12 May 2016
 Categories: , Blog

Bed bugs infestations have epidemic proportions in most of the United States. If you travel, it's just a matter of time before you come in contact with the pests in the hotels you're staying in. Bed bugs love to hide in your luggage and travel home with you. Unfortunately, once they infest your home, they can be difficult to get rid of. Once you find them, you need to act fast to get rid of them. Here are four steps you should take if you suspect that you have a bedbug problem in your home.

Call the Professionals

If you've found bed bugs in your home, or evidence of the pests – dried blood spots on your sheets or egg casings in the creases of your mattress – you should call the professionals. Don't try to treat the bugs with store-bought pesticides. These pesticide treatments are often ineffective in killing the bugs, which means you could end up with continual re-infestations. Professional pest control companies will come out and treat your entire home with pest control treatments designed to get rid of the pests quickly and permanently.

Treat Your Beds and Sheets

Because bed bugs live on your beds, you're going to need to treat your beds and your sheets. The first thing you should do is remove all the bedding and place it in plastic bags. Take the bags directly to your washing machine. Place the sheets in the washing machine and wash them in hot water. The hot water will kill the bed bugs and their eggs. Once they're clean, place them in the dryer and dry them on the hot cycle to kill the remaining bugs. Throw the trash bags away to prevent re-infestation. To treat your bed, you should vacuum both sides. Be sure to pay close attention to the edges and creases. Empty the vacuum canister outside to make sure the bugs don't get released inside your home. Next, use a household steamer to steam treat both sides of your mattress. The heat will kill any bugs or eggs that might be in your mattress.

Seal the Deal

If you've found bed bugs in your kid's rooms, they may have bugs in the stuffed animals that were on their beds. If you can't wash the stuffed animals, you can kill the bugs and eggs by sealing the toys in black plastic bags. Once the toys are sealed in the bags, set them out in the sun for a few days. The inside of the bags will heat up and kill the bugs. Remove the toys from the bag and shake them off over a trash can to remove the dead bugs. You can also vacuum them but be sure to empty the canister outside as soon as you're done.

If you have bed bugs, you need to get rid of them as soon as possible. The steps provided here will help you get rid of the bugs and keep them away. Follow the link in this article for additional reading.