Bed bugs were once a common threat to public health around the world, and their presence became less and less abundant during the mid-twentieth century. But bed bugs are growing in alarming numbers and there are more and more reports of infestations around the world. They can travel very far, carried on luggage, clothing, blankets and furniture. Read on to find out how to get rid of it.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Recognizing the Signs of an Infestation
Step 1. Recognize the signs of an infestation
You will most likely notice an infestation due to a rash that looks like a mosquito bite. Most often these bites occur at night, but in the case of a severe infestation they can also occur during the day. Unlike mosquito bites, bed bug bites swell and spread, plus they can lie in lines and burn. A mosquito bite is round and regular in appearance.
Step 2. Look for other signs of bed bug infestation
Things to look for are the insects themselves and the light brown skins of the nymphs (the young bedbugs). Dark spots of dry bed bug droppings (aka blood) are often found along the seams of the mattress or wherever the bugs have been. There is also a smell like rotten raspberries, or dried blood.
Step 3. Don't be fooled by the name "bed bug"
These insects can be found anywhere where humans spend time, such as under school desks, on restaurant chairs, on library computers, in hospital beds, and on shop curtains or walls. They are often found on carpets. Bed bugs attach themselves very easily to fabrics. Transport nodes such as airports, train stations and bus terminals are also the main sites of infestations.
They can also be found in tent structures, air conditioners, fans, and even inside electronic appliances
Step 4. Don't believe the stereotype that bed bugs are only found in dirty homes or slums
Many posh areas suffer from infestations of these insects, as they have been found on business trips of numerous companies.
Part 2 of 4: Finding the Bed Bugs
Step 1. Disassemble the bed and separate the components
You will need to look for the bugs themselves and the light brown hollow shells of the pupae. Often along the seams of infested mattresses or in all places frequented by bedbugs there are black spots of dry excrement. Often, the fabric of the nets will have to be removed in order to inspect them and administer the treatment. You should examine the cracks and gaps in the bed frame, especially if the frame is made of wood (bedbugs prefer wood and fabric to metal and plastic).
- It is difficult to achieve good results with the treatment of mattresses and nets and eventually you may have to throw away the infested items.
- Alternatively, place a bed bug-proof blanket on an infested mattress to trap and starve them. This will eliminate the need to buy a new mattress and make handling and future inspections easier. Keep in mind that it can take at least 400 days for the bugs to starve, so make sure the mattress remains sealed throughout the period.
- Bed bugs also hide in items stored under the beds.
Step 2. Empty the bedside tables and cupboards
Examine them inside and out, you can flip them over to inspect the underside. Bedbugs will often hide in cracks, nooks and crannies.
Step 3. Check the upholstered chairs and armchairs
Pay close attention to the seams, creases, flaps and space between the pillows. Armchairs and sofas can get haunted especially if they are used for sleeping.
Step 4. Check other common points
These include along and under the edges of carpet and wall-to-wall rugs (especially behind beds and furniture), cracks in wood moldings, and in the edges between the wall and ceiling. Bed bugs tend to congregate in certain areas, but it is common to find a single specimen or eggs scattered here and there.
Step 5. Use a flashlight
Professionals in some cases inject a pyrethroid-based solution into the cracks to reveal the presence of bed bugs.
Part 3 of 4: Treatment and Control
Step 1. Follow an integrated pest management approach
This requires multiple tactics such as preventive measures, hygiene care and the application of substances at strategic points.
Step 2. Close infested items in bags and machine wash (at least 50 ° C)
Smaller items that cannot be washed in the washing machine can in some cases be disinfested by heating them. You can wrap individual items in plastic and put them in a sunny, warm place for at least a few days. You can get rid of bedbugs with freezing too, but it will take at least two weeks. Trying to rid an entire house of bed bugs by raising or lowering the thermostat will not produce any results.
- Wash and dry all laundry at the highest temperatures. Collect all linens, leather clothes and bags, mattress covers, stuffed animals, etc. Machine wash with hot water - remember to wash the laundry container as well. The dryer must also be set at high temperatures. Steam kills bedbugs. In some metropolitan areas, you can find laundries that specialize in removing bed bugs, which also offer the added benefit of using proven methods of pest control and package or store clean items so that they are not reinfested while the home is being pested.
- If something can't be washed or disposed of (a fine leather bag, for example), spray it with a non-toxic bed bug spray (like diatomaceous earth), seal it in a plastic bag, and leave it there for a few months.
- Dry clean to remove odors if needed.
Step 3. Point the steam at the bedbugs
You can get a simple device that can produce steam from the hardware store. You can also convert an electric kettle into a steam machine by using a hose. The steam should get rid of all bedbugs and eggs. Spray the steam on all corners and all seams.
Step 4. Vacuum your house
This will help remove bedbugs and eggs from carpets, mattresses, walls and other surfaces. Pay particular attention to the seams, edges and cuffs of mattresses and bed frames, and to the edge of rugs that reach from wall to wall. Afterwards, throw the contents of the vacuum cleaner into a sealed trash bag. Steam cleaning carpets can be helpful in getting rid of insects and eggs that the vacuum cleaner hasn't picked up.
The ideal would be to use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter
Step 5. Repair the cracks in the plaster and glue the loose wallpaper to eliminate the bed bug hiding places
Remove and destroy wild animal lairs and bird nests whenever possible.
