Bedbugs are small parasitic insects that feed on human blood. Though they were common in the first half of the 20th century, they were mostly eradicated thanks to widespread pesticide use and better hygiene practices. Recently, however, bedbugs have been making a comeback, particularly in urban areas where people are more likely to come into close contact with them through public transportation and crowded living spaces. This has led to an increased need for information about how to get rid of bedbugs, and this article covers the best ways to do so.
If you’ve ever had the displeasure of being bitten by bedbugs, you know that getting rid of these annoying little pests can be more trouble than it’s worth. This fact alone might make you think that dealing with them is not worth the trouble – after all, they’re just bugs, right?
How to Get Rid of Bedbugs
bedbugs are much more than just pests; they pose real health threats and must be dealt with immediately before they spread and multiply to other areas in your home or office building.
Here are some effective tips on how to get rid of bedbugs at home or business.
1. Know What Bedbugs Look Like
Adult bedbugs are brown, flat, and about 1⁄4-inch long. They tend to hide in cracks and crevices during the day and come out at night to feed on their unsuspecting victims.
Bedbugs are often transported from place to place by people, usually unknowingly. They can hitch a ride on clothing, luggage, or furniture and end up in your home.
2. Check for Signs of an Infestation
One way to tell if you have bedbugs is by looking for bites on your skin, which will appear as small, red welts. You may also see dark spots on your sheets or mattress, which are bedbug droppings.
3. Wash Your Sheets
If you think you might have bedbugs, one of the first things you should do is wash your sheets. This will help get rid of any bugs that might be hiding in your bedding.
You should wash your sheets in hot water and dry them on high heat. If you can, put them in the dryer for 30 minutes to kill any remaining bug
s. It’s also a good idea to vacuum your mattress before putting it back together.
You can also spray yourself with peppermint oil before getting into bed at night or sprinkle peppermint leaves around the perimeter of your bedroom.
4. Use vacuum with Heat Treatment
Vacuuming is an effective way to get rid of bedbugs at home. But, if you have a serious infestation,
you may need to treat your vacuumed area with heat. This will kill any remaining bedbugs and their eggs.
Here’s how to do it:
- Fill the canister about halfway with soapy water.
- Put on rubber gloves.
- Turn on the machine and let it run for 5 minutes.
- After five minutes, turn off the machine and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before proceeding.
- Spray a fine mist of water onto the vacuuming head, or wet vacuum bag, which should be completely full.
- Use the vacuuming hose to mist some insecticide into the cracks in your furniture or under the baseboards where there are likely to be bed bugs. The insecticide used should have pyrethroid in it – this kills both adult and larval stages of insects.
- Continue doing this until all parts of the room are covered in insecticide and then use a fan to circulate it throughout every nook and cranny in your bedroom until all exposed surfaces are covered with at least two layers of pesticide.
5. Avoid DIY sprays
If you’re dealing with a bedbug infestation, you’re probably feeling frustrated and desperate. You may have even tried making your own DIY bug spray, only to find that it doesn’t work. Why is this?
Well, the first reason is because DIY sprays can’t penetrate into seams or cracks in furniture or baseboards. The second reason is because they don’t contain the same active ingredients as professional products.
The third reason is because when using these sprays, you’ll need to reapply frequently and over an extended period of time (weeks) for them to be effective at killing all the bugs in your home.
At Lavender Pest Control: We Know How to Get Rid of Bedbugs in Athens, GA!
If you think you have bedbugs, the first thing you should do is call a professional pest control company. They will be able to properly identify the pests and create a treatment plan.
Pesticides may be needed to get rid of the bedbugs, but it’s important to follow the directions carefully and not put yourself or your family at risk.
Lavender Pest Control provides safe and effective bedbug and other pest control services to residents of Athens, Braselton, and Hoschton, GA. With over 45 years of experience, you can count on us to finally put your bedbug and other pests’ problems to rest once and for all.
Contact us to schedule a bedbug removal service today!
