How Long To Get Rid Of Bed Bug Bites – Bed bugs are two words that no one wants to hear. As with most insects, if you have bed bugs, you need to know how to get rid of them on your own. Whether it’s at home, in your suitcase or hiding in personal belongings, your first reaction is probably to find out what kills bed bugs fast.
The good news: There is a lot of information about getting rid of bed bugs, including products and tips for extermination. The bad news: Anything short of professional pest control will likely be ineffective at killing bed bugs. Worse, an ineffective treatment can lead to the appearance of bed bugs that are deeper and more resistant than before.
How Long To Get Rid Of Bed Bug Bites
Bed bugs are small, flat, oval-shaped, brownish-colored insects that feed on the blood of humans and warm-blooded animals. Their smooth body allows them to fit into spaces as small as the width of a credit card. They can hide in cracks and crevices located near your resting places such as mattresses, box springs, nightstands and other areas around sleeping areas. This gives these pests easy access to sleeping people, hence the name “bedbugs”.
Why Is Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs So Hard?
If you’re a frequent flyer, you might not like to hear this: the main source of bed bugs is travel. These pests get on the luggage or clothes you bring home. You can bring insects home from hotels, public transport, cinemas or even a clothing store.
If you stay away from home, check your surroundings for bed bug activity. When you get home, check your luggage and clothes and immediately wash everything in warm to hot water and then dry on high heat. (Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for washing and drying clothes).
These creatures do not discriminate. Insects are attracted to warm-blooded organisms that can provide them with a blood meal. If a person or animal sits still enough for the bed bug to eat, it will take advantage of this.
By catching bed bugs early, you can prevent a small infestation from turning into a large one. The most common symptoms of bed bugs are:
Bed Bug Control And Extermination
If you look carefully, you may see a lot of these pests in and around your bed. However, since they prefer to stay hidden, bed bugs are usually hard to spot.
Bed bugs usually live near where people sleep. In your home, they can hide in:
The small, flat size and shape of these pests allows them to squeeze into the smallest of spaces, making bed bugs very difficult to get rid of.
Although bed bugs don’t carry pathogens that can cause disease, bed bug bites can be very itchy and uncomfortable – making these bloodsuckers a bug you simply can’t live with. In fact, a secondary infection may be caused by scratching and breaking the skin with itchy insect bites.
How Do You Treat Bed Bugs From Home?
In addition to bites, bed bugs can develop quickly unless removed. This is why it is so important to contact a professional pest control company as soon as you see any evidence of bed bugs.
It has a unique approach to bed bug control: our customers do not need to prepare before we arrive. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. Every bed bug infestation is unique and our technicians can give you the best recommendations after inspecting your space.
Consider getting rid of any unnecessary items such as old magazines and newspapers. A cluttered house provides many places for bed bugs to hide, and the more things you can get rid of, the fewer places for bed bugs to hide. If you’re wondering what bedbugs are attracted to—besides heat, blood, and carbon dioxide—dark crevices also attract attention and give them a place to hide before emerging to feed.
Bed bugs can hide in cardboard, so if you need storage, plastic bins are less likely to cause an infestation.
Bed Bug Control
Keep clothes and accessories off the floor. If possible, throw away or donate items you no longer need, making sure everything is bug free first.
After the initial bed bug inspection, the technician will likely advise you to keep your sleeping area neat and tidy. Some ways to do this are:
Seeing the obvious signs of bed bugs on your mattress and bedding can leave you feeling suffocated and wondering, “Should I throw away my mattress after a bed bug infestation?” Fortunately, a bed bug infestation doesn’t mean you have to throw out your entire mattress. If your technician recommends it, here’s how to clean your mattress of bed bugs:
The most effective way to clean a mattress for bed bugs requires professional treatment. After treatment, the pest control specialist recommends the use of special covers (bedbug covers) to cover the mattress and box. Make sure they have high quality zippers to reduce wear and tear.
The Bed Bug Problem
If you have laundry in baskets without being thrown away, you can attract bed bugs. Even clean clothes can be an attractive hiding place for bed bugs. In addition, curtains and bedspreads can also harbor bed bugs if they have taken up residence in your home.
Remember, cleaning clothes is not a surefire way to get rid of bed bugs. Consult an expert to find a more complete and comprehensive solution to your problem.
If you can expose bed bugs to extreme heat, you may be able to kill them. Therefore, ironing or steam washing the sheets can be effective. Be sure to read the label first to make sure it is possible without damaging the product.
However, it can only get rid of bugs that live in places that can be heated. Most of their skins cannot be ironed or steam cleaned. Professional control companies can use industrial steamers to heat treat entire homes to help control bed bug infestations.
The Bed Bug Life Cycle Guide
What kills bed bugs? Collaborate with pest control professionals and make sure they have access to closets, walls, and areas around furniture. In turn, they should be able to effectively treat your bed bugs.
Do not wait for the problem to be fixed. To help get rid of bed bugs fast, you need a trained professional to identify pests and spot signs of infestation quickly. Contact ® for powerful, customized treatments that can help eliminate bed bugs where they live and breed.
Bed bugs are remarkably resilient. They can survive a wide range of temperatures between 32 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit, go months without food, and are very adept at hiding in small spaces that most human eyes cannot detect.
While some people may try to get rid of bed bugs using home remedies or over-the-counter pesticides, they are rarely successful. In many cases, home remedies or DIY pesticides can be dangerous.
How Bedbugs Are Treated
The only way to rid your home of bed bugs is to use a combination of professional pest control techniques.
It can be tempting to try to tackle your bed bug problem on your own using DIY methods. Resist that temptation! Many DIY methods—including over-the-counter insecticides and so-called natural remedies to get rid of bed bugs—can be unsafe to use and are unlikely to be effective, allowing the bed bug population to grow even higher.
You may see a lot of (mis)information online recommending natural chemical treatments (such as borax, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, essential oils, baking and spraying bleach on bed bugs – to name a few). However, it is important to remember that even “natural” chemicals are still chemicals and should be used with caution and only according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Because bed bugs are such good hiders, home remedies rarely get them all. If you lose the bed bugs or their eggs, the infestation can start again within days.
How To Treat Bed Bug Bites: 12 Steps (with Pictures)
Unfortunately, natural remedies are rarely 100% effective, which is why you should call a professional as soon as you see bed bugs in your home.
Bed bombs (sometimes called “fogs”) are another potentially dangerous DIY option. These foggers release fumes into the environment that can cause allergic reactions.
In addition to rarely being 100% effective, using these DIY remedies can be dangerous because multiple bed bug bombs can cause breakouts if used incorrectly. If foggers are not used properly and homeowners do not turn off all pilot lights, the results can be disastrous.
Pest control experts use a combination of innovative techniques to ensure that all bed bugs are killed or permanently removed from your home. Professionals understand the resilience of these pests as well as their potential resistance to certain pesticides.
Are The Bed Bugs Gone Or Are They Still Hiding? 5 Ways To Be Sure
A pest control professional will inspect your home, assess the extent of the infestation, and provide a customized bed bug treatment plan tailored to your needs.
Taming bed bugs is not something you tackle alone. Our trained professionals are always here to help you protect your home. keep in touch