Sometimes people are worried or scared that they have a bed bug infestation. The presence of these insects is not necessarily a sign of a dirty house, in some cases they are also found in a five-star hotel. Bed bugs, however, are not easy to spot, as they hide in some crevices of the mattresses, slatted base or headboard. They have size and color that are imperceptible to the human eye and do not come out until night, when they feed. There are, however, several methods of recognizing them and identifying an infestation.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Identifying a Possible Infestation
Step 1. Check the mattress for bugs
These tend to live and move in the area of the mattress, the slatted base, the bed frame and the headboard. These are small reddish-brown parasites that have an oval shape. They feed on the blood of animals and humans. Check around the perimeter of the mattress, between the folds of the sheets and pillows. If you have a bed bug infestation, you will see a mass of eggs (1mm in diameter) and small adult black bugs (5mm in diameter like an apple seed). Although in most cases they are black, there are some specimens of pearl white color, as large as the head of a pin.
- However, these bedbugs don't always clump together. Sometimes they spread over the entire mattress or bed. In this case, you need to use a magnifying glass to check all the bedding and mattress.
- If the room is not well lit, a flashlight is certainly of great help. Keep it about 15 cm from the mattress to use it effectively.
- These insects are unable to fly, but they move very quickly on various surfaces, including ceilings, walls, fabrics and more. If you have found parasites with wings or able to fly, it is very likely that they are mosquitoes or flies and not bed bugs.
Step 2. Locate the fecal residue on the mattress
Bed bugs eat for about 3-10 minutes a day before hiding again. Their feces, to the human eye, appear as small black specks (about the size of a marker mark). This is because insects feed on blood and excrete feces made up of dried blood.
- They often evacuate where they eat; this means on the edges of the mattress, between the cracks in the bed, between the cracks in the headboard and more.
- You will need to use a magnifying glass to identify the droppings if they are spread over a large area (and are not lumped together). Gently slide your hand over the surfaces and see if you collect any residue or if anything sticks.
- Approach the area you suspect is infested. Put a hand on the surfaces and move it quickly. If there are bed bugs that have produced fecal material, you should smell a musky odor released from their glands.
Step 3. Check the mattress for egg shells and moult residues
Bed bugs, like all insects, mate, reproduce and moult. When they mate, these parasites produce hundreds of eggs which in turn generate a lot of exoskeleton residues.
- Check along the edges of the mattress, between the folds of the bedspread and in the crevices of the headboard. Check for small white larvae (about 1 mm, about the point of a pin) piled up. Also, be careful if there are any light brown or dark brown skin residues in these areas.
- Since the larvae are small and the exoskeleton remnants are likely transparent, you need to use a magnifying glass to identify each problem. Gently run your hand across the surface to find any hidden or stuck items in the crevices.
- If you notice brown, black, or red marks on your bed, then they could be bedbugs squashed and killed overnight.
Step 4. Check the headboard and bed base
While these are not insects' favorite places to feed, they are perfect places to live, hide after meals, and reproduce. Cracks and crevices are excellent hiding places for spawning and should be carefully examined.
- Remove the dust cover from the base of the mesh. Check the seams and any crevices in the wooden frame. Use a magnifying glass and flashlight to inspect the entire area. Look for small black dots (live bedbugs) or white larvae.
- Lift the fabric where it is attached to the bed frame, check for any possible hiding in the surface below.
- Bed bugs prefer to live and reproduce where wooden structural elements come together or where the wood has begun to break down due to aging and the ripening process. For that reason, you need to check all of these areas.
Step 5. Also inspect all objects surrounding the bed
Insects hide in small crevices where they can lay eggs. This means they can make their home in books, telephones, radios, bedside tables and even electrical outlets.
- Open the books you keep near the bed and flip through them quickly. Check and make sure there are no black or dark red marks on the pages.
- Pick up the radio and phone. Use the magnifying glass and flashlight to inspect the joints between the wooden planks of the nightstand.
- Unscrew the electrical outlets. Before proceeding with this operation, turn down the switch that brings electricity to your bedroom. Use the flashlight to look for clues to bed bugs whether they are live specimens, eggs, or fecal matter.
Step 6. Walk around the edges of the carpet
Various types of floor coverings, such as carpet (well laid or loose) or linoleum, are great hiding places for bed bugs. Furthermore, these elements provide the shelter that insects need to reproduce. You can perform the inspection without damaging the flooring, just lift the edges slightly. Use the magnifying glass and flashlight to find insects, their droppings or egg shells. Repeat the same procedure for the parquet, at the points where the boards meet.
Step 7. Check the closet and clothes
These parasites love to live in the fabrics of shirts and pants, especially if you haven't done laundry in a while. The wardrobe is a closed, warm place that still offers access to the bed.
