Bed bugs are nightmares for everyone. Whenever you wake up from sleep and have an itchy sensation in your body, I can bet that you think it is because of bed bugs. Your fear might be genuine.
That is why you should always be alert to any bed bug infestation. If you can eliminate the bed bugs before it spreads throughout your house, the chances are that you will be able to clean them on your own.
However, if a significant bug infestation occurs, there is no other way than to seek professional services, which will undoubtedly make your wallet hurt.
Where Do Bed Bugs Reside?
Bed bugs are very tiny oval-shaped brownish insects. These insects survive by sucking blood from animals. That is why bed bugs are found in places where they quickly come in contact with humans and feast on human blood to survive. Bed bug infestations are not life-threatening, nevertheless very irritating.
A female bed bug can lay hundreds of eggs over its lifetime. Headboard, bed frames, mattress, etc., are ideal places for bed bugs as it gives them easy access to human blood while they are sleeping.
Why beds Bug Infestation Happen?
Bed bugs are drawn toward hot and humid areas. Bed bugs feed on the warm-blooded animals. Therefore, they often reside near beds to get their daily dose of human blood when humans are sleeping. One of the main reasons for bed bug infestation is the lack of cleanliness. Bed bugs are often found in hotels, motels, or rental places like Airbnb.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in a Mattress?
Depending on the state of the infestation site, getting rid of bed bugs can vary. If the infestation site is small, you can attempt to clean them yourself. However, if the opposite is true, call professionals immediately. In this part of the article, we will discuss some methods that you can use to kill bed bugs on your own.
Clean Everything
After you have located bed bugs in your mattress, immediately remove the bedsheets, pillow covers, and other removable items. Then, wash all of them thoroughly, and after that, dry clean them for at least 30mins at the highest setting.
If you have stuffed animals or anything that is not washable, dry clean them for a considerable amount of time in the highest setting.
Dismantle and separate headboard and bed frames to examine thoroughly for any bed bugs. Clean them with insecticide to prevent future buildup.
Steam Clean The Mattress
Steam Cleaning the mattress is another effective way to get rid of bed bugs. Your steamer must reach 120 degrees or higher temperature to steam clean the mattress. Any temperature lower than that may not eliminate bed bugs from your mattress. So, if you happen to have a powerful steamer at your house, this method can work wonders.
Scrub and Vacuum Your Bug Infested Mattress
After you are done washing your bedding and drying them up properly. Ensure scrubbing and vacuuming the mattress for added safety. Look for every possible hiding spot where bed bugs can hide and clean them using scrub and vacuum.
Bed bugs can also hide in the bristles of the brush. Therefore, clean the scrub properly to get rid of any bed bugs. After vacuuming, dispose of the waste at a distant place so that the bed bugs cannot creep up to your house again.
Use Mattress Friendly Pesticides
Using mattress-friendly pesticides is probably the best and easiest way to kill living bed bugs. These pesticides mostly come in the form of aerosols. Before using these types of aerosols, make sure your room has adequate ventilation. You should read the instructions before spraying the insecticide.
Spray the aerosol on the infested areas and furniture as you deem fit. However, refrain from spraying too much aerosol as these sprays contain chemicals that are harmful to humans. After spraying pesticides, keep the doors and windows closed for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, do not enter that room.
Depose the Waste at a Distant Place from Your House
Bed bugs are very tough to get rid of. After you are done cleaning all the mess, they can still find a way back to your home. Most often, it has been seen that reinfestation happens because of not disposing of the wastes properly.
After cleaning up your room, dispose of the waste at a distant place so that the bed bugs cannot find a way to your house again. If you are disposing of the entire mattress, make sure you are disposing of it in the right place, as in some areas, it is unlawful to do so.
You can also call professional services that take the mattress and other wastes and dispose of them.
Seek Professional Help
If you see that bed bugs have spread throughout the house, your best bet would be to seek professional help. If the infestation is small, it is generally advised that one should clean the bed bugs themselves.
That is, to avoid spending money on professional pest control services. However, when bed bugs have spread to the house, it is better to seek professional help! For cleaning them by yourself can cause damage to your furniture and other things in the place.
With all the tools and required expertise, a pest control professional team can make your house bug free in a day.
Conclusion
Bed bugs are the enemy of a good night’s sleep. However, it does not pose any health threats. It is very irritating and gross to sleep on a bedbug-infested mattress. Cleaning your bed regularly can save you from the trouble of worrying about bed bugs. However, even after taking the best precautions, these pesky insects find a way to make your mattress their home. Now, you have no reason to worry. Because you already know how to get rid of it.
