7 Major Steps to Follow to Get Rid of Bedbugs

Even though they measure only 5 millimeters across, bedbugs are tough, smart and they reproduce at a very rapid pace. These nasty little bugs can go for months without a meal and know exactly where to hide in order to avoid detection. Another problem is that a healthy female bedbug can lay approximately 500 eggs in its lifetime so it really doesn’t come as a surprise that these bloodsuckers can cause you a lot of grief. They wreak a lot of havoc in your home, especially if they have infested your bed because you will soon notice itchy and red welts all over your body.
Luckily, it is possible to get rid of bed bugs. Follow the 7 steps outlined below to get rid of these unwanted creatures:

Step 1: Identify the areas that have been infested

If you have bedbugs, it is best to eliminate them quickly before they reproduce. Treating a small infestation is easier and cheaper, but it is also hard to detect. You can do the search yourself or hire professionals to do the inspection. As they have narrow and small bodies, bedbugs can squeeze into tiny spaces such as the folds of a curtain or the seams of a couch or bed. Look for them in furniture joints, underneath posters and paintings on the wall, in baseboards, cracks in the headboard and bed frame, inside electrical outlets and between couch cushions.

Step 2: Contain the problem

Once you are sure your house is infested, it is time to contain the bedbugs. First thing, run a vacuum over the infested places like bed, carpets, dresses and electronics. Seal the content that has been vacuumed and throw it away and then clean the vacuum. All affected clothes and linens should be washed at the highest temperatures settings. Anything you cannot wash or dry should be sealed tight in a plastic bag for a few months to ensure the bugs die.

Step 3: Prepare for treatment

Clean out all linens, carpets, drapes, clothing and other hiding places. Open areas should be sealed like gluing up loose wallpapers, caulking cracks around baseboards and furniture and taping up open electrical outlets. Remove things lying on the floor and under the bed and move the bed away from the wall.

Step 4: Kill them

Intense heat or cold can be used for killing bedbugs like washing the linens, clothes and carpets. Other items like books and magazines can be put in the freezer. But, how to deal with things like furniture? There are chemical treatments available such as bug bombs or foggers. You can also find plant-based products that are less toxic as compared to chemical insecticides and are also effective.

Step 5: Monitor the infested areas

It takes time to wipe out bedbugs. Monitor the infested areas and check them once every seven days for any signs of activity. Get bedbug interceptors that can be placed on the legs of the bed for trapping them and letting you know if the infestation continues.

Step 6: Retreat when needed

As mentioned before, bedbugs are very tough creatures and it is not easy to get rid of them. Just when you believe you have succeeded, you might see them again. If this is the case, it is time to seek a professional.

Step 7: Get professionals to help you out

Last, but not the least, you can hire professional exterminators for getting rid of the bedbugs. These pest control companies have access to products and tools you don’t and can kill these creatures on contact to ensure you don’t have to deal with the problem anymore.