- Open it and check the clothes. Scrub the hanging clothes with your hands and pay attention to the small black residues that remain on your skin or that fall off as soon as you apply some pressure.
- You can repeat the same process with the linen in the drawers of the dresser. Slide your hand over the fabrics and check, thanks to the magnifying glass and flashlight, every gap and hidden corner between the various furniture panels.
Step 8. Inspect the entire room paying particular attention to where the wallpaper is peeling or where the color is peeling
These areas also turn into perfect hiding places for bed bugs. Their goal is to find a shelter that is closed but at the same time allows easy access to the bed. If you don't notice them at first glance, then try peeling off some peeling wallpaper or paint. Look for small white larvae with the magnifying glass. You may also find point-like fecal material.
Step 9. Watch your skin for bites
Bed bugs sting the skin at night (they are nocturnal parasites) to draw blood. Their bite marks are often confused with those of mosquitoes even though they are very different.
- Check your ankles and feet in the morning. These parasites strike in areas where the skin is exposed, so the ankles and feet are the most likely spots. However, you can find bite marks all over the body.
- Observe the presence of the bites in the morning when you wake up. Bed bugs bite up to three times in a straight line, unlike mosquitoes that bite only once. The marks appear as a series of small red dots.
- At first you feel no pain at the bite site. However, if you notice that the spots become itchy within a few days, then it is very likely that they are caused by these parasites. The itching and swelling can last up to nine days.
Step 10. Call a pest control company
Sometimes it's not easy to find bed bugs or you can't see them within a short time. The best thing to do is to hire a professional who has all the skills and equipment to inspect your home. He will be able to tell you if there is an infestation or not.
Part 2 of 3: Treating a Home Infestation
Step 1. Wash all bedding
This is the quickest way to get rid of bed bugs. Insects can't resist high temperatures for long, so put your pillowcases, pillows and duvet in the washing machine.
- Put all the laundry in the washing machine, be sure to set a program with very hot water. Check in advance on the label of the fabrics if they can be washed in hot water.
- After washing, put them in the dryer immediately and set the appliance to the highest possible temperature.
- You should do the same with the clothes. However, in this case, you need to be careful as they may shrink from washing or heat drying.
- All fabrics that cannot be washed must be placed in the dryer and you must set a heat program for half an hour.
Step 2. Seal the bed with heavy fabric
Wrap the mattress and the slatted base in a heavy, thick fabric, such as a mattress cover. In this way the insects will not be able to hide between the seams and the cracks; Plus, you can get rid of it easily because you just need to wash the fabric.
Step 3. Place plastic cups at the foot of the bed
Buy four plastic cups and place them straight on the ground, as if you were going to use them for drinking. Insert the legs of the bed into each of them; this simple trick prevents bedbugs from crawling onto your bed from the carpet or closet.
Step 4. Remove the objects around the bed
Since heaps of objects and clutter are a favorable environment for bed bugs to proliferate, you need to clean and tidy up to sanitize the room.
- Stack the books and move them away from the bed or rearrange them in the bookcase.
- Wash your clothes, fold them well and store them away from the bed. Hang them in the closet or put them in the dresser drawer.
- Check that your bedside table or desk is clean and in good condition. Collect trash, glasses, plates, utensils, handkerchiefs and anything else you left in a mess. Clean the surfaces with a wet cloth or use a sanitizing spray cleaner.
Step 5. Vacuum your bed often
Bed bugs hide in the carpet fabric and use it as a means of getting around. Make sure your appliance is powerful enough to suck up everything deep into the floor covering.
- Models with a centrifugal dust collector or four-chamber suction mechanism are perfect for this job.
- Vacuum surfaces regularly, whether it's once a day or a week. You must not offer bed bugs any excuse to get close to your room, or time to move.
Step 6. Repair the cracks
These parasites reproduce and live within crevices in furniture, bed legs and headboards. Fill any openings that might offer bedbugs hiding places with putty, plaster, or non-toxic wood glue.
Step 7. Purchase a portable heating chamber
It is a structure inside which you can increase the temperature in a controlled way. There are manual models and those to be placed on the floor. Since bed bugs do not survive high temperatures, this device effectively kills them.
- Use a free-standing heating chamber and place it on the floor of your room. Turn on the heater and set it to 26-29 ° C. Remember to close the door to keep the heat inside. Warning: constantly check the room to make sure a fire does not start.
- Try a manual heating chamber and run it on surfaces you think are infested. Be careful not to touch the device directly, as it is very hot.
- After using one of these tools, clean the area to get rid of dead bugs. Vacuum the carpet, dust off the wooden furniture, and put the bedding in the washing machine.
Step 8. Eliminate the mattresses and furniture
This should be the last thing to consider but, if bed bugs have taken over, it's also the only thing to do.
