How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
If you are wondering how to kill bed bugs then you have come to the right place. On this page we will discuss in detail all the measures you can take for getting your home rid of bed bugs once and for all!
While there is no single activity, product, pesticide, or tool that alone provides you the assurance of eliminating bed bugs at once, there are some effective Do-It-Yourself methods that can be combined to get rid of bed bugs and prevent them from coming back.
Getting Rid of Bed Bugs on Your Own
If you want to attempt to get rid of bed bugs on your own, the following guide is the best way to get these blood-sucking critters off your property.
However, if you do not want to waste your time and effort getting rid of the bed bugs by yourself and you want 100% guaranteed bed bug extermination please call Bed Bug Exterminator Pro today for a free consultation and quote. Watch the video below for more details.
Treatment Options
Despite the fact that there are a variety of treatment options for bed bug removal, we’ve shortlisted the most basic yet most effective ones for you. It is understandable that an average homeowner may not be equipped with the latest technology or gear for carrying out a bed bug removal job as effective as a professional bed bug exterminator like Bed Bug Exterminator Pro, and this is why we think it was best to focus on effective basic processes that are known and have been proven to offer the best do-it-yourself DIY results. Let’s get to it then!
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How to Kill Bed Bugs Guide
If you do not wish to hire a bed bug exterminator and would like to take matters into your own hands, here are some things you can do by yourself at home or at your business to help with your bed bug infestation:
Get Rid of Furniture and Other Infested Items
One way of dealing with bed bugs is getting rid of furniture, mattresses, curtains, clothes and other clutter that has been badly infested by bed bugs. In turn, the entire home can be fumigated and new furniture and other items brought in. This method by itself will not ensure that your bed bug problem is solved and so other methods are required.
Hot Water Cleaning and Highest Heat Setting
In case you have been traveling and suspect that you are carrying bed bugs in your bags, ensure the luggage and any other bags have been vacuumed or professionally cleaned by your local dry cleaner. Make sure your linens and clothes are washed using the hottest water settings available before drying using the highest level of heat setting you can find for about 60 minutes. It is recommended to pack all your clothes into bags and take them to your local dry cleaners for expert treatment.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming is the most effective DIY cleaning method for bed bug elimination. As the name suggests, you need a vacuum cleaner to get this job done. The vacuum cleaner needs to be powerful enough to suck in bed bugs from hard to reach places like outlets, under vents, bed and furniture crevices and should be equipped with HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) which will ensure small particles like bed bugs do not escape from the vacuum once they are vacuumed. Of course, a regular vacuum might also do the trick, but an HEPA-equipped one will make sure that bed bugs and their eggs are restricted from spreading out. You will also need a crevice tool along with the vacuum cleaner so as to ensure that small cracks and spaces are cleaned out precisely. A brush attachment will also come handy in reaching those hard to reach bed bugs.
This process is quite easy and effective but needs to be done extensively and thoroughly to make sure all bed bugs are vacuumed. Remember, only 2 bed bugs are required to start spreading again, and if you don’t get rid of all of them, before you know it they are back full-force.
Steam Treatment
Steam treatment is a highly effective process, which can kill bed bugs at all life stages including bed bug eggs. If you believe the problem you are facing with bed bugs is a highly critical one (in case you noticed the problem once bed bug bites were becoming regular and extensive), then it is recommended that you call your local bed bug exterminator, however if you are still up for doing it yourself then you may want to invest in a steam cleaner to effectively attempt to deal with the issue at hand and make sure all bed bugs are completely removed off your property. Although it needs to be combined with a few other methods such as pesticides, steam is still an effective method on its own.
You can clear out items such as plush furniture, including chairs and couches, and mattresses using steam. The only downside to this process is that it only kills the bugs that it can reach. Plus, keeping track of the contact time is also crucial for heat. It is recommended that you move the nozzle of the steam cleaner rather slowly so as to ensure time of exposure and depth are both maximum. This method should be repeated several times on all furniture, floors as well as any crevices where you suspect bed bugs are hiding.
