Getting Rid of Bed Bugs – Treatment Options for Bed Bug Infestation
Bed bugs are a serious problem in today’s society. Not only do they cause physical discomfort to those who have an infestation, but they can also be very costly as well.
These pesky little pests can be found in homes and businesses around the world. While they are not known to spread disease, their bites cause itchy red bumps which may become inflamed or infected if scratched.
It is important to get rid of these creepy crawlies as soon as you find them so that your family does not experience any unnecessary discomfort! I will discuss how to identify whether you have an infestation and what steps should be taken to exterminate these pests from your home.
What Is the Main Cause of Bed Bugs?
There is no doubt that travel is the most common cause of active bed bug infestation. In many cases, bed bugs are accidentally transported to other properties by people, clothing, luggage, or other personal belongings that are hitched to the traveller. Humans are frequently unaware that bed bugs are present in their beds.
Their flattened bodies and small size make them easy to hide in tight, secluded spaces that are often hidden from view, such as behind headboards or deep inside upholstered furniture. Furthermore, their flat bodies provide them with protection if one of their hosts rolls over on them in the middle of the night.
Regardless of their desire to remain hidden, bed bugs will emerge when their hosts are nearby to feed. However, they are cautious about their actions when they are near a host. Bed bugs hide during the day and move toward a host during the middle of the night to avoid detection. While they feed, they inject mild anaesthetic into their victim to remain unnoticed.
The popularity of second-hand furniture is another cause of bed bugs. A bed bug infestation can often be brought into a property by bringing an infested piece of furniture. Bed bugs can live in old bed frames and other furniture.
It is also possible that rental furniture is responsible for bed bug infestations if it is rented to a property that has bed bugs and then improperly inspected upon its return before being rented out again. It is not enough to isolate a piece of furniture or bed frame infested with bed bugs. Bed bugs can survive for many months without a blood meal.
How to Tell if You Have Bed Bugs in Your Home?
The presence of these active bed bug infestations in your home or box spring bed can be detected by a few telltale signs. Your skin looks red and itchy when you first wake up. The exposed parts of your skin usually have a bed bug bite.
You may also have small blood stains on your sheets if you have a bed bug infestation. You may have bed bugs if you see them. Examine the seams and edges of your mattress after turning off the light as they like the dark and emerge at night.
How Do I Permanently Get Rid of Bed Bugs at Home?
Even though cleaning up bedbug-infested areas can help control them, chemical treatments, bug bombs, and bed bug traps are usually necessary to killing bed bugs.
It is important to use safe products for use in bedrooms, as treating your bed or bedroom with insecticides can be harmful. If the treatment label does not explicitly indicate that it can be used on bedding, do not use it.
An experienced bed bug control or pest control professional is generally the safest and most effective choice for bedbug extermination.
How Long Does It Take To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
Eliminating bed bugs is a process; there is no way around it. Depending on which elimination method you use, the severity of the infestation, and how thorough the bed bug treatment are, it takes varying amounts of time to remove bed bugs.
Heated bed bug treatments kill bugs instantly but do not leave a residual effect. Although chemical bed bug treatments require a few weeks, they leave behind a residual that keeps bed bugs from returning.
As well as the initial infestation’s size and severity, the length of time it takes for bed bugs to be eradicated is also an important consideration. You can expect at least 4-6 weeks from the time you realize you have bed bugs until you can sleep without worry.
It can take some time to find a licensed and insured pest control company, regardless of the treatment method you choose. Obtain detailed information from multiple professionals regarding their experience, the procedures they follow, as well as their success rates.
Make sure they are available for the initial treatment before committing or signing any contracts. Also, inquire about their follow-up appointments policy.
Understanding that you will be responsible for preparing your room for treatment also impacts how long it will take to remove bed bugs.
Including joints in your bedside table, bed bugs can hide in even the tiniest crevices. You will receive a preparation sheet from your pest control company before your room is treated.
