Home Remedies: Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite
Calling pest control while just about to go on a preventive mission for bed bugs might be too much. No one wants a bed-bug-infested home. However, there are some things you can do to prevent these pests from invading your home.
Clear the clutter.
The first step is knowing how to check for bed bugs. Start by inspecting areas like mattress seams, furniture joints, and cracks in the walls—these are common hiding spots. Next, clear out the clutter. Like most pests, bed bugs thrive in messy environments where they can easily conceal themselves and breed—the more cluttered your space, the more hiding places they have. Begin by removing anything you no longer need, organizing your belongings, and vacuuming thoroughly, especially in areas where bed bugs are likely to hide. This will help minimize potential hiding spots and make it easier to spot any signs of infestation.
Vacuum everything.
Vacuums can suck up anything from dirt to small objects, and especially bed bugs. If you vacuum your home thoroughly, you’ll be able to suck up anything that these bed bugs can hide in and use as their home. You should vacuum the furniture, the bed frame, box springs, mattresses, curtains, the baseboards of your walls, the floor–your entire house.
Heat wash or dry all your bed sheets, clothes, or fabric in the washer.
Washing your sheets on high heat is an easy way to kill bed bugs. Dry your clothes on the standard setting, then crank the heat for about 15 minutes. Clean all the fabrics in your home, including pillowcases, bags, or anything that can be cleaned or dried on the highest heat.
Spray insecticide.
Lightly mist everything, including cupboards, bedding, box springs, the entire kitchen, walls and windows, light fixture coverings, any cracks in walls, wood, or flooring, under tables and chairs, couches and sofas, or any small places that they can crawl into and lay eggs. They squeeze into the most minor and tightest spaces.
Steam your furniture.
Bed bugs hate and are sensitive to heat and steam. Steam can get into spaces, all of the nooks and crannies that cannot be reached, like the insides of a couch, where bed bugs can hide their nests. Other things that can be steamed are floors, curtains, carpets, and any places in the house that do not have electrical wiring. For faster drying times, use dry steam. These bed bugs can also hide under fixtures and displays such as lamps and frames, as well as the handles of drawers. The time to bring in a pest control expert is when even your steam cleaning isn’t having an effect, and you need that boost of professional help. ThermoPest bed bug heat treatment may just be what you need as they can permanently eliminate your bed bug problem with their heat technology, which is essential if the issue gets out of hand.
Seal all crevices and cracks.
Use sealants to seal all the holes, cracks, and crevices you can see on your walls, ceilings, floors, any of the outlet covers, and the entry and exits of pipes.
Regularly treat your home.
Clean, clean, clean! Keep your home tidy, spotless, and clutter-free. Remember, clutter will serve as nests for these bedbugs. Change your bed sheets weekly and wash them with your clothes in hot water.
If you stay on schedule, you will not need to call professional pest control. Remember, and never forget, that dirty homes are where insects and infestations thrive.
