How to Exterminate Bed Bugs

Summary

– What are bed bugs?

– Step 1: Preventing Bed Bug Infestations

– Step 2: Examine your bed and box spring

– Step 3: Wash everything and pass the steam cleaner

– Step 4: Use insecticides to treat bed bugs

– Step 5: Call a pest control company

The bedbug is sucking and biting insect, causing sometimes unbearable itchiness to the sleeper, which it attacks at night. It is easily imported into a house, proliferates dreadfully and causes an infestation that is difficult to get rid of. The fight is long and tedious, combining mechanical and chemical treatments. In the event of a heavy infestation, it is wise to seek the services of a professional.

This post explains everything you need to know about treating bedbugs which should be implemented as soon as you see the slightest bedbug in your home.

1. Preventing Bed Bug Infestations

Use bed bug traps

These traps are a good precaution to take when travelling in dubious conditions, or to detect the presence of bedbugs in your home; however, they are insufficient when your home is infested with bedbugs.

– Purchase ready-made traps from the store to be placed at each foot of the bed to prevent bed bugs from reaching the bed.

– You can also place the feet of the bed in a saucer (like a flowerpot saucer) where you can sprinkle diatomaceous earth, which contains silica and will injure the bedbugs’ shells. They will then die of dehydration.

– Otherwise, coat the feet of the bed with petroleum jelly.

– Or simply put the four legs of the bed in old-fashioned containers (like cans) filled with water, where the bed bugs will drown.

2. Examine your bed and box spring

If you have been bitten by an insect at night, especially on the open areas of your body (face, hands, feet, forearms), check for bedbugs:

– Check your sheets for narrow, long, narrow traces of blood and dark brown feces.

– Examine your bed, box spring and pillows carefully, especially the seams.

Important: Repeat this examination every month, as soon as you have found even a single bedbug.

3. Wash everything and pass the steam cleaner

The steam cleaner is your best ally in the fight against bed bugs.

– If you find even a single bedbug, switch to the steam cleaner.

– Inspect and treat the beds in all rooms as well as the sofas, armchairs, curtains, cushions and floors in all rooms.

– Steam every nook and cranny, crack, crevice in walls and furniture.

Important: Repeat this treatment 3 days later, as the steam does not kill the eggs, but on the contrary makes them hatch.

If you do not have a steam cleaner, vacuum:

– Thoroughly vacuum the bedding and other items mentioned above and especially burn the bag afterwards, or throw it away after having locked it in an airtight garbage bag.

– Then iron the bedding with a hot steam iron.

Wash all sheets and clothes at 60°C.

Wash the bed linen:

– Do not shake the bed linen out of the window, but wash the sheets and sheets at 60 or even 90 °C and, if possible, dry them in the tumble dryer.

– Then cover mattresses and pillows with bedbug covers, which are designed so that bedbugs cannot hide in them and lay their eggs.

Wash clothes:

– If the infestation is large, gather your clothes in large garbage bags and seal them tightly.

– As soon as you have washed the contents of one bag at 60°C and dried it (preferably in the tumble dryer), put the decontaminated clothes in a new bag and seal it tightly.

– Do not put the clothes back in the cupboards until the house has been completely decontaminated.

4) Use insecticides to treat bedbugs

Insecticides are often necessary in addition to physical treatments (steam cleaner, vacuum cleaner, washing).

– Begin with an attack treatment of the entire room(s).

You can use:

– a special bedbug fumigator;

– or a special automatic bedbug aerosol can: with a single press, trigger the aerosol and treat the whole room, taking the precaution of leaving the house for at least 3 hours.

Perform additional treatment

– With a special bedbug canister, spray:

– the box spring, the mattress and all the bedding;

– armchairs, cushions and curtains;

– floors and baseboards, insisting in the slightest cracks or crevices.

– Repeat the treatments 3 times

– To destroy larvae and eggs that have become adults after escaping the previous treatment, repeat the treatment 3 weeks after the first treatment and again 3 weeks after the second treatment.

5) Call a pest control company

The extermination of bedbugs is a long and tedious process, so do not hesitate, in the event of a heavy infestation, to call a pest control company which will use the most suitable products and make 2 or 3 visits at intervals of several weeks.

Hope the above helps you out! Remember to share your experience in the section below.