Bed Bug
Expert Bill Carlson Explains How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
The
following step-by-step instructions are devised by our team of
experts who have dealt with these types of infestations on a daily
basis.
1. Look For The Bugs
The first step to getting rid of bed bugs is to do some
extensive investigative
work. Pay close attention to where people sit or have slept for
long periods of time. Bed Bugs are visible to the eye. The adult
bed bug is brown to reddish-brown to translucent, depending on
if they have fed or not, oval-shaped, flattened, and
about 1/16 to 5/8 inch long.
Be prepared to inspect all areas of the room using a bright flashlight
and a pocket microscope or magnifying glass if
you have one available. Bed Bugs can
leave reddish- brown spots on mattresses and have a distinct smell.
Remember that the bed bug's flat shape and small body enable it
to hide easily in cracks and crevices. Bed bugs, eggs, larvae,
and fecal deposits will go unnoticed with just a casual inspection.
You should leave nothing unturned when doing your inspection for
bed bugs and no site should be ignored that may be a bed bug hiding
place... they hide anywhere! Examples: wall sconces,
behind electrical switch plates, behind wall posters, between
books and magazines on shelves and in racks. Inspect all the places
near sleeping areas, which may mean taking the bed frames apart!
Bed bugs can migrate to other rooms and even travel with you!
Keep in mind if you live in an apartment, they can migrate to
and from a neighbors apartment, and you may need their
cooperation to stop the infestation.
Bed Bugs (eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults in seam on mattress)
2. Prepare The Area
A thorough cleaning of the premises will make bed bug control
efforts much more effective. Strip all beds down to the bare sleeping
surface. Bedding, sheets, blankets, comforters, covers, and shams
should be washed in very hot water. Very hot water (120+degrees)
will kill the bed bugs. Personal items (stuffed animals, soft
toys, blankets) should be removed, cleaned with a vacuum cleaner,
and bagged in plastic for several weeks or more. Clutter should
be removed from furniture tops and bed stands. Open up the clock
radio and phone (that's right, Bed Bugs may be hiding in there
too!). Tap the open ends into a bag or on sticky tape so the bed
bugs can’t jump and hide. VACUUM EVERY SURFACE IN
AFFECTED BEDROOMS INCLUDING THE INSIDE OF DRESSER DRAWERS, DRESSER
CAVITIES, WALLS, CLOSETS, AND EVEN WALL RECEPTACLES AND OUTLETS.
In severe infestations, clothing should be removed from dressers
and chests. Utilize a crack & crevice vacuum tool to remove
bed bugs from deep harborage such as: under baseboards; under
carpet edges (pull up along the tack strip); around switch plates
(you may have to remove the plate first); from the bed frame;
inside box springs; inside furniture; and from floor cracks.
Use a hand-brush attachment to vacuum up most of the bed bugs.
Vacuum mattresses and box springs (especially along seams and
folds); upholstered furniture; and behind drapes. Also vacuum
the floor completely. After vacuuming, remove the bag from the
vacuum, tie it tightly, and remove it from the premises ASAP.
Remember, really infested bedding may have to be completely discarded.
IMMEDIATELY THROW AWAY VACUUM BAG.
3.
Attack the Bed Bugs Where They're Hiding
Hot Steam from an electric steamer is the next step in fighting
bed bugs. After vacuuming,
use a steam machine to get in all of
the cracks, crevices, carpet and even on the bedroom furniture
and mattresses. Anywhere you think they may be hiding. This will
ensure that you got most of them prior to final treatment
To get rid of bed bugs effectively, you've got to hit them hard
where they're hiding--in
the beds as well as around your rooms. Spray Bug Patrol®
and apply Fossil Shell Dust® on wall voids and under baseboards
and around the bed areas thoroughly.
Concentrate most of your efforts on vacuuming, steaming, and final
bed bug killer & fossil shell dust to crack and crevices.
These are the areas where bed bugs hide.
4.
Treat the Bed
The bed area needs to be treated next. Look carefully at the folds
and seams of the mattress, the headboard, foot board (if present),
box spring/support platform, frame, etc. You will be able to see
the bed bugs with the visible eye or the aid of a pocket
microscope or small magnifying
glass. Use the a steamer to hit these areas hard. The bed structure should be
steamed for bed bugs
with a light application of Bed Bug Patrol. Apply the spray on
the tufts, folds and seams of the mattress. The underside of the
box spring may be sprayed as well.
