It’s normal to feel a wave of dread wash over if you find bed bugs in your home. The thought of sharing your room with tiny 5mm insects certainly isn’t pleasant.
If you’ve rolled up your sleeves to tackle the problem, you should note that getting rid of bed bugs on your own isn’t easy. There are various steps and variables that you need to consider if it’s to be a success.
If the problem seems too big to handle, don’t hesitate to call a professional. However, if you’re set on doing it yourself, here’s a helpful guide on what to do.
What to Watch Out For
Here are some of the telltale signs:
- Bite marks on your body, particularly your back
- Blood splats on your sheets from squashed bed bugs
- Clusters of yellow bed bug eggs
- Small skin shells that are shed by young bed bugs
Identify the Problem Area
The first step you should be taking is identifying where the problem is coming from early on. Although a smaller infestation is easier to treat, it’s also much harder to find. If you don’t feel confident that you’ve got to the source, again, a professional can help.
Their small size allows bedbugs to climb into any nook and cranny. So, the difficulty in finding bed bugs will depend on how many natural hiding places there are in your home.
If you’ve caught what you think is a bed bug, it’s worth taking it to a professional for identification. Most local counties will offer an extension service that can identify bedbugs. Doing this can save you from spraying your home with pesticides when you might not need to.
Contain the Problem
The first step to containing the problem should be to vacuum all the bedbugs and eggs that you can see. This won’t solve the issue on its own, since there are always more eggs where you can’t see them. You should vacuum everything – mattress, carpets, furniture – any place where the bed bugs might be.
When you’re done, make sure to seal the vacuum waste into a bag and then cleanse the vacuum. Wash your bedsheets and clothing on the highest temperature setting, followed by a hot dryer cycle. Exposing bed bugs to extreme heat or cold is an effective way of killing them.
Exterminate Bed Bugs
After containing the problem, you can now move to exterminate the bed bugs. You can opt to use insecticides or natural remedies, with the former being the more effective option of the two.
Natural remedies: Some natural solutions include spraying alcohol on affected areas, using a vacuum, applying steam, and using essential oils to repel bugs.
Insecticides: The most common products used are pyrethrins and pyrethroids, pyrroles, and neonicotinoids. All are effective at killing bed bugs through different methods.
Call the Professionals
If, after all your efforts, you still spot pockets of bed bugs around the house, the infestation has likely spread. At this point, it would be wise to hire professional exterminators who have access to different products and equipment that will do the job. If you find yourself in this predicament, give our bed bug exterminator experts a call!