Bed Bug Control - How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs


With the ability to multiply rapidly, the tenacity to travel along with people anywhere and an incredible resistance to treatment, bed bugs are becoming a growing problem throughout the UK. Even the finest hotels can fall victim to these parasites, so it’s not always the result of sanitation problems. Also known as the cimicidea, this tenacious blood sucker can successfully be removed from your home.

 

Categories of Bed Bug Control Products
 

Bed Bugs Ability to Travel
 

Bed bugs are the ultimate stowaways. They are content to hang out in clothing and suitcases as well as on your bed. It is common for bed bugs to enter hotel rooms with one set of visitors and then leave again a few days later with another group of guests. They can travel home on any clothing, bedding or other soft material that has been exposed.

 

Recognising Bed Bug Bites
 

Parasitic in nature and attracted to your body heat and the carbon dioxide that you breathe out, bed bugs will feed when you are sleeping, usually in the wee hours before dawn. The bites are not typically painful enough to cause the average person to wake, but the results may be felt the next day. Bed bug bites are red, raised and usually found in a line. They are also accompanied by intense itching. The bed bugs do not actually carry any diseases, but infections can occur in the bites if itching is not controlled. You should begin treating for a bed bug infestation as soon as you suspect that these little blood suckers have moved into your home.
 

Hiding Spots
 

Despite their name, bed bugs are happy to survive in any upholstered surface. They are just as at home in the couch, loveseat and closet as they are in your bed. They will also make their homes in cracks, crevices and even behind the skirting boards of your home.
 

Confirming the Presence of Bed Bugs
 

It is important to confirm that you do have bed bugs in the home. Signs of a bed bug infestation are actually easy to spot if you know what you are looking for. Start by taking the sheets off the bed to closely examine the mattress. Look for small, dark blood spots on the mattress. Live bedbugs will also be spotted easily as they are about the size of an apple seed. The eggs are about 1mm in width and the colour of milk. Bed Bug Monitoring Stations can be used to measure the severity of the infestation and provide vital information when carrying out your treatment.

 

Bed Bug Treatment
 

Bed Bug Control starts with stripping the mattress of all bedding. It should be wrapped in sealed bags so the little blood suckers cannot escape. The bedding should then be immediately washed in hot water, 50 degrees Celsius or above, and dried on the highest setting. Bed bugs love warm temperatures, but high temperatures are an excellent bed bug killer.
 

The next stage of attack is to use a spot-on killer which is safe to use on mattresses, such as our Pest Expert Formula C Bed Bug Killer Spray 1L, this should be used on all areas of the bed, including the frame and the carpet. A residual insecticide, such as Formula C Bed Bug Killer Spray should then be used on the bedframe and headboard, the floors, walls, and skirting boards. Concentrate on areas where the bed bugs harbour, for example under skirting boards, in cracked plaster, behind loose wallpaper or around the legs and castors of the bed.
 

The next step is to fumigate the room using one of our Pest Expert Bed Bug Killer Fumer Smoke Bombs; we offer a variety of sizes to cover larger area spaces and varying infestation sizes. You can then thoroughly vacuum the entire room, including the mattress, and deposit the vacuum bag into a sealed garbage bag.
 

The area under the bed should be cleaned thoroughly to avoid the bed bugs using stored items to help them get back onto the mattress. Bed skirts should be removed completely as well as any storage items that normally stay under the bed. The only part of your bed that should touch the floor is the legs or castors. A residual insecticide, such as Pest Expert Formula P Bed Bug Killer or Smite Organic Diatomaceous Earth Powder, should then be used to prevent a re-infestation concentrating on areas where the bed bugs harbour, for example under skirting boards, in cracked plaster, behind loose wallpaper or around the legs and castors of the bed.
 

This treatment should then be retreated two weeks later to ensure and bugs that have hatched out of eggs in that time are eradicated before they can start breeding. All of the products needed for this treatment can be found in our Bed Bug Killer Kits.
 

Cleaning House
 

Bed bug extermination also includes thoroughly cleaning the home. Any areas that are cluttered are potential homes for bed bugs. They should be tidied and any rubbish should be removed. All skirting boards should be revealed so that the areas can be vacuumed regularly, allowing bed bug removal to be performed more effectively.
 

Bed Bug Insect Control
 

It is vital that you do not abandon your bed in an attempt to avoid the bed bugs. They will follow you to other parts of the home as they are naturally drawn to both your body heat and the carbon dioxide you breathe out. Moving to the couch to sleep will only spread the infestation and staying with other people will put them at risk. Every time you vacuum the home during this process, the bag should be thrown out in the rubbish pile immediately.
 

Bed bugs can be difficult to treat and exterminate. They reproduce quickly and can hide anywhere in the home. These steps will help you exterminate the bedbug infestation in your home, but the process will take time and it will require diligence and patience.