While calling in the professionals bed bug exterminators is the best way to address your bed bug problem, many people look to take a do-it-yourself approach to pest control before admitting defeat.
The first step in attempting to address your bed bug problem on your own is to isolate the infected area.
Beds and bed rooms are the most common site for bed bug infestations, followed by living room sofas. Any room where someone in your home has been bitten or displays signs of bed bug activity should be considered infested.
Once you have determined which rooms are infected, it’s time to perform your inspection.
Your inspection cannot be thorough enough when it comes to tracking down bed bugs. Over turning furniture, flipping mattresses, dismantling bed frames and emptying drawers may all be necessary to find where the insects are hiding.
Remember to look along mattress piping and in all the nooks and crannies or the room with a flashlight as bed bugs are adverse to light.
Next, vacuum the entire room, focusing on the areas of infestation with a high-powered vacuum. If you are using an attachment make sure it is not one with bristles and bristle attachments can transfer bed bugs from one area to another.
Once you have completed vacuuming, dispose of the vacuum bags immediately
Next, clean the room thoroughly. Methods for cleaning vary from soap and extremely hot water to use of commercial insecticides. Each method carries its own risks, from not eliminating the infection to creating a potential health hazard in your home.
Again, the safest and most surefire way to eliminate bed bugs is to call a bed bug exterminator.
Next, cover your treated mattress and box spring with covers. The covers, which prevent bed bugs from getting back in or out, should stay on your bed for up to a year to ensure that they’re bed bug free.
All clothing should also be laundered at a temperature of at least 50 degrees Celsius or brought to a dry cleaners.
One of the many difficulties with do-it-yourself bed bug treatments is finding a way to measure your success. Just because you notice a reduction in bites each morning, doesn’t necessarily mean your problem is going away.
One way to track results is by using interception devices at the foot of your furniture.
Interception devices trap bed bugs between their hiding places and their feeding grounds. Few intercepted bed bugs is an indication that your treatment methods may be working.
Double sided adhesives around cracks in your floor and on the legs of furniture can also help track a bed bug problem.
Remember: if you think you have bed bugs the only way to guarantee extermination is to call the professional bed bug exterminators at Bed Bug Heat Exterminator.
>>If you become a victim of a bed bug infestation then contact the team at Allphase for the fastest, safest, and most effective solution. We offer heat treatment bed bug extermination for homes in Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto.