Have you noticed small fecal spots or shell flakes underneath your mattress? Do you wake up with itchy bites on your skin every morning? If so, then it’s a sign that you have bed bugs in your house. If so, then you need to learn all that you can about proper bed bug pest control and what it requires to get things back on track.
Going about it the right way is crucial for getting rid of them as quickly as possible. See below for an in-depth guide listing several tips for bed bug pest control that you can use in your home.
1. Know the High-Traffic Spots
Most people are thrown off the scent of bed bugs in their homes due to the name of the bug. As long as there are no signs of bed bugs in your bed, they aren’t in your house, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
There are several areas that bed bugs like to nuzzle into to reproduce. It’s important to know what those areas are so that you can check for them inside your house.
First, start by checking your beds and couches. Bed bugs typically like to set up shop between cushions, so be sure to lift your mattress and couch cushions to inspect the underside. This is especially important to check before you start unpacking in a hotel room.
Next, make your way over to your clothing drawers and do the same thing. Check in-between your clothing items, since bed bugs enjoy being sandwiched between fabrics. Look for signs of feces, eggshells, etc.
Anytime that you’re traveling or coming home from traveling, be sure to check your suitcase. If you catch them early on, you can stop the infestation before it begins.
In short, check the high-traffic spots before the infestation worsens. When you notice the signs, you can reach out to a professional pest control service to get them taken care of.
2. Take Precautions
True bed bug pest control occurs before you notice an infestation, not after. If you’re proactive in preventing bed bugs, then you never have to worry about dealing with this stressful life event.
Thankfully, there are several ways you can prevent them from entering. The first step is to do what we just covered: check your high-traffic areas. This is especially important when you’ve just come home from a trip, done laundry in a laundromat, and so on.
After you’ve done that, you can lessen the likelihood of bed bugs in your home by:
- Storing all fabrics in plastic containers
- Keeping your clothes off of the bed (except for what you wear to bed)
- Invest in a bed bug proof bed casing
- Wash all your clothes immediately after traveling
- Make a habit of vacuuming every week
- Avoid clutter (especially fabric items) on the floor
The list goes on and on. The more effort that you put into bed bug pest control on your end, the more success you’ll have. If one happens to penetrate your defenses, you can contact a trusty pest control expert to help you out.
3. Wash and Dry Your Fabrics
Whenever there is a bug inside the house, most homeowners are tempted to reach for the store-bought sprays. However, not only do you risk them being ineffective, but they can also be poisonous for your pets, your children, and yourself.
For that reason, we suggest you skip the spray and try a safer approach instead. During your inspection of all high-traffic areas, be sure to throw any fabric with signs of bed bugs on it in the washer and dryer. That means all couch cushion covers, bed sheets, covers, blankets, stuffed animals, you name it.
Be sure to wash them and dry them on high heat. The hot temperature will kill any bed bugs that were festering on those fabrics, thus limiting the infestation. If you’re still seeing signs of bed bugs in the next few days, then you need to call in an expert.
4. Try to Contain the Problem
As cliche as it might be, dealing with bed bugs is a problem you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. For that reason, you need to prioritize keeping the problem contained in your house.
As tempting as it may be, don’t throw away items with bed bugs on them. Most of these items can be treated and throwing them out on your lawn could make your neighbors susceptible to an outbreak in their homes.
Think of your home as a quarantine for the bed bugs that made their way inside. They somehow got in, but they can never escape.
5. Contact Professional Pest Control
Perhaps you want the bed bugs gone as soon as you find them. Maybe the problem has become so severe that home remedies won’t do the trick.
Whatever the case might be, you can contact a professional pest control company to eradicate the issue from your home right away.
They’ll use eco-friendly solutions and treatments that ensure the safety of your pets and kids. They’ll help you get rid of the infestation and ensure that bed bugs never make their way back inside your home again.
Invest in Bed Bug Pest Control Today
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide with several bed bug pest control tips, be sure to use this information to your advantage.
Take the time to read this article for more information on eco-friendly pest control and whether it’s an effective solution or not. To get started, call us right away at 435-753-3825 for a free inspection.