Bed bugs can spread quickly, keep you up and night and leave you covered in itchy red bumps. These pests feed on human blood and only come out at night, making them more difficult to detect. Fortunately, they are relatively easy to get rid of as long as you are thorough about treating everything in the room. Start with these 5 simple steps:
1. Wash All Fabrics
Bed bugs love fabric, which is why they are attracted to mattresses and sheets. The first thing you want to do is wash all the fabrics in the room including sheets, comforters, drapes, pillows, and throw blankets. Bed bugs and their eggs can’t survive high temperatures, so make sure that all your fabrics are washed and dried at 124 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
2. Get out the Vacuum
A vacuum with a HEPA filter is ideal because it will prevent the bed bugs from escaping. Take your time and cover the floors several times while paying special attention to the areas nearest the bed. Also, take advantage of the attachments to get in the mattress crevices and vacuum along baseboards and other hard-to-reach areas.
3. Use a Steamer
You will need to rent a steamer to attack every inch of the room. Steam comes out at a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit, so it is more than hot enough to get rid of the bed bugs. Again, the key is to be thorough so that there aren’t any eggs or bugs left behind to start a second infestation.
4. Invest in a Mattress Encasement
This product is designed to completely enclose your mattress and it prevents any residual bugs from escaping and reproducing while also blocking other bugs from setting up house in the mattress.
5. Call the Professionals
While you can certainly take steps on your own to rid your home of bed bugs, the professionals can get the job done faster and they usually offer a guarantee. They will use professional-grade equipment to raise the temperature of the entire room to a level that is deadly to bed bugs. If you do the job yourself, you run the risk of missing a few microscopic eggs and having to go through the entire cleaning process all over again.
If you want professional help with your bed bug infestation, contact the experts at PMi Pest Management. We can help you enjoy a better night’s sleep.
