Do you find yourself covered in itchy red bumps when you wake up in the morning? You might be dealing with bed bugs. Before you panic, try these methods for banishing the creepy-crawlies from the bedroom and the rest of the house.
1. Clean Up the Mess
Clutter of any kind is prime hiding space for bed bugs. In fact, these pests are so small and flat that they can hang out in places the width of a credit card. Cleaning up piles of papers and other belongings gives bed bugs less cover.
2. Vacuum—a Lot
Breaking out the vacuum cleaner may not get rid of every bed bug in your home, but it’s a good way to cut down on their numbers. Vacuum everything you can think of: the carpets and floors, upholstered furniture, the legs and frame of the bed and anywhere else a bed bug might hide. The vacuum will suck up eggs as well as adults, helping to break the cycle of infestation.
3. Wash Everything
Bed bugs can be eliminated with either heat or cold, but these temperatures must be sustained for longer than is usually practical. However, steam also kills bed bugs, so gather up anything you’ve found them on from linens to clothing and toss it in the wash with hot water. When it’s done, dry it on a high setting.
4. Shut Them Out
Taking measures to control bed bugs in your home won’t do much if you don’t also practice prevention. Since bed bugs can fit through even the tiniest crack, you’ll have to break out the caulking gun and get to filling. Larger cracks may need professional repair. Not only will this keep bed bugs from coming in, but it will also improve the condition of your home. You have to be diligent when buying any secondhand items, too. Give each purchase a thorough inspection before bringing it into your home to avoid bringing hitchhiking bed bugs along with it.
5. Get Professional Help
Whenever you have an infestation of pests, the best way to ensure that all bed bugs have been eliminated is to hire professional help. Burns Pest Elimination offers effective integrated pest management and thermal remediation methods to assure that the infestation is destroyed entirely. To zap those bed bugs once and for all, give us a call or request a quote today.