An electric
steamer is a great way to reach cracks and crevices quickly and
easily to kill the bed bugs.
TIP:
Mattress covers are a must for any bed bug protection plan.
Bed bug mattress and box spring covers prevent bed bugs from
escaping and new eggs hatching over the weeks and months to
come. DO NOT miss box spings as they are a key hiding place.
Most box springs coverings are coming off even on new
mattresses. It also allows for easy and fast inspection of
mattress and box springs.
Cover
the mattress AND box spring with a mattress cover's) being careful not to make any
tear holes in the new cover. Also spray a perimeter with Bed Bug
Patrol around the bed floor as a repellant and preventative.
5.
Treat the Furniture (Night Stand, Chests, Dressers, Couches and
Chairs)
The last step in bed bug elimination is to do a very thorough
crack and crevice treatment of the furniture in the room. For
wooden furniture pieces, you cannot miss any cracks. Apply Bed
Bug Patrol and Fossil Shell Dust to upholstered furniture, use
a similar treatment as the mattress and box spring. Always turn
bed bug infested furniture over and treat from the bottom. Look
carefully underneath all the legs of the furniture! Bed Bugs love
to hide in the most unlikely places! Some furniture may have hollow
metal framing (children’s bunk beds are an example). Treat
inside the metal tubing with dusts, aerosols or liquids as discussed
in the bedding paragraph above.
6. Trapping Bed Bugsa very
good way to get detection and it is good to trap bed bugs before
they have the chance to bite. Most bed bug traps on the
market are CO2 operated and cost upwards of $600 or more. Use
bed bug traps that are pesticide free.They are easily
installed underneath bed
posts, chairs, dresser drawers, couches, love seats, anywhere feet of furniture touch
the ground. Be careful to make sure that you pick up
comforters, linens, blankets, and sheets, so they do not touch
the traps and allow the bed bugs to climb up them and not
into the traps.Our bed bug traps are also much more economical
and very easy to use. Bugs approaching the bed (or other furniture)
from the floor or bed to the floor will be captured easily and
permanently by the trap. This adds
an additional item to your arsenal of bed bug trapping/killing
products and insures a successful extermination.
6. Repelling Bed Bugsis a good way to ensure a good nights sleep while trying to trap and kill them. Bed bugs are
attracted to the carbon dioxide in your breath.
7.
Look
for Bed Bugs While TravelingThe #1 Way To Get Bed
Bugs? Hotel Stay and Traveling. Bed bugs can stow
away in your luggage and clothes if you do not take protection
measures with Bed Bug Luggage Spray and Bed Bug Luggage Covers
to help prevent infestation of your clothes and bags while
traveling. Make sure before you place your luggage in the room
to do a full-room inspection which includes pulling back the
sheet and clearly looking for the bed bugs underneath the
mattress, in the folds of the bed, behind the head board, and
finally in the cracks and crevices surrounding the bed. Do not
leave your clothes on the floor. Place your bags on the provides
luggage rack and cover in a bed bug protector bag or black
plastic bag. Seal it up when not in use.
8.
Follow-up in 2 weeks! VACUUM, VACUUM, VACUUM & STEAM
EVERYTHING!
Getting rid of bed bugs is not easy. Inspect the treated room
again in two weeks. Do a thorough inspection (especially cracks
and crevices) and continually treat any area where bed bugs are
persisting or where they have moved.
TIP: Heavy
bed bug infestations may need more than a second treatment. Be
persistent!
Download Complete Instructions
Killing Bed
Bugs: Chemical v. All Natural
Written by
Beth Ballinger
10/16/2010
So you have bed bugs.
Now it’s time to get rid of them and there are a lot of products
to choose from. Should you go with a Pest Management
Professional (PMP) and just let them spray their chemicals
around your home? Could you save some money by buying the
chemicals to do it yourself (and is that really a good idea)?
What about all natural options that claim to be safe for the
environment? Are they actually safer and do they even work?
Using a PMP is a
viable choice. These men and women are trained to know the exact
body types of the pests they exterminate as well as what
chemicals and other products do or do not work against this foe.
However, finding a PMP who uses organic and
environmentally-friendly substances is very difficult. The
better known extermination companies out there typically use the
chemicals they’ve been using for years. While these chemicals
are temporarily effective, a PMP will have to revisit your home
every three to six months for a chemical spray. These products
are also on the EPA hazard list (you should see a red flag right
about now)!
