If you’re trying to get rid of bed bugs then you know it’s no laughing matter. These nasty little insects feed on our blood while we sleep and leave us with itchy, unsightly red bumps. We recommend you still follow our guide below, as it walks you through the exact order of steps.
Bed Bug
Washing and Containment
Bed bugs love to live in fabric and can lay eggs anywhere. That’s why you need to start by washing everything you can. It’s essential to use high water temperature and heat when drying. Bed bugs and their eggs die at a temperature of 119-124 degrees. Water alone isn’t guaranteed to kill them – these bugs are pretty good at floating.
Start with bedsheets and comforter. Place it in a large plastic bag or bin, seal it the best you can, and immediately transport it to a washing machine. You need to wash all of your clothes, stuffed animals, fabric curtains, etc. Basically, if you can wash it, you should. Nothing’s worse than thinking you have a bed bug problem under control only for more eggs to hatch unexpectedly and you have to start the process all over again.
Vacuum EVERYTHING
The next step of taking care of a bug problem is directly attacking the bed bugs with a vacuum. This can actually be the most effective step in the entire process. Don’t take it lightly just because it sounds like a common chore. When it comes time to vacuum, you want to pay special attention to vacuuming your mattress and the area around your bed. Make use of your vacuum’s attachments to really get into creases in the mattress as well as the areas around your floorboards to get to all the places bed bugs love to hide. Apply residual liquid such as Good Morning Bed Bug Killer spray or Green Dragon’s Natural & Organic Bed Bug Control Concentrate Makes 1.89 LTR Ready to Use that’s available on amazon easily.
Spray liquid insecticides or aerosols
- Spray around and under the bed and along the baseboards near the bed. After removing the drawers from the furniture, the inside of the cabinetry should be sprayed as well as the bottom and sides of the drawers. Do not treat the inside of the drawers. If needed the clothes in the drawers should be removed and laundered.
- Spray around the inside of closets, door frames, and doors.
- Spray molding at the top and bottom of the room. Spray around windows.
- Spray seams of drawers, both top, and bottom. Spray dressers from below. Spray where dressers touch the floor.
- Spray where the bed touches the floor, spray chairs, and underneath chairs.
- Spray all baseboards, loose plaster, behind bed frames and headboards, beneath beds and furniture, and bedsprings and bed frames. Do not apply to furniture surfaces or mattresses where people will be laying or sitting unless using a product labeled for that type of treatment. Infested bedding should not be treated, but should be removed, placed in sealed plastic bags, and taken for laundering and drying at high temperature.
Repeat
You must repeat the entirety of Steps every 7-10 days until no one in the home has bed bug bites and there is no further evidence (live bugs, cast skins, or fresh blood spots) found. This is absolutely crucial! Depending on the severity of the infestation it can take a minimum of 7-8 weeks, including repeat treatments. Failure to be thorough can prolong the process of getting rid of bed bugs and can make it harder to eliminate them.
Pest Control
If these steps don’t help then it’s best to call pest control. Insecticides that are available to the public are often not strong enough to be effective, or they are unable to reach the bugs’ hiding places. In this case, it is best to involve a registered pest controller. Catching a bug or taking a photo to share with the professional can help them see what type of bug is causing the problem. Pest controllers may start with nonchemical methods and then use pesticides if these do not work.