Bed bugs are tiny, oval, brown-colored insects that survive on the blood of humans or animals. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies and are the size of apple seeds. However, after feeding, their bodies start swelling and become reddish-brown in color. Bed bugs do not fly, but they can move fast on the floors, ceilings, and walls. Female bed bugs may lay hundreds of eggs, each of which is nearly the size of a small piece of dust particle. Immature bed bugs, known as nymphs, shed their skins before they reach maturity and need blood before every single shedding. Though they are a nuisance, they do not cause any disease. If you want to get rid of this problem from your bedroom, here are a few ways to get rid of bed bugs. But, before that, let us first understand where you can find bed bugs and when does a bed bug bite.
Where does Bed Bugs Hide
Bed bugs may enter your home unnoticed through clothes, luggage, couches, and used beds. Their flattened structure makes it easy for them to hide in small spaces. Bed bugs do not build nests like ants and bees but generally hide in small groups. The most common place where you will find bed bugs is inside the mattress and box spring, bed frames, box springs and headboards where they can easily bite people in the night.
However, they may scatter through the bedroom, moving from any gap or protected location. They can also spread to nearby apartments or rooms. As bed bugs survive on blood, having them inside your home is not a sign of messiness. You are likely to find them in immaculate houses and hotel rooms as dirty ones.
When do bed bugs bite
Bed bugs are mainly active during the night and generally bite people when they are sleeping. They pierce the skin and such blood using their elongated beak. The bugs feed for almost 10 minutes to become bloated and then craw away undetected. At first, bed bug bites are painless, but later it turns to itchy welts. Unlike flea bites that are usually around the ankles, bed bug bites happen on any area of the skin exposed while sleeping. Also, the bed bug bites do not cause a red spot in the center like flea bites.
People who do not realize they have a bed bug infestation may cause itching and welts to other causes, like mosquitos. If you want to get rid of bugs and their eggs, then you must first identify the place where the bugs are hiding.
Ways to get rid of Bed Bugs
Find all the infested areas
If you have got bed bugs, you want to find them early before they start reproducing. It is much simpler and in fact cheaper to treat a small group of bed bugs than a big one. Yet small bed bugs can be hard to find. Look for bed bugs yourself or appoint a professional to do an inspection. Some professionals use specially trained dogs to find bed bugs by their smell.
You can find bed bugs and eggs in small cracks in the headboard and bed frame, in the mattress and box spring, in baseboards, between cushions, inside electrical outlets, under the paintings and posters, inside the couch cushions.
Contain the invasion
One of the important ways to get rid of bed bugs is to keep them contained. One of the fastest and easiest ways to trap bed bugs is by using a vacuum. Use a vacuum over all the hiding places.
It can be anywhere like a dresser, bed, electronics, and carpets. Seal up the vacuumed content inside a plastic bag and throw it. Then, clean the vacuum thoroughly.
Seal your linens and the affected clothes inside a plastic bag until you wash them. Then, set the highest possible temperature in the washing machine and dryer. If the item can be washed, put it in a dryer for almost 30 minutes at the maximum heat setting.
Any items that cannot be cleaned in a washer or dryer, store it inside a plastic bag. Leave it like that for a few months to make sure all the bed bugs die. If it is not possible for you to clean your furniture, then better throw it. Tear it first and use spray paint.
Get rid of clutter
One of the significant ways to get rid of clutter is to avoid clutter from your house. Remove all the personal items like blankets, soft toys, animals, etc., and any such thing that does not stay in the room forever. Be cautious that items from the infested area can transfer bed bugs to several other areas. It is always better to collect them in plastic.
Dismantle the bed frames
If you want to know how to get rid of bed bugs fast, then you must dismantle the bed frames. Dismantling bed frames in infested areas generally expose bed bug hiding places. Having access to these areas during cleaning is vital.
Stand up the box spring and use a flashlight to gauze the fabric and search for the bed bugs. If the fabric is torn, remove the fabric and prepare it for spraying.
If the mattress or box springs are infested, you may want to consider Encasements by Mattress Safe. Once enclosed with these encasements, bed bugs cannot enter or exit. There is no need to treat the mattress or box while using these encasements. Keep them for a year.
Get rid of dresser drawers
Remove the drawers from dressers and desks as bed bugs prefer hiding in these areas. Turn furniture over to check and clean all the hiding places. Make sure you keep all your furniture away from the walls.
Home cleaning methods to kill the bed bugs
Though there are various ways to get rid of bedbugs, it is always better to try natural remedies, if any. First, try to remove bed bugs without using any chemicals. These bed bugs cannot survive at high temperatures or in intense cold conditions. Here are a few ways to get rid of bed bugs using natural methods:
- Wash your bed and clothes in hot water for almost 30 minutes. Then, put them in a dryer at the highest temperature for almost 30 minutes.
- Use a steamer on couches, mattresses, and other places where bed bugs can hide.
- Pack the infested items in a black colored bag and leave them outside on a hot day or inside a closed car. In cool temperatures, it can take almost 2 to 5 months to kill the sealed-up bed bugs.
Once you clean all the visible bed bugs, make the area hostile so that no more bed bugs come inside your house. You can put bedbug-proof covers on the mattress and box spring. Lock it using zip. Bugs that are inside will die, and new bugs will not be able to get inside. If you are unable to get rid of bed bugs and eggs using this method, then you must try the chemical treatment. Most of you will ask what chemical kills bed bugs? So, here is the answer.
Pyrethroids and Pyrethrins are the common chemicals that are used for killing bed bugs. Though some bed bugs have become resistant to these chemicals.
Another chemical that you can use for killing Bed bugs is Pyrroles. You can also use Neonicotinoids. These are mand made versions of nicotine.
Keep monitoring the affected areas
Bed bugs may take some time to wipe out. Before you can trust the treatment, you chose has worked, you need proof that bugs have gone totally. So, you must check the infested areas once every seven days.