How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

Where do bed bugs hide?

There is a reason these pests are called “bed” bugs. A bed bug infestation can often be found in and around your bed. This is because of the close access to a food source. As well as this, the area around your bed provides many places for the bed bugs to hide. Within the mattress tags, in a headboard crack or even in the mattress seams, a bed bug infestation can be found in large numbers within these areas. When keeping an eye out for bed bugs, it’s important to note they can be found in other parts of the home as well. Furniture, curtains, sofas, etc., are all areas where bed bugs could be hiding.

How do you get rid of bed bugs?

Should you find that your home is now a nest for some unwanted guests, there are steps you can take to rid your home of these visitors. It can take some time to achieve complete bed bug removal depending on the level of infestation that is present in your home.

The first thing to do once you’ve identified the infestation is to try and contain the creatures. Running a hoover over the infested area traps them in one space to then be dealt with in one go. If you have an old/spare hoover then this works great as you can bag up the hoover and throw it out after.

Bagging up any infested goods and leaving them outside lets the bed bugs die out naturally. This can be done with clothes that you think could be the source of an infestation as well as other goods such as cushions and curtains. When in a black bag, the interior can reach high temperatures to kill off the critters when left outside in the sun; likewise cold temperatures can do the same job. It is better advised to leave the bag for a longer period of time, for example for a few months, the longer the bag is left the more chance there is of the infestation dying out.

How to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress

The following advice is DIY tips for tackling bed bugs that are only found in your mattress. Unfortunately, this won’t help if they are found elsewhere in your room. If you have seen potential signs of bed bugs and have suspicions, then firstly you should get your bedding into the wash on a high temperature, this includes pillowcases, sheets and pillows. Taking extra precautions whilst moving bedding is important to prevent moving the bugs to other parts of the home. Whilst moving your bedding to the washing machine, it is advisable to wear gloves and put the bedding in a bin bag.

Once your linens are washed/in the wash, run the hoover across your mattress. Leave no section untouched tackling every seam, tag and fold of your mattress. Don’t worry about going over a few times to make sure every section is thoroughly checked. It is, after all, better to be safe than sorry. After you have hoovered across your room, empty the contents into the outside bin. The outside bin is important as it separates the bed bugs from your home, further preventing the chance of them getting back to where it all started.

Finally, if possible, you should dismantle your bed. This isn’t always an easy task as many beds can’t necessarily be dismantled, however if you can, then inspect each section and clean it thoroughly. If there are any cracks they could be hiding in, try blocking these gaps so that it stops the bed bugs pathway to you.

Bed bugs are an irritant and can cause plenty of discomfort if left unattended so it is always important to act quickly before the issue gets worse. With our advice, you should be able to use home remedies to stop an early issue. If however you require a professional touch to deal with a much larger infestation, then contact us to find out more about our pest control services.