Hi I'm James from Do My Own Pest Control dot com, and I'm filming from our product warehouse to
talk about how to get rid of bed bugs. At Do My Own Pest Control dot com, we know that the thought
of doing your own bedbug treatment may seem daunting to you. This is understandable. That's
that's why we're going to walk you through a bedbug treatment step-by-step, so you can learn how
to implement your own successful bedbug elimination treatment. Step 1 - Prepare the space that
needs to be treated. This is probably the hardest part for most folks, but whether you
hire a pest control operator or do your own bedbug treatment, THIS STEP CANNOT BE SKIPPED.
It's time to take a hard look around the room. Grab a few trash bags and bag up anything
you have decided you do not want to keep. Remember, every item left in the room must
be treated in some way to get rid of hidden bedbugs so if you don't need it or love it
, TOSS IT! Be sure to seal up the bags before carrying them out of the room to avoid transferring
bedbugs to other parts of the home. Gather any clothing or linens in the room and run
them through the dryer on high for about 30 minutes. Place these items in bags or storage
containers to avoid re- infestation. Make sure all drawers, cabinets and under the bed
are free of any items, to allow for a complete and thorough treatment. We get a lot of phone
calls at this point because people aren't sure if they have to get rid of their mattress
and box spring. This is usually a personal decision but you do not have to get rid of
the mattress and box spring. You can instead choose to encase them in bedbug proof covers.
These covers zip up all the way around each piece and any bedbugs already on the mattress
or box spring will be trapped and will eventually die. Step 2 - is using a heat treatment. This
step is optional but we do strongly urge you to consider it. By using a steamer that reaches
bedbug killing temperatures (over 140 degrees Fahrenheit) you can kill a large number of bedbugs quickly.
Most insecticides are not capable of killing bedbug eggs so using heat is a great option.
All heat treatments should be done before insecticide treatments to avoid degrading
the insecticide. Steaming should be done s-l-o-w-l-y and the steam should be aimed at cracks and
crevices. -Step 3 is the actual application of insecticides. There are no shortcuts here.
Foggers or bug bombs should be avoided as they are rarely useful for bedbug control
and can actually force bedbugs deeper into voids and make elimination take longer. We
recommend using a few different products together in your bedbug program. All of the products
must be specifically labeled for bedbugs. Most programs should include a concentrated
liquid insecticide, an aerosol insecticide and an insecticide dust. We have bedbug kits
made specifically for at-home treatment available on our website, Do My Own Pest Control dot com.
Measure and mix the concentrate as recommended on the product label and apply around baseboards,
door frames, window frames, around bed frames, and under furniture. Allow the treated area
to dry before moving on to the next step. Now that the area is dry you can use the aerosol
insecticide. Take the time to use the straw applicator on the aerosol and treat the very
fine cracks and crevices ON and IN furniture AND around the entire room. Don't forget drawers,
picture frames, bedframes, and any other crack or crevice you can see. Once again you want
to allow this part of the treatment to dry before moving on to the next step. Last is
the dust insecticide. The dust can be applied using a hand duster to the underside of baseboards,
between mattresses and box springs and behind drawers, in dressers, under furniture, and
behind light switches and electrical outlets. Dusts, while a bit messy, are a great choice
for use in places that are less accessible because they last for several months while
sprays and aerosols only last for a few days. This means dusts can be applied to areas that
are hard to access since you only have to apply them every few months. Step 4. Treat
again. Reapplications are necessary every 7-10 days until you do not see ANY evidence
of bedbugs for 30 days. Evidence means live bugs, blood spots on light colored sheets,
bites or cast bedbug skins. Most treatment programs, when performed as directed will
require 3-4 retreatments. If you have more questions, or need any bedbug products, or
pest products, please visit our website, Do My Own Pest Control dot com. Thanks!