How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs.
It truly is hard to sleep tight when the bed bugs bite, since these insidious creatures
are very real, and very nasty.
You’ll have to be persistent to get rid of them.
You will need A vacuum cleaner A washing machine A dryer A dry cleaner A steam cleaner Plastic
or fabric and plastic mattress covers 4 bowls of soapy water or boric acid Sticky tape and
a pest control expert.
Step 1.
Know your bed bugs.
They’re flat, oval-shaped, wingless, brownish--but will swell and be a bit reddish after feeding--and
grow to be about the size of an apple seed.
They prefer human blood, but will feed on some animals--and can live for up to 18 months
without feeding.
Though some people can have severe allergic reactions to bed bug bites, bed bugs are not
known to carry any diseases.
Step 2.
Spot the signs.
One is being bitten, usually in the night and in rows, but some people don’t wake
up.
Look for other clues--rusty spots on sheets or mattresses (from crushed bugs) or dark
spots (from their droppings, eggs, and shed skins).
Many people get bed bugs from hotel rooms.
When checking in, examine the headboard, mattress, box spring, closet, and luggage racks for
signs of the bugs.
If you see any, ask for another room--or check out.
Step 3.
With a flashlight, look for bugs in: the folds of mattresses, box springs, furniture, curtains;
cracks in bed frames & headboards; under chairs, couches, beds; in dresser drawers; behind
baseboards; under rugs & around carpet edges; crevices near doors & windows; behind loose
wallpaper or wall hangings; in cracks in your plaster; & in electronics.
Never take discarded mattresses or furniture off the streets.
This is one way bed bugs get into your home.
Step 4.
Verify that you’ve found bed bugs by getting a pest control expert to visit your home,
or sending a dead bug to a university lab, which will let you know if it is in fact a
bed bug.
Step 5.
Clean up.
The less clutter you have on your floor, under your bed, and throughout your home, the fewer
hiding places for the bugs.
Step 6.
Vacuum up dirt, bugs, and eggs.
Vacuum your mattress, box spring, and furniture thoroughly every day until you’re sure the
bugs are gone.
After each vacuuming, remove the bag, wrap it carefully in plastic, and dispose of it
immediately.
You can also use a steam cleaner, making sure that the temperature of the steam is over
120 degrees.
Step 7.
Purchase a plastic or plastic and cloth encasement for your mattress.
Cover the zipper with duct tape and leave the cover on for 18 months.
Step 8.
Clean all clothes, linens, blankets, pillows, and drapes.
You need either to have them dry cleaned or wash them in water that is at least 120 degrees
and dry them on high heat (at least 140 degrees) for at least half an hour.
You can also place items in dark garbage bags and let them sit out in direct sunlight on
hot days.
Step 9. Make your bed an island.
Pull it away from walls, make sure none of the bedding drapes onto the floor, and place
the legs of your bed in bowls of soapy water or boric acid.
Placing sticky tape around the legs might also work.
Beware--using soapy water, boric acid, or sticky tape could damage your bed’s legs.
Step 10.
The most reliable way to get rid of bed bugs is to hire a pest control expert.
He will find and destroy their hiding places, and, if he must, treat your home with insecticides.
He should be willing to make return visits.
Make sure that your exterminator has experience with getting rid of bed bugs; otherwise, he
could just make matters worse.
Step 11. Make sure that bed bugs can’t invade your home again by sealing all crevices, including
cracks in paint and plaster and spaces where any pipes enter your home.
If you have bats or birds living in your attic or basement, you might be getting the bugs
from them, so remove them and seal any entrances.
Step 12.
Bed bug eggs aren’t always killed, even with pesticides.
They take four to 12 days to hatch, so be prepared to employ your bug-fighting methods
and/or have the exterminator treat your house again.
Have faith--with perseverance and patience, you can defeat these little suckers.
Did you know Some sources say that travelers in medieval times took pigs to bed so the
bugs would feast on the swine instead of them.