Laundered linens, clothing, mattresses and box springs should be stored in plastic bags or containers until professional treatment has taken place, to reduce bed bug spread. Encasements for mattresses and box springs also help seal them in, eliminating potential hiding places and making inspection and treatment much simpler.
Other nonchemical measures to take include removing electrical, telephone and cable faceplates in order to inspect them; using cleaning products on hard-to-reach areas of your property; and planting thorny shrubs around it.
For effective bed bugs pest control, implementing a combination оf preventive measures and professional treatments іs crucial.
Regular Inspections
To effectively rid of bed bug infestation, thorough inspections are a necessity. While this task requires time and dedication, an eye trained to spot hiding places should also be employed during inspections of mattresses, box springs (with their slats underneath), head boards, frames and footboards; search for signs such as fecal spots, shed skins or blood stains which should also be examined regularly.
Bed bugs may hide in upholstered furniture such as chairs and sofas, so inspect these pieces with great caution using a bright flashlight to check seams, tufts, crevices and under skirting for signs of infestation. If a chair or sofa has already become infested it should either be steamed with water or placed into a freezer using special equipment to eliminate the threat.
Apply a light dusting of Diatomaceous Earth (DE), a natural mineral known for killing pests, to new harborages discovered during follow-up inspections. Be sure to purchase and follow directions on DE specifically labeled for insects; avoid agricultural or garden insecticides which could make people and animals ill.
Proper Laundry Practices
Bed bug infestations necessitate frequent laundry washings and dryer cycles in order to reduce the number of bed bugs found in clothing, linens and bedding. While this process can take time and patience, clothing should be washed in hot water followed by placement in a dryer set to the hottest temperature setting for drying before inspection for bed bug infestation and further washing/drying when dry.
Steamer cleaners can help eliminate bed bugs from mattresses, furniture and cracks in walls by reaching and penetrating areas that harbor bed bugs and their eggs. But steamers must be carefully used so as to reach every area harboring bedbugs or eggs.
Mattress and pillow encasements designed to prevent these pests from creating harborages are available and may prove useful if other methods of controlling bed bugs prove impractical or undesirable. When buying second-hand furnishings, be sure to inspect them thoroughly for bed bugs prior to bringing them into your home.
Minimizing Clutter
Clutter in any room provides more places for bed bugs to hide and make treatment harder, not only can they hide but it is more challenging to vacuum and dust these spaces too!
Clutter can be especially difficult to avoid in high-density housing units, where residents must store their possessions in smaller spaces. If this describes your residence, try keeping only essential possessions with you.
Before purchasing secondhand furniture or clothing, it is wise to carefully inspect each item for signs of bed bug infestation – dark spots on fabric, fecal stains and a sweet, musty smell are telltale indicators of infestation.
If discarding used clothing or furniture that has bed bugs, place it in plastic bags marked clearly as infested to protect other people from unknowingly bringing these pests into their home unknowingly. Installing baby-proof outlets covers can deter bed bugs from crawling into electrical sockets; and encasing mattresses and box springs will eliminate hiding places for bed bugs to reduce speed of control within a room.
Professional Pest Control
While bed bug infestations are best controlled with nonchemical methods, sometimes a professional pest control treatment may be necessary. Heat treatments have proven successful when combined with encasements and regular cleaning – it’s also crucial that residents conduct daily inspections and thoroughly vacuum affected areas after heat treatments have taken place.
Extremely infested items should be disposed of, particularly heavy furniture with multiple hiding places. Encasing mattresses and box springs provides an effective barrier against contamination at a much lower cost than replacing them altogether, while moat-style traps and sticky pads placed under beds, sofas and plush chairs may help isolate bugs so they can be killed more efficiently or simply swept away more easily.
Professional pest control service should always apply insecticides for bed bug control, and know which products have been specifically labeled for that use as well as how best to apply and use them to achieve maximum efficacy and safety.
