Treating For Bed Bugs
Treating for Bed Bugs
[ Bed Bug Identification | Inspecting For Bed Bugs | Treating For Bed Bugs | Preventing Bed Bugs]Getting Rid of Bed Bugs
The sight of Bed Bugs can frighten most people. Bed Bug infestations can be eliminated if you do the treatments yourself. It will take some care and consistency on your part, but you can easily treat the Bed Bug infestation in your home for good.
Preparing for a Bed Bug Treatment
Before Bed Bug treatment starts, you need to prepare the room where bed bugs have been located as well as any room that share walls. Take out any items in the room that cannot be treated or that may have already been treated. Cover up any items that will be removed from the room in plastic bags before moving them to the next room to prevent Bed Bugs from getting into another room causing further infestation.
Remove any hanging pictures or art from all of the walls. As before, thoroughly check any item that is removed from the room to prevent the bed bugs from going from room to room.
If your mattress is heavily infested, we advise covering it with a Bed Bug proof cover before moving it. You will also want to cover your box spring with a box spring encasement.
If you have to throw out your mattress, make sure to cover the mattress with plastic before doing so to protect sanitation workers. Somehow labeling it "Bed Bugs" will also be helpful to the workers charged with the disposal of the mattress.
Any sheets, linens, and garments that are infested should be immediately washed and then dried in a household dryer on high heat, as the heat will kill them. Any clothing types that can't be washed, may need to be dry cleaned or discarded entirely as insecticides can't be used on them. If any stuffed animals, books, or toys are infested with Bed Bugs, put those items in an air-tight bin with vapor strips to kill them.
Treating the Cracks, Crevices, Tufts, and Folds
Some Bed Bug products are not labeled to be used where other products can be. Bed Bugs can build up a tolerance to certain chemicals, making them harder to treat. This is why it is advised to use a few different products to kill and control Bed Bugs.
Mattress Treatment for Bed Bugs
When trying to get rid of Bed Bugs in a mattress, we advise using an aerosol spray labeled for Bed Bugs such as Bedlam Aerosol, and spray it onto the mattress itself. Concentrate the spray on the seams, tufts, and folds of the mattress and keep spraying until the mattress is damp. Let the mattress dry before making the bed with freshly sheets that have in the dryer on high heat.
When you are finished treating a mattress and/or box spring for Bed Bugs, we recommend putting each in a Bed Bug proof cover. Covering them will prevent them from infesting again and will make it easier for future inspections and treatments. Be certain that anything that has been sprayed to your mattress is dry before you cover it with a bed bug proof cover. You can put your laundered linens over the Bed Bug proof mattress cover.
If you are encasing your mattress/box spring, you don't have to re-treat your mattress or box spring again If you don't encase your mattress or box spring, you will have to apply the aerosol again every 7 to 10 days until there isn't anymore Bed Bug activity.
Additionally you can follow the aerosol spray treatment with some insecticide dust. Insecticide dusts are perfect for hard to reach areas like mattress corners and where box spring and mattress come together. Insecticide dusts will last for several months. You can dust your box spring as well. We advise to encase your mattress and box spring to avoid the trouble of having to re-treat.
Treating with Concentrated Insecticide
When you have completed taking care of your mattress, it's time to treat the rest of the rooms where Bed Bugs have been found and the rooms that share walls rooms that are infected.
Mix your insecticide for use on bed bugs with water in a pump sprayer to create a bed bug spray using the ratio found in the instructions. Spray product onto baseboards, in corners, around door frames and window frames, around bed frames, and under the furniture. Do not spray on an entire carpet or floor. Always allow the product to dry before proceeding..
Some areas to pay special attention to:
- Furniture Legs - Spray the wheels, casters, posts, and legs of all furniture as Bed Bugs may be hiding.
- Carpeting - Spray along the edges of the carpets, and where carpets meet the baseboards.
- Window Frames / Door Frames - Spray around all the door frames, window frames, and thresholds.
Bed Bug Aerosol Spray
When the concentrated insecticide is dry, it is good to follow that up with a Bed Bug aerosol. Bed Bug aerosol sprays are insecticides that have finer particles and will get deeper into the cracks and crevices. If you use both a liquid insecticide and an aerosol spray, you are able to treat Bed Bugs that have built a resistance to one chemical, but not the other type of chemical.
Bed Bug aerosol sprays, make it easier to apply insecticide into the cracks and crevices of furniture as well as the mattresses around infested rooms. Apply aerosol in drawers, around picture frames, bed frames, headboards, and any other cracks you can think of. It is recommended to allow the aerosol to dry before moving forward.
Areas that will especially need to be treated:
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Furniture - Spray any furniture in infested rooms or adjoining ones. Any seams or folds will need attention particularly. Be sure to check any furniture legs and bottom liners. Always test the spray in a not easily viewed area before applying to the rest of the furniture to see if there is any discoloration.
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Along baseboards - Spray where the baseboards meet the wall, or where the baseboards meet the carpet or floor as well and also any cracks that might be in the baseboards. This will prevent the Bed Bugs from going under the baseboards to get into other rooms.
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The whole bed, including the mattress - Make sure you include the box spring as well as the bed frame and headboard (especially if it is a fabric type headboard). Apply the spray along the corners, inside seams, the dust cover, and inside of the box spring. Screw holes as well as other void spaces in the bed frames are a common hiding places for Bed Bugs.
- Pictures, frames, mirrors, and other wall hangings - Take any hangings down from the wall and treat the backs and corners of each one. You can rehang any pictures etc. once the spray has completely dried.
Using Bed Bug Dust to Make a Barrier
An additional step in the fight against eliminating Bed Bugs is to apply a Bed Bug dust insecticide. Bed Bug dust is insecticide in a powder form to better reach harder to treat areas that you wouldn't be able to use a liquid insecticide. Bed Bug dust is a slow kill, so we advise using it in addition to the other treatment methods.
Bed Bug dust is able to be applied with a hand duster and applied into cracks, crevices, behind outlet covers and faceplates, and other hard to reach areas. Dusts are good because they last can last for months and sometimes years, depending on the type of dust used.
Areas to to apply Bed Bug dust:
- Outlet covers and faceplates
- Baseboards
- Between the mattress and box spring
- Headboards, foot boards
- Drawers / furniture
- Fixtures and lamps
Killing Active/Live Bed Bugs
We advise spraying a product known as Steri-Fab in areas where Bed Bugs are clearly visible and active. Steri-Fab combines a synthetic insecticide and isopropyl alcohol to kill Bed Bugs on contact. Steri-Fab is also a sanitizer. Steri-Fab won't leave any residual, meaning it can pretty much be applied anywhere. Shake well, then apply to the areas where Bed Bugs are. The Bed Bugs will usually die within 10 minutes or so of spraying them.
Repeating Bed Bug Treatment
Repeat the treatments, other than the mattress and box spring, every 7-10 days until nobody gets any bites, and there is no sign of live Bed Bugs or fresh blood spots found. It depends on the seriousness of the infestation and it can take a about 7-8 weeks, including repeat treatments. It is important be meticulous in your treatments, so it does not extend the process of trying to get rid of them.
Pest Supplies Direct - Bed Bug Control Products