Step 6. Consider using insecticides
Residual insecticides (which generally contain pyrethroids) are applied as topical treatments in the cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide. You can ensure better insecticide penetration if you first remove dust and debris from cracks using a vacuum cleaner. Many commercial spray insecticides will cause bedbugs to disperse, making pest control more difficult. You can use powdered formulas in wall cavities and in the attic.
- Repeat the insecticide application if bed bugs are still present two weeks after starting treatment. It is difficult to find all the hiding places and hidden eggs may have hatched.
- Avoid so-called insecticide "programs" (which require a lot of repetition), which you can find in local stores - they can be unnecessarily toxic and confusing. Furthermore, many of these "programs" do not have a particularly powerful action and can only be a waste of money. Look for other options.
Step 7. Hire a professional exterminator
Expert pest control agencies know where to look for bedbugs, and have many tools at their disposal to address the problem. The landlord and tenants will have to help the professionals. Allowing access for inspection and treatment is essential and piles of unnecessary items should be removed.
Step 8. Throw away the haunted items
In some cases, you will need to throw away infested mattresses or nets. Bedbugs can spread throughout a building, so it may be necessary to inspect adjacent rooms and apartments.
Step 9. Use some silica gel
Crush some silica gel into crystals and apply it all over the bedroom. Put some on your mattress, around the bed and along the walls. The silicon dust will stick to the insects and cause them to dehydrate and die. Be careful not to inhale it.
- Alternatively, use a natural dehydrating substance called diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth has the same effect as silicon gel but is safe and exposure to this substance poses no danger to children and pets.
- If you have a cat, change its litter box every five days so that newly hatched bedbugs dehydrate. Repeat for five weeks.
Step 10. Use tea tree oil to clean
This substance is able to eradicate the bedbugs present in the house.
- Clean the house thoroughly, from top to bottom.
- Wash all the sheets and fabrics, adding a few drops to your normal detergent.
- Vacuum and wash all the carpets.
- Separate all the beds. Sprinkle them with tea tree oil.
- Distribute the insecticide spray throughout the house, inside and out. To make the spray yourself, mix 18 drops of tea tree oil in half a liter of water. Spray it all over the house - carpets, beds and furniture.
- Use Wintergreen alcohol to instantly kill bedbugs and their eggs. It is very cheap and easy to find. Pour the alcohol into a spray bottle and spray it directly on bedbugs and nests. This substance burns insects on contact. You can also use it to soak the sprung mattress and slatted base.
Part 4 of 4: Prevention
Step 1. Fight against piles of garbage and illegal landfills
Bedbugs love to hide in landfills, and if there is one in your neighborhood they may find their way to your home. It is also ugly to look at and causes bad smells for the whole neighborhood.
Step 2. Take precautions in your home
Keep the plastic cover that comes with the mattress when it is purchased new. Purchase special bed bug covers for the sprung mattress and slatted base, and make sure they are quality, with heavy-duty zippers and built with a special fabric that won't tear easily. Don't buy the cheap versions, which aren't thick enough to prevent bedbugs from biting the skin through the fabric.
Step 3. Be careful when buying second-hand beds, blankets and furniture
At a minimum, you should examine these items very carefully before bringing them indoors.
Step 4. Examine the beds and headboards for bed bugs when you travel
Step 5. Keep the suitcases off the ground
Step 6. Always be alert
Warehouses, closets, trucks, and train carriages can be infested, and you could bring bed bugs into your home if they decide to jump on your clothing or suitcase. Learn to spot the signs of an infestation and carefully avoid suspicious places.
Advice
- If you can't throw away the mattress or a net, use a container to seal them. You can try using a vacuum cleaner and a brush to disinfect mattresses and nets that cannot be thrown away. Some pest control agencies offer steam treatment for the recovery of infested beds. The technique is useful, but it does not guarantee the complete elimination of hidden bedbugs.
- No insecticide is suitable for use on blankets and sheets. These items should be dry cleaned or washed in hot water and dried on high heat. Use some specific insecticides on the seams or folds of the mattresses. Don't use them on flat surfaces, where you lie down.
- A complete treatment of a home, hotel or apartment can take several hours to several days.
- You will rarely see a bed bug in sunlight. They emerge from their hiding places during the night.
- A 3mm plastic liner will create a barrier between blankets and infested furniture.
- When buying a bed cover, make sure you have measured it to choose a cover of the right size.
- Use a frame to lift the mattress and slatted base off the floor and place the bed legs in containers that contain any type of oil. This will prevent bedbugs from getting on the bed. Be careful that the blankets do not reach the floor.
Warnings
- Bed bugs can live at least a year without food.
- Bed bugs can travel long distances and survive in suitcases, clothing, vehicles, airplanes, ships, and other means of transportation.
- After repeated bed bug bites, a person's skin can become sensitive to the bed bug saliva, and the subsequent bites could cause an allergic reaction that will cause itching and inflammation. It is important not to scratch the red, itchy bites, as they may become infected. If you think you may have been bitten by a bed bug, talk to a doctor. He may prescribe antibiotics or antiseptics to prevent infections and corticosteroids or antihistamines to treat allergic reactions.