- Throw the mattress away from home. Take it to the bulky waste collection point or directly to your local landfill. Do the same with haunted furniture.
- Remember that second-hand mattresses and furniture are often infested with bed bugs. If you have purchased a used bed or pieces of furniture, you will need to get rid of them, as it is very likely that they harbored pests and are fertile ground for a new infestation.
Step 9. Try safe chemical treatments around the bed
There are many such products in various hardware stores and supermarkets. Find one that is safe, preferably in a spray package.
- Spray the chemical on the infested surfaces and let it sit for a few minutes.
- You can purchase insecticides that you can leave in a particular room and that kill bed bugs, just like those used by pest control companies.
- After applying these products, clean all surfaces with a wet cloth or kitchen paper. Immediately throw away the rag that contains both the insecticide and the dead bedbugs and their waste.
Step 10. Call an exterminator
Instead of using potentially dangerous chemicals on your own, rely on a professional. He will be able to evaluate the problem and find the most suitable chemical solution.
Part 3 of 3: Dealing with an Infestation in Different Environments
Step 1. Inspect your temporary accommodation
Whether it's an apartment, a dorm, a ship's cabin, a hotel room, or a homeless shelter, you definitely need to check the space for bed bugs or their residues. Even the best five-star hotels may have infestation problems.
- Bring a magnifying glass and a flashlight with you. Check closely the mattress, bedding, headboard, carpet, closet, and any nook and cranny where you fear bugs might be hiding. Check for not only small, oval, dark bugs, but also their black feces or yellowish eggs.
- If you have found something that makes you suspicious, contact your accommodation manager immediately. He should move you to a clean area and disinfect the area.
Step 2. Inspect your baggage after a trip
When you come home from a vacation, it is imperative to check whether bed bugs have moved into your suitcase from your hotel room, ship cabin, or place where you stayed.
- Use the magnifying glass and flashlight to check for adult specimens. Also check the cracks in the suitcase, along the seams and then move on to the clothes.
- Regardless of whether you've found traces of parasites, it's always worth disinfecting everything. Use a mild chemical and spray it on your luggage (after taking off your clothes). You can now clean it with a clean, damp cloth or kitchen paper.
Step 3. Wash your clothes often
As soon as you come back from a vacation or a gathering, put all your clothes in the washing machine. Use hot water to kill all bed bugs. Finally, transfer the laundry to the dryer on a high temperature program.
Step 4. Check your environment
Believe it or not, the workplace is a favorable environment for these parasites. They can settle in furniture in the staff room, offices, warehouse and teacher room.
- Use a magnifying glass and flashlight to check the furniture; check along the seams and folds of their fabrics. Inspect the wood panels near the floor (baseboards). Check for small cracks in the wall, loose wallpaper, or peeling paint. All of these places are perfect hiding places for bed bugs.
- Look for actual bugs, their droppings (black dots) or egg shells that are transparent.
- If you are allowed to use it, disinfect the area with a chemical. Finally, clean the surfaces with a damp cloth or kitchen paper. If you don't have permission to do this, report the problem to your manager.
Step 5. Inform all personnel in the workplace
It is important that colleagues and employees know how to recognize the presence of bed bugs. Let them know that it is of utmost importance to take note of any small black, oval-shaped bugs. Teach them that the black spots are bed bug feces and that the egg residues are yellowish.
Step 6. Organize a workplace inspection routine
Write a schedule so that each employee spends time looking for these parasites. This way you distribute the workload and ensure that a potential infestation is spotted early.
- Ask each employee to let you know when they have time during the week to check the office, furniture, room, and entire work area. Compile a list in the time schedule by noting the inspection shifts of each worker.
- Send the schedule to all employees and hang a copy on the staff room wall. This way it will be a reminder for all the staff.
Step 7. Avoid panic spreading among workers
There shouldn't be a hysterical attitude due to the presence of bed bugs. It is not a lethal parasite and can be found in even the cleanest environments. Make sure everyone knows what to look for and that they are alert. However, the inspection should not occupy the time to devote instead to carrying out normal work duties and should not interfere with daily activity.
Step 8. Create a reminder to keep in your purse or wallet
Write down on a small sheet of paper or on the back of a business card what you need to observe when looking for these parasites. You can always carry it with you and be ready to spot these pesky insects.
Advice
- Work calmly and methodically when checking the bedroom. Bed bugs are often difficult to spot. Check carefully and for a long time; examines the same area over and over again.
- Call a friend or relative for a second opinion. This person will help you look for bugs and find out if there are any traces of bed bugs.
- Don't overreact, remember that even the cleanest places can be infested with these parasites.
- Wash the sheets regularly and change the mattresses every few years.
