Dealing with a bed bug infestation is incredibly stressful and unnerving. Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary, and now it’s infested with uninvited visitors who bite. Although these critters are flat and tiny, they aren’t harmless. They will take over your home if left unaddressed and continue to feed on your blood at night. If you want to get rid of bed bugs for good, you need to be proactive about treatment and prevention. Ultimately, calling a pest control service in Barrie is the best way to eradicate an infestation. But, there are also some things you can do to effectively ban bed bugs from your home permanently.
1. Watch For The First Signs Of Infestation
You may not know you have bed bugs until they’ve started feasting on you. Do you have bites anywhere on your body? Bed bug bites are usually raised, red bumps that follow a zigzag pattern. They can be itchy, develop blisters, or they may not feel like anything at all. Another sign of bed bugs is rust-coloured excrement spots on your bedding. This is actually from your blood after they’ve bitten you and digested the blood.
In severe cases, bed bugs can give off a musky odour. If you notice a strange smell in your bedroom, or any other room, investigate for other signs of bed bugs. Many different types of pests will give off a scent, so be prepared for other infestation problems other than bed bugs.
2. Wash All Your Fabrics
Once you’ve found signs of bed bugs in your home, it’s time to get to work. Heat is an effective killer of bed bugs, so start washing your belongings in hot water. Bed bugs removal from clothes, bedding, towels, pet beds, and stuffed animals is crucial. Anything that’s made from fabric should be put in the washing machine at high heat. Then, dry them in your dryer at the highest heat level possible.
For items you don’t want to put in the washing machine, like shoes, you can still put them in the dryer for 30 minutes. Getting rid of an infestation could disrupt your daily life for a few days as you clean all your belongings.
3. Deep Clean Your Mattress
What about the scene of the crime, your mattress? While bed bugs aren’t restricted to beds only, they are a common place to find them. Start by using a stiff brush to scrub at the seams of your mattress. This will make their eggs and shells come loose. Then, vacuum every side of the mattress — top, bottom, and all sides.
Keep in mind, your vacuum could now be infested by the bugs and their eggs. When you’re done with it, place it in a sealed plastic bag and put it outside the house. Leave it out there for a few days so that the bugs suffocate. Use a similar method on your mattress- place it in a tight bed bug-proof mattress case. Keep it sealed shut for at least one year.
4. Fill In Wall Cracks
Tiny cracks in the plaster of your walls are excellent hiding spots for bed bugs. They might build their nests in those cracks or in places with lifting wallpaper. Do a thorough inspection of your home’s walls. Go from room to room, assessing the walls for damage and areas bed bugs could be hiding. Use wallpaper glue to seal down lifting edges or remove the paper altogether. Fill in all wall cracks, no matter how small, with plaster or caulk.
5. Declutter Your Home
There’s a misconception that only filthy, poorly maintained homes get bed bugs. This isn’t true. Even homes in affluent neighbourhoods with great housekeeping can still get infestations. Wherever clutter exists, so can bed bugs. So, do an intense decluttering of your home.
Dry, cool areas make perfect environments for bed bugs to breed. Go through the boxes under your bed and in your closet to get rid of what you don’t need. Declutter books, magazines, clothes, and kitchen supplies. At the end of the process, you should know where every belonging is and when it was cleaned last.
6. Seal What Can’t Be Cleaned
What about the items that can’t go in the washer or dryer, like tables and chairs? These items need to be sealed off in plastic cases. If bed bugs are hiding in their cracks or corners, sealing them for up to a year can kill them.
For some items, you might be better off simply getting rid of them. For example, thick lazy-boy chairs that you don’t want to pay to get cleaned professionally. If you decide to put these items on the side of the road for pickup, make sure you label them as “bed bugs” or “broken,” so an unsuspecting neighbour doesn’t assume they’re free pieces of furniture.
7.Steam Clean Often
Steamers are a great tool for maintaining a bed bug-free home. The heat of the steam can kill bed bugs and their eggs. Take your steamer and slowly spray each room with it. Pay extra attention to the baseboards, closet shelves, window trim, and even the carpet. Make sure the steamer is set to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and use a low setting for the airflow. Too much airflow might cause the bed bugs to scatter and, thus, survive.
8. Find a Pest Control Service in Barrie
All these DIY bed bugs pest control treatments can work, but they aren’t as effective as a professional service’s methods. Look for pest control services in Barrie that have many years of experience as well as plenty of good reviews.
Ask for their bed bugs control price. They should be thorough in their inspection and realistic on the outcomes of their service. Often, a second treatment is needed after the first to ensure the infestation is truly eradicated. To get rid of an infestation permanently, you need to stay on top of preventative measures.
9. Prepare Your House for Treatment
Once you’ve booked a bed bugs control services, prepare your house for the visit. Remember that the treatment will be at least six hours, so make plans for your family and pets to be out of the home. Launder and seal all your belongings, including furniture. Don’t move large furniture away from walls. Keep your bed, dresser, and couches where they usually are in your house.
10. Get Regular Inspections
Once your home’s treatment is completed, be proactive about the future. Schedule regular inspections of your home with a reputable pest control company. Keep an eye out for signs of bed bugs in your home, and let the professionals take a deeper look. If you want to get rid of bed bugs permanently, then ongoing maintenance is key.
Mr. Pest Control has been providing pest control services in Barrie for over 20 years. Our experienced and highly trained technicians effectively remove bed bug infestations from homes and commercial settings.
Send us a message or call us for a quote today: (705) 739- 7378.