Buying these
chemicals and using them yourself is not a good idea either.
These chemicals have to be sprayed in just the right amount per
square inch and any errors could cause the area to become overly
toxic for your family or could cause nothing to happen to the
bed bugs. You’re risking a lot by attempting to do this job
yourself, though you may save yourself some money.
Another recent issue
with the typical chemicals PMPs have been using for years is
that common bed bugs are developing an immunity to some of them.
This immunity is causing industries to make their products more
potent which makes them more dangerous for you and your family.
PMPs are trained to use these chemicals in the right amounts and
the right areas of your home, but it doesn’t change the fact
that these chemicals will have to be continuously sprayed in
your home. If you thought smelling the absurd amount of perfume
of the person in the cubicle next to yours was a bit much, wait
until you’re smelling toxic chemicals for days on end after each
visit.
There are all natural
products that work, and all natural products that don’t work.
One of the best items to purchase if you have bed bug problems
is a mattress encasement. These bed covers are scientifically
engineered to make sure nothing can get through it, into (or out
of) your mattress. This favorite hiding spot of bed bugs is a
good first place to start. Bed bugs can live up to a year
without feeding, but if you trap them inside your mattress they
will eventually dehydrate and die.
Fossil Shell Bed Bug
Dust is an excellent supplement to the mattress encasement. This
product breaks through the waxy shell of the bed bug and helps
to dehydrate them, causing death. The only downside to fossil
shell dust is the danger of inhaling it. It is otherwise safe
for humans and animals.
Bed Bug Patrol, made
by Nature’s Innovations, offers an organic and safe option for
bed bug extermination. This product offers do-it-yourself
instructions and is completely safe for you and your family.
It’s 100% natural and not only kills current infestations, but
helps to deter future infestations. It can also be purchased in
travel size to spray down your luggage to ensure you don’t bring
the little buggers home with you from vacation. Bed Bug Patrol
has been tested and is known to kill bed bugs within minutes.
Obviously, the all
natural option is the way to go. While it may be convenient for
someone else to come in and do whatever they have to to get rid
of the pests, the overwhelming risks outweigh the advantage of
not having to bother with any of it. Taking fifteen minutes out
of your day to spray your home yourself with products that are
completely non-toxic is totally worth it. Plus, the minty smell
of Bed Bug Patrol may help you get through the day with your
perfume bathed neighbor knowing you have a
bed-bug-free-minty-smelling home to look forward to!
you have one available. Bed Bugs can
leave reddish- brown spots on mattresses and have a distinct smell.
Remember that the bed bug's flat shape and small body enable it
to hide easily in cracks and crevices. Bed bugs, eggs, larvae,
and fecal deposits will go unnoticed with just a casual inspection.
use a steam machine to get in all of
the cracks, crevices, carpet and even on the bedroom furniture
and mattresses. Anywhere you think they may be hiding. This will
ensure that you got most of them prior to final treatment
the bed bugs.
before
they have the chance to bite. Most bed bug traps on the
market are CO2 operated and cost upwards of $600 or more. Use
bed bug traps that are pesticide free.They are easily
installed underneath bed
posts, chairs, dresser drawers, couches, love seats, anywhere feet of furniture touch
the ground. Be careful to make sure that you pick up
comforters, linens, blankets, and sheets, so they do not touch
the traps and allow the bed bugs to climb up them and not
into the traps. Our bed bug traps are also much more economical
and very easy to use. Bugs approaching the bed (or other furniture)
from the floor or bed to the floor will be captured
easily and
permanently by the trap. This adds
an additional item to your arsenal of bed bug trapping/killing
products and insures a successful extermination.
k
for Bed Bugs While Traveling The #1 Way To Get Bed
Bugs? Hotel Stay and Traveling. Bed bugs can stow
away in your luggage and clothes if you do not take protection
measures with Bed Bug Luggage Spray and Bed Bug Luggage Covers
to help prevent infestation of your clothes and bags while
traveling. Make sure before you place your luggage in the room
to do a full-room inspection which includes pulling back the
sheet and clearly looking for the bed bugs underneath the
mattress, in the folds of the bed, behind the head board, and
finally in the cracks and crevices surrounding the bed. Do not
leave your clothes on the floor. Place your bags on the provides
luggage rack and cover in a bed bug protector bag or black
plastic bag. Seal it up when not in use. 