1. Make sure you really have bed bugs, not fleas or ticks or other insects
2. Don’t panic! Eliminating bed bugs is difficult, but it’s not impossible. Don’t throw out all of your things because most of them can be treated and saved. Throwing stuff out is expensive, may spread the bed bugs and could cause more stress.
3. Think through your treatment options — Don’t immediately reach for the spray can Bedbugs are hard to get rid of. There are a lot of products on the shelf at your local hardware store but be aware that they can be harmful to you and your family. It is always best to hire a professional.
4. Reduce the number of hiding places — Clean up the clutter A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating them harder.
5. Regularly wash and heat-dry your bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads and any clothing that touches the floor. This reduces the number of bed bugs. Bed bugs and their eggs can hide in laundry containers/hampers, so clean them when you do the laundry.
6. Don’t rely on do-it-yourself freezing as a reliable method for bed bug control. While freezing can kill bed bugs, temperatures must remain very low for a long time. Home freezers are usually not cold enough to kill bed bugs. Putting things outside in freezing temperatures can kill bed bugs, but it can take several days when the temperature is 0° F and almost a week when the temperature is 20° F.
7. Use heat to kill bed bugs, but be very careful. Raising the indoor temperature with the thermostat or space heaters won’t do the job. Special equipment and very high temperatures are necessary for successful heat treatment. Black plastic bags in the sun might work to kill bed bugs in luggage or small items, if the contents become hot enough (about 110°F for at least 3 hours).
8. Don’t pass your bed bugs on to others. Bed bugs are good hitchhikers. If you throw out a mattress or furniture that has bed bugs in it, you should slash or in some way destroy it so that no one else takes it and gets bed bugs.
9. Reduce the number of bed bugs to reduce bites. Thorough vacuuming can get rid of some of your bed bugs. Carefully vacuum rugs, floors, upholstered furniture, bed frames, under beds, around bed legs, and all cracks and crevices around the room. Change the bag after each use so the bed bugs can’t escape. Place the used bag in a tightly sealed plastic bag and in an outside garbage bin.
10. Turn to the professionals. Hiring an experienced, responsible pest control professional can increase your chance of success in getting rid of bed bugs. If you hire an expert, be sure it’s a company with a good reputation. The Bed Bugs Stop Here are fully trained in bed bug removal. Call today to set up your appointment.
For more information on pest control and The Bed Bug Stops Here Inc., go to https://thebugsstophere.com or www.thebedbugsstophere.com or call 631-563-3900 for Suffolk, or 516-678-7681 for Nassau.