If you’re facing a bed bug infestation, we highly recommend seeking the help of a professional pest control company. If you would prefer to try and eradicate the problem yourself or would like some extra advice to go alongside the professional treatment you’re receiving, below are some great DIY bed bug treatment tips.
Wash clothes and bedding
It’s very important to wash any infected clothes or bedding as soon as possible. This must be done on a very high setting (60˚C for the washing machine) and then if you have a tumble dryer, follow this up with 30 minutes on a hot setting.
Vacuum
Use a vacuum cleaner with a hose to suck up any bugs you can see. Conduct a thorough search in and around your bed, in wardrobes, sofas, carpets, and suitcases if you’ve been away recently.
Don’t forget to tightly seal and securely dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag when you’ve finished preventing the bed bugs from getting out again.
Dispose of badly infested items
If certain items are very badly infested, unfortunately, the only option may be to get rid of them. Make sure you do this in a responsible manner however and destroy it so that nobody else will be tempted to bring it into their home.
Non-chemical treatment methods
If you’re reluctant to bring chemicals into your home, the good news is that there are plenty of treatment methods which allow you to avoid this.
- Heat treatments such as a hot wash or putting bedding in the tumble dryer
- Cold treatments can be successful if your freezer is set to 0˚F (-17.7˚C). Leave any infected items in the freezer for four days and this should be enough to kill of any infestations
- Steam cleaners (wet or dry) can be used to treat carpets, baseboards, bed frames and other furniture. Be careful not to have a forceful airflow as this can cause bed bugs to scatter (a diffuser can prevent this from happening)
Chemical treatments
Because bed bugs are so difficult to get rid of, more aggressive treatment methods are often needed. If you do use a pesticide, please follow these steps to ensure the safety of everyone in your home:
- Look for EPA-registered pesticides
- Ensure that bed bugs are listed on the label and follow the exact instructions on the packaging
- If you use a bug bomb, do so with extreme care. Improper use can harm your health or cause a fire or explosion
Prevention
Whether you’ve had a bed bug infestation before or not, it’s important to do whatever you can to prevent one from occurring in the first place. There are plenty of ways you can do this including:
- Inspect your bed and mattress on a regular basis for the signs of an infestation
- Get professional advice as soon as possible if you think you do have them
- Avoid buying second-hand mattresses and carefully inspect second-hand furniture before bringing it into your home
- Although bed bugs aren’t attracted to dirt, there are plenty more places for them to hide if the place is cluttered so try to keep your home as tidy as possible
- If you’ve just been on holiday, inspect your clothes and suitcase before unpacking
- Vacuum on a regular basis
If you would like further information about eliminating a bed bug infestation, please feel free to contact Prokill and one of our experts will be more than happy to help.
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