We know the feeling, that first hint of detection and then the glaring fact – you have found bed bugs. The first thing to do is to remember that, no matter the scale of your problem, there are many effective ways of getting rid of bed bugs fast and permanently. Professional solutions are effective and there are also many simple home remedies for bed bugs
The key to reacting is taking action fast, to make sure that you eliminate the bed bugs before they spread. You can take the following immediate measures:
- Wash all affected clothing or bedding, ideally one a hot setting. After washing you can try an additional hand wash in a bowl, again try and use the highest temperature water that you can safely handle.
- Thoroughly clean affected areas. Extensive vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing can help remove dust and bed bugs. Make sure to throw away the contents of all vacuum bags immediately in a sealed plastic bag.
- Try some home remedies. Bed bugs do not like certain essential oils, so try using tea tree oil, chamomile oil or cinnamon oil in the cracks and crevices of any furniture and the edges of floors where you have found bed bugs.
Now that you have minimised the problem you can more easily focus on making the remaining areas safe. The key to doing this is looking for any signs of bed bugs, and killing them when you find them. As providers of a range of pest control solutions, we are a reliable source of information on where to look for bed bugs.
If you require a professional bed bug solution in the midlands region of the UK, please feel free to get in touch.
How to Detect Bed Bugs
Now that the immediate problem presence of bed bugs is confirmed you can search for bed bugs in other areas. The main test is looking for a visible cluster of bed bugs in any corners, cracks, nooks and joins within furniture or any other fabric.
A common sign is the smell of rotting raspberries. Areas to examine include the following:
- Bedside tables: Empty your bedside table or nightstand and fully inspect it. Some bedside tables also feature drawers, so you should take the drawers out and completely examine them up close. Clean and hoover the inside shelves and the railings of all drawers.
- Bedside lamps: Bed bugs can cluster in the areas underneath bedside lamps, which are commonly padded and can be an ideal environment for bed bugs. You should remove any bedside lamps on the walls and inspect them too, as the fabric of any type of lampshade has the potential of hosting bed bugs.
- Underneath chairs: You might check the cushions and pillows of a chair, but have you examined underneath? The fabric on the underside of many dining and living room chairs can prove to be valuable real estate for these gravity-defying bed bugs. You can vacuum and use hot water sprays on the area to clean it.
- Curtains: A lot of people find it hard to think of the unusual areas where bed bugs can cluster. The fact that curtains may be affected does not occur to most people, but they can be a happy home for many bed bugs. Curtains that touch the floor, particularly a carpeted floor, are most at risk from bed bugs.
- Carpets: Probably the most obvious but important place to check is the carpets. This includes fully carpeted floors or single rugs and other floor coverings. Check the corners of the room in particular, you can also take up the edges of the carpets for a thorough check. Carpet cleaners can help clean a rug or carpet and vacuuming will also prevent the accumulation of dust that bed bugs love.
- Bed frames: Aside from mattresses, bedding or clothes the presence of bed bugs in a bed frame is probably the most common. Bed frames and headboards that have padding are the most likely culprits. Examine all joints and cracks within the bed frame, and take it apart before thoroughly cleaning it if possible.
- Picture frames: Bed bugs can cluster inside of picture frames. The smooth backing of felt that many frames feature can be an ideal surface for a bed bug cluster to form. Also, the inside of a picture frame is a place where people will not commonly access it – so bed bugs can take advantage of the lack of human presence.
- Electrical sockets: The seclusion and warmth of an electrical socket make them a great home for bed bugs. It is easily possible for bed bugs to creep up the short distance up the wall where most electrical outlets are placed. Try unscrewing it to check behind the socket.
If you have underside drawers in your bed make sure that you check those too, carefully examining all rails sliders and rollers. If you have a wallpaper that is fabric then it may also be possible for bed bugs to nest there. Thoroughly check all over for any indication of further signs of bed bugs, you can try using a magnifying glass and a bright light for a clearer examination.
How to Kill Bed Bugs
It is possible to kill bed bugs using a variety of household items. You can try the following techniques when you want to get rid of bed bugs at home:
- Use an iron: Bed bugs are survivors, but one thing they cannot survive in is high temperatures. Using an iron can provide intense heat to a piece of fabric without damaging it. Some irons have spray and mist settings that help with stubborn creases but can also help penetrate deep into a mattress or clothes.
- Rubbing alcohol: Using a household disinfectant such as rubbing alcohol can kill bed bugs effectively. You can use ethyl rubbing alcohol, the same type used as an antiseptic, to kill bed bugs on fabrics and flat surfaces. If you dilute it in some water you can cover a large area. Rubbing alcohol will then naturally evaporate, so there is no chemical residue once dry.
Killing bed bugs is the only way to get rid of them, and most people will be able to effectively do this at home by using the above tips.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Permanently with a Professional Solution
If you find bed bugs again, it is likely the problem has not been sufficiently dealt with. Sometimes the only solution is a professional approach to bed bug extermination.
The following professional solutions may be necessary:
- Anti-allergy vacuum treatments: By using powerful vacuum cleaners with special filters it is possible to remove bed bugs and small particles of dust in a mattress, carpet or furniture.
- Hot washes: You can treat bedding with hot washes yourself, but using hot washes with powerful cleaning chemicals and intense dry cycles from commercial tumble dryers will fully treat large bedding and other fabrics.
Using a professional solution you can get rid of bed bugs in one day. Fumigation with CO2 can also help, but there are many ways for bed bugs to survive this. Other sprays and treatments can kill bed bugs with chemicals that are made organically.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs When You Find Them
It is a horrible sinking feeling when you find bed bugs in a mattress or anywhere else, but there are many home remedies for bed bugs that can help you to get rid of them permanently. If you inspect one room or find them in the whole house you may need a professional solution at home. Professional solutions can work in just one day.
Mattress covers or full mattress encasements will reduce or eliminate the risk of bed bugs in a mattress and prevents them from occurring before they spread to other areas. To get rid of bed bugs with a professional result in the Midlands region of the UK please feel free to get in touch today.