Bed Leg Interceptors
Bed bugs do not really feed on a person when he or she is not asleep. They have a way of waiting for months or weeks until people are in bed and asleep before crawling out fast, feed and then return into their hiding area. They only feed between 10-15 minutes and enter the apartment or house by hitchhiking on bags, clothing, shoes and other items. In many cases, to bite a person, the bed bug leaves its hiding place, crawls along the floor before climbing up the bed leg to start sucking on human blood. While this happens often, breaking the cycle can help slow the bed bug infestation by making it harder for them to get to their human food source simply by buying good bed bed leg interceptors, inexpensive small devices that trap bed bugs and help warn you beforehand about an infestation and perhaps help control it before it is too late. However, bed leg interceptors by themselves will not solve your bedbug problem and in most cases professional bed bug exterminator is required to eliminate the problem for good.
Bed Bug Proof Mattress Covers
It is important to clean infested items in your home and prevent them from becoming re-infested with bed bugs until the problem is eradicated. Bed bugs cannot survive steam and hot temperatures so wash your bed covers, linens, laundry hamper, and any fabric/material items you have that could harbor bed bugs on high heat. Dry on the hottest setting as well and be sure to store the newly cleaned items in sealed plastic bags or sealed storage containers. For small items that you cannot wash or are dry clean only, you should put them in your dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
Use of Pesticides
By far, the usage of pesticides is indeed the best way to get rid of bed bugs. Pesticides are an effective tool for fighting off bed bugs. But it is recommended that you hire a professional pest exterminator like Bed Bug Exterminator Pro for this job as only qualified servicemen are capable of applying pesticides effectively so as to make sure that the bed bugs are killed off permanently and there are no chances of re-infestation or harm to humans and/or pets.
Bed bugs also migrate across vents and cracks from one flat to another in condos, apartment buildings and other residences. This means a building-wide pest control effort is highly vital. Rubbing alcohol, using kerosene and bug sprays sold over the counter are not only ineffective according to the Government of Toronto, but also fire hazards that could cause serious damage to a house and belongings.
If you do consider hiring a professional bed bug exterminator for your bed bug issue, you need to make sure to get a well-trained, experienced and fully licensed and insured company for it such as Bed Bug Exterminator Pro. The main point in this process that you should remember at all times is that usage of pesticides alone doesn’t guarantee the eradication of bed bugs. This is why you, or whoever you are consulting for the job, need to carry out several accompanying methods to complete the job. At Bed Bug Exterminator pro we will totally exterminate your bed bug problem or your money back guaranteed!
Aftermath
After you have successfully treated your household from bed bug infestations, you might want to remember that the job is still not over yet. You need to make sure that these pests do not ever return again and for this, you will have to carry out a few necessary steps. First and foremost, you should wash the surfaces as well as the furniture in your home so as to make sure everything is cleaned up. Plus, if there were any damages caused to your property then you might also want to carry out a few physical repairs here and there to close up any openings where the bed bugs were hiding. Last but not least; the most important part would be to dispose off the infested items to make sure there isn’t a relapse. Your clothing should also all be carefully sealed in bags and taken to your local cleaners to be professionally cleaned to kill off any bed bugs that may be hiding in your clothing.
If you tried all the above methods without success, then you need to call Bed Bug Exterminator Pro or your local bed bug expert to solve your problem once and for all. Below we explain what you can do in the meantime.
How to Check for Bed Bugs
In the images you can see the most common places where bed bugs hide. Check each of these places in order to find the bed bugs.
References
- Health Canada, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Bed Bugs-Pest Note. Pub: 8195. ISBN: 978-1-100-12303-5 (978-1-100-12304-2) 2009.
- Health Canada, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Bed Bugs-Pest Note. Pub: 8195. ISBN: 978-1-100-12303-5 (978-1-100-12304-2) 2009.
- Myles, T., Brown, B., Bedard, B., Bhooi, R., Bruyere, K., Chua, A., Macsai, M., Menezes, R., Alka Salwan, A., and Takahashi, M., Bed Bugs in Toronto. Centre for Urban and Community Studies, University of Toronto, Research Bulletin #19. 2003.
- Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association Bed bug Resources 2010.
- Reinhardt, K., Siva-Jothy, M.T. Biology of the Bed Bugs (Cimicidae). Annual Review of Entomology. 2007. 52:351-374.
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