of the bowl, and when they reach the top they fall in and get trapped.
3. When all Else Fails, Hire an Expert that specializes in bed bugs getting rid of the pests.
A bed bug exterminator will use other techniques such as bed bug sniffing dogs (they give off a distinct odor), and super heating a room to kill the bugs. These approaches may be necessary for bad infestations.
Ask a Question or Share Your Bed Bug Experience With Others
Do you have a question or great story about bed bugs? Share it!
What Other Visitors Have Said About Bed Bugs
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Tea Tree Oil For Bed Bugs
Not rated yet
I have been using tea tree oil to kill the bedbugs and it works right on contact. but it does leave oil residue on matresses. This oil also costs a bit ...
Please Click the +1 to let others know that this is a quality site