Prior to their coming to see you, give yourself plenty of time to perform this task. An insufficient preparation may cause the company to reschedule/delay the treatment as well as decrease the effectiveness of the treatment.
What Are the Different Ways of Getting Rid of Bed Bug Infestation?
Traditional Insecticide Treatment
When you opt for a traditional insecticide treatment for bed bugs, the time it takes to eradicate them varies. When they lay their eggs, bed bugs naturally hatch after 6 to 9 days.
Consequently, if you want to eradicate bed bugs completely, you will likely need multiple treatments. It is also important to remain realistic about the extent and severity of the problem.
When you consult with a Pest Management Professional, don’t under-report the locations at which you have seen bed bugs if you are concerned about killing them quickly.
Consider treating the living room and the bedroom at the same time if you have observed them in both places. As a result, you are able to quickly eliminate bed bugs and prevent reinfestation.
Whole Room Heat Treatments
Heat can kill bed bugs fast. There is no one-step solution, but it can be accomplished in a single visit from the pest control company. The temperature of the infested room will be heated to between 135°F (57.2°C) and 145°F (62.7°C) by licensed professionals with specialized equipment.
It is monitored closely with thermometers throughout the room to ensure the air is heated sufficiently to kill bed bugs but not so hot as to damage the furniture. As soon as they reach 122°F (50°C), bed bugs die.
In general, these treatments take between 6 and 8 hours and require careful monitoring by the technician and preparation on your part. If you cannot wait 2-3 weeks to get rid of bed bugs, you can have bed bugs eradicated in just an afternoon through successful heat treatment.
Can I Kill Bed Bugs Myself?
Yes, you can. You can buy most of the products that professionals use to treat bedbugs yourself, but the process will take longer. There are excellent guide videos online that can explain how to
inspect and treat your bed bugs, but this method could take a while to eliminate them from your home completely.
It is important to study various products and determine how to use them safely and properly. Experience and advanced training are often prerequisites for pest management professionals. Their personal observations of bed bug behaviour over the last couple of decades have led to the successful treatment of bed bug infestations.
You will need to do regular inspections and re-treat bed bugs regularly if you are performing this job on your own. Unless you pay attention to every spot, you might have to start the battle all over again if you miss one. Getting rid of bed bugs on your own isn’t fast or easy, but it can be done.
Here are also some tips to prevent or control bed bugs from infesting your home again:
- Make sure all bedding, linens, curtains, and clothing are clean with hot water and dries on the highest setting in the dryer. Dry stuffed animals, shoes, and anything else that can’t be washed on high for 30 minutes.
- Scrub the mattress seams with a stiff brush to eliminate bedbugs and bed bug eggs before vacuuming.
- Your bed and the area around it need to be vacuumed frequently. Vacuum cleaner bags should be placed in plastic bags after vacuuming and placed outdoors in garbage cans.
- Make sure bed bugs can’t get into your mattress, bed frame, and box springs by wrapping the mattress with a zippered cover or plastic bag. In order to ensure that all bedbugs in your mattress are dead, keep the mattress cover on for at least a year.
- Make sure cracks in plaster are repaired and peeling wallpaper is glued down to eliminate bed bug hiding places.
- The solution to infested mattresses may be to get rid of them and replace them with new ones but be sure to eliminate bedbugs from the rest of your home so that your new mattress will not be infested.
Key Takeaways
Several bed bug treatment options can remove bed bugs permanently. Bed bugs multiply quickly, which is why treating bed bugs and making sure all the bugs are gone is essential. A bedbug infestation can occur anywhere from dresser drawers, the crevice or protected location of used furniture and bed seams.
Although bed bugs do not spread disease, they can cause annoying itchy welts, so it’s better to prevent bed bugs from evading your home. To control bed bug populations, wrapping the mattress in a sealed plastic bag and washing bedding could help.
Pest control companies know exactly how to kill insects and kill bedbugs. It is advisable to hire them for the best results.
