Tips for eradicating bed bugs

Bed bugs are more than a nuisance. They can also create health hazards for humans and pets.

The most challenging part of dealing with a bed bug problem is they are very difficult to see because of their size. On a good day, one of the little creatures could be smaller than a pencil eraser. They are also great little hiders that are able to find refuge in the smallest of cracks and crevices. Oh, they love to create their homes in mattresses/bedding and furniture cushions. Hence, the name “bed bugs.”

Since they reproduce quickly and can create serious health hazards, you can’t live with them. You have to take steps to get rid of them as soon as you know they exist. To help you in that endeavour, here are seven (7) tips for eradicating bed bugs. Note: These tips are listed in order to represent how bug extermination from a professional exterminator like Exterminateurs Associés might be considered a last resort option.

Initially, it will be very difficult for you to realize bedbugs have come home to roost in your home. When they first arrive, they are very good about hiding their whereabouts as they set up home. The first sign you have a bed bud problem might well be when they start biting you or your family members.

When you get that first indication the bugs are among you, you need to find out where they are nesting. There are two signs for which you can be looking. First, you should be looking for larger concentrations of bugs. That’s a good indication the nest is nearby. Second, these little nuisances will give out a “musky” odour when there is a large concentration of them in a small area.

Areas of concern would be baseboards, furniture cushions, under the mattress, electrical outlets, areas of concentrated trash (stack of newspapers, etc.), and wall and furniture cracks.

After you figure out the source or sources of the problem, you need to contain it and prevent it from getting worse. Remember, these bugs reproduce very quickly. A small, manageable problem can very quickly turn into a huge infestation.

Your containment efforts should include vacuuming up infested areas and cleaning all surfaces and materials that are connected with the infested area. Everything you can identify as infected should be sealed in plastic bags until discarded or washed. You would want and need to toss all vacuum cleaner bags and dispose of anything you don’t really need.

After addressing the source of the problem and containing it, you need to get ready to treat infested areas. That should include putting away books, papers, clothes that are lying around, disposing of all trash, and removing loose items from infested areas.

After doing the initial cleanup, you should consider sealing cracks (floor, ceiling, wallpaper, furniture), sealing up of electrical outlets (favourite bedbug hiding place), and moving all furniture, especially your bed or beds, at least six inches away from any walls and other furniture. This will prevent the bugs from being able to climb on cleaned furniture.

If you are going to attempt to eradicate bed bugs on your own, it’s best to try non-chemical options first. That is going to require deep cleaning of everything in areas where you saw at least one bug.

Hint: Bedbugs do not like extremely hot and cold conditions. You can kill them at hot temperatures of at least 115°F and cold temperatures below 32°F.

Here are a few deep cleaning suggestions to eliminate these bugs:

• Wash clothes and bedding materials in hot water with detergent for 30 minutes, subsequently drying everything at hot heat
• On hot days above 95°F, you can sit furniture and contaminated items outside all day long
• Put bags of contaminated items in the freezer at 0°F temperatures for at least four days
• Steam clean furniture, flooring, and walls with hot steam and cleaning chemicals

If you decide to try chemicals and insecticides, we would recommend the following: Pyrethrins and pyrethroids, pyrroles like chlorfenapyr, neonicotinoids nicotine), desiccants, and perhaps foggers and bug bombs. Note: Be wary of using chemicals that are harmful to humans.

As you put everything back together and or in place, you will want to make sure you eliminate potential hiding places. Do one more check for cracks and crevices. Don’t store paper items and clothing on counters or the floor. You might want to consider sealing mattresses and furniture cushions in anti-bug covers or plastic.

After you have identified hiding places, thoroughly cleaned everything, and sealed up possible hiding places, you need to spend the next few weeks monitoring the results. A daily check of the areas where the infestations were the worse could help you identify an ongoing issue before it becomes a major problem once again.

Many times, the elimination of these annoying little bugs is too much for a layperson to handle. Bug extermination can be a tedious and time-consuming process when administered by someone who has little to no experience in dealing with bed-bug issues.

If problems persist after your initial efforts, that would be the right time to consult with a professional exterminator like the Exterminateurs Associés. With the right knowledge base, experience, and chemicals, professional exterminators stand a much higher chance of success than you would, especially if your infestation were to be significant.