6 tips on how to deal with bed bugs right away
There's no denying: bedbugs love our bed as much as we do. It's warm, dark and cosy and on top of it all, they love your body in it. They live off your blood and when untreated, they become a real pest. Once you spot one of these tiny bastards, it's important to take measures right away. Otherwise you create an ideal environment for them to feed, grow and multiply - and this is of course exactly what you want to prevent.
Where do bedbugs come from?
Bedbugs prefer dark and rarely disturbed places with a solid structure. Think about underneath your mattress, in your bed frame, in the piping at the edge of your mattress and in your store bedding. But that's not all: they also like loose wallpaper, cracks in your furniture and open electric outlets. When these prime spots are taken, they sometimes even dare to go live under or in your blankets. A bit more of a riskier spot, as this is usually moved around a lot more, which doesn't really make it a safe space for the tiny creatures.
Signs of bedbugs
Bedbugs love biting humans and animals. They suck your blood, pair and lay eggs in your mattress and other preferably dark and hidden spaces. They are visible to the naked eye so when you inspect your bed, you might just find one lying around. Usually, you won't see them crawling around that much as they prefer dark, safe spaces. You might find some small and pale eggs, egg shells and yellowish skins that young bedbugs shed.
Bite marks on your body may also be a sign that you have bedbugs living somewhere in or around your mattress. You recognise them by the red swelling around the bite and they might be itchy. As bedbugs suck blood, you may also find tiny blood stains on your bedding - either from the bite or from squashing the bedbug when you move around in your bed. When your mattress is heavily infected, you might notice a dusty smell in your room or even see some of the tiny basterds crawling around.
How to get rid of bedbugs
Time to get rid of them right away! Combating bedbugs starts with making sure you end the feeding cycle. Because if they don't bite you, they don't eat, which means they cannot reproduce and spread around. So the main goal is to prevent them from biting.
Tips for prevention and treatment
- Start off by laundering all your bedding at the highest temperature possible. This will kill the bedbugs.
- Check all possible hiding places in your room (between couch cushions, in or around your bed frame, near the tags of your mattress, in the piping at the edge of your mattress, etc.) and scrub them with a stiff brush to remove all bedbugs and eggs. Then vacuum them thoroughly every day, until everything is gone. Don't forget to put the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag and place it in the garbage outdoors afterward.
- Seal off any open areas like loose wallpaper, cracks in your furniture and/or open electric outlets.
- To make sure any surviving bedbugs don't get the chance to bite you, it is advised to get yourself an anti-bedbug mattress cover. This type of cover seals your mattress completely and makes sure that bedbugs living in your mattress have no way of getting through the mattress cover. They will not be able to bite through the cover and will thus slowly starve to death.
- Be patient, it may take some time before you have eradicated all bedbugs. Repeat the above steps when you notice they are not all gone yet.
- If the above does not work, it might be time for more drastic measures, like hiring a professional bedbug exterminator.
What if they keep coming back?
To effectively eliminate bedbugs, it's crucial to understand that sprays mainly target living bugs, often leaving behind eggs that hatch later. These tiny, resilient pests can quickly repopulate your home.
For comprehensive bedbug control, commence by thoroughly encasing all mattresses, box springs, pillows, and non-washable comforters. These covers act as a barrier, preventing new bugs from infiltrating your bedding and restricting the movement of existing ones. Maintain the covers for a minimum of one year post-bedbug infestation.
To tackle bedding that can't be encased, including sheets, mattress pads, blankets, and washable comforters, adopt a routine of washing them in hot water. This process effectively kills bugs and annihilates their eggs. Repeat this laundering regimen every two weeks until no further bedbugs are detected, then periodically as a preventive measure.
By diligently following these steps in conjunction with professional extermination services, you can significantly enhance your chances of eradicating bedbugs from your home.