Laundered linens, clothing, mattresses and box springs should be stored in plastic bags or containers until professional treatment has taken place, to reduce bed bug spread. Encasements for mattresses and box springs also help seal them in, eliminating potential hiding places and making inspection and treatment much simpler.
Other nonchemical measures to take include removing electrical, telephone and cable faceplates in order to inspect them; using cleaning products on hard-to-reach areas of your property; and planting thorny shrubs around it.
For effective bed bugs pest control, implementing a combination оf preventive measures and professional treatments іs crucial.
Regular Inspections
To effectively rid of bed bug infestation, thorough inspections are a necessity. While this task requires time and dedication, an eye trained to spot hiding places should also be employed during inspections of mattresses, box springs (with their slats underneath), head boards, frames and footboards; search for signs such as fecal spots, shed skins or blood stains which should also be examined regularly.
Bed bugs may hide in upholstered furniture such as chairs and sofas, so inspect these pieces with great caution using a bright flashlight to check seams, tufts, crevices and under skirting for signs of infestation. If a chair or sofa has already become infested it should either be steamed with water or placed into a freezer using special equipment to eliminate the threat.
Apply a light dusting of Diatomaceous Earth (DE), a natural mineral known for killing pests, to new harborages discovered during follow-up inspections. Be sure to purchase and follow directions on DE specifically labeled for insects; avoid agricultural or garden insecticides which could make people and animals ill.
Proper Laundry Practices
Bed bug infestations necessitate frequent laundry washings and dryer cycles in order to reduce the number of bed bugs found in clothing, linens and bedding. While this process can take time and patience, clothing should be washed in hot water followed by placement in a dryer set to the hottest temperature setting for drying before inspection for bed bug infestation and further washing/drying when dry.
Steamer cleaners can help eliminate bed bugs from mattresses, furniture and cracks in walls by reaching and penetrating areas that harbor bed bugs and their eggs. But steamers must be carefully used so as to reach every area harboring bedbugs or eggs.
Mattress and pillow encasements designed to prevent these pests from creating harborages are available and may prove useful if other methods of controlling bed bugs prove impractical or undesirable. When buying second-hand furnishings, be sure to inspect them thoroughly for bed bugs prior to bringing them into your home.
Minimizing Clutter
Clutter in any room provides more places for bed bugs to hide and make treatment harder, not only can they hide but it is more challenging to vacuum and dust these spaces too!
Clutter can be especially difficult to avoid in high-density housing units, where residents must store their possessions in smaller spaces. If this describes your residence, try keeping only essential possessions with you.
Before purchasing secondhand furniture or clothing, it is wise to carefully inspect each item for signs of bed bug infestation – dark spots on fabric, fecal stains and a sweet, musty smell are telltale indicators of infestation.
If discarding used clothing or furniture that has bed bugs, place it in plastic bags marked clearly as infested to protect other people from unknowingly bringing these pests into their home unknowingly. Installing baby-proof outlets covers can deter bed bugs from crawling into electrical sockets; and encasing mattresses and box springs will eliminate hiding places for bed bugs to reduce speed of control within a room.
Professional Pest Control
While bed bug infestations are best controlled with nonchemical methods, sometimes a professional pest control treatment may be necessary. Heat treatments have proven successful when combined with encasements and regular cleaning – it’s also crucial that residents conduct daily inspections and thoroughly vacuum affected areas after heat treatments have taken place.
Extremely infested items should be disposed of, particularly heavy furniture with multiple hiding places. Encasing mattresses and box springs provides an effective barrier against contamination at a much lower cost than replacing them altogether, while moat-style traps and sticky pads placed under beds, sofas and plush chairs may help isolate bugs so they can be killed more efficiently or simply swept away more easily.
Professional pest control service should always apply insecticides for bed bug control, and know which products have been specifically labeled for that use as well as how best to apply and use them to achieve maximum efficacy and safety.
