HOW to GET RID of BED BUGS

Bed bugs are a nocturnal type of bug, who will feast on your blood when you are asleep. During the day, bed bugs will hide in crevices and cracks. Bed bugs are about 3/16" long and are broadly oval and flat. Their color is brown to reddish brown (if they have been fed). Bud bugs can survive up to 6-7 months if they are well-fed and feed on other animals if humans are not present. They have a repulsively sweet odor when they are present. Bed bugs can enter your home in possible scenarios such as : transporting by lugage from hotels, homes, and apartments, Pre-used furniture, (bed frames and mattresses are at a high risk of having bed bugs with their eggs present), bed bugs can be present in empty apartments hiding in cracks and crevices and last, they can travel between close apartments through voids in walls and holes through where wires and pipes pass. Bed bugs are difficult to treat at once, they will have to be treated multiple number of times.

INSPECTION

Bed bugs can be found in cracks and crevices, folds between mattresses, box covers, bed sheets, blankets, box springs, and fabrics. They can also be found in wood bed frames (where they join together), wall hangings such as picture frames, night stands, stuffed furniture, baseboards, floorboard cracks, behind loose wallpaper, light switches, door and window frames, conduits, and in wall voids.

CONTROL METHODS

These are few procedures that you can follow to help you get rid of bed bugs:

1. Reduce clutter to make your inspection easier.
2. If you take apart the bed frames, it will expose more hiding places for bed bugs.
3. Remove drawers from desks and dressers and turn furniture over, if possible, to inspect and clean all hiding spots.
4. Lift up box spring to an upright position and beam a flashlight through the gauze fabric to expose bed bugs. If the fabric is torn, remove fabric to spray the pesticide.
5. Seal all holes where pipes and wires penetrate walls and floors, also fill all cracks and holes in the house to reduce them.
6. Garments and bed linen will need to be washed in hot water (120F minimum). If you cannot wash the garments, you will need to heat the garments or bed linen for several minutes in a clothes dryer which may work.
7. Clean the infested room thoroughly. With a stiff brush, clean infested surfaces to get rid of the eggs.
8. Vacuum in areas where bed bugs are infested. Vacuum thoroughly and if possible, vacuum cracks and crevices, which will be more effective for insecticide penetration.?
9. Remove vacuum bag after you are finished vacuuming in a sealed bag.
10. Seal all cracks and crevices in the foundation outside and also repair or screen openings.

Crack and Crevice/Void Treatment:

This treatment is generally applied to exterminate bed bugs that may enter and hide in small cracks and crevices. The void treatments, it is recommended to use treatment especially if you have an infestation in an area that you cannot reach such as: inside walls, blocks, or other structural voids to for bed bug activity by drilling a small hole if needed to; you can remove electric outlet cover and vents and use the space to treat inside the voids. As a crack and crevice treatment, we have two types of aerosol, residual- which leaves substances behind so when another pest comes by it will kill it and non-residual- which does not leave substances behind that, is safe for mattresses, and other materials. For bed bug treatment, we suggest that you use non-residual aerosol (STERI-FAB, BEDLAM INSECTICIDE SPRAY) for mattresses, box springs, covers, and etc. For cracks and crevices, treatment for places in you home that does not get much contact with humans or pets, we suggest residual aerosol (BEDLAM INSECTICIDE SPRAY,D- FORCE HPX), we also suggest a liquid treatment for crack and crevices (SUSPEND SC, CYONARA 9.7), and dust (DRIONE DUST, DELTA DUST). When applying a liquid treatment, you will need to use a 1 gallon sprayer (CHAPIN 1 GALLON SPRAYER) and in using dust you will need to use a duster (BELLOW DUSTER, CENTROBULB DUSTER). You will spray the whole mattress, box spring with the non-residual aerosol (STERI-FAB, BEDLAM INSECTICIDE SPRAY), which kill the bed bugs on contact. If you do not want to spray on your fabrics, you will need to wash them in a temperature of 120F at the minimum to kill off the adult bedbugs and the eggs. You will have to take everything out of the infested room and dry/stem clean your clothes and other fabrics. For the residual aerosol sprays, you will have to spray EVERY SINGLE CORNER, CRACK and CREVICE in your home that means the corners, walls, and molding of the room. You might have to add a straw to the aerosol (BEDLAM INSECTICIDE SPRAY,D- FORCE HPX) to really get into cracks and crevices and molding around the walls sometimes. The headboards and frames of the bed, we recommend that you use metal frames and a plain headboard because if you have a wooden frame then the bed bugs can hide inside the crevice/cracks of the wood. The reason behind a plain headboard is that there are many crevices where the bed bugs can hide if you have a headboard with lots of craved designs and again, you will have to spray into every single crevice to kill them. For liquid treatment (SUSPEND SC, CYONARA 9.7), you will need to read the label and apply the suggested amounts and will need to reapply. You will have to use a low pressure system with a pinpoint to apply the spray mixture to areas such as cracks, crevices, expansion joints, around window and door frames. You will have to use a mist nozzle for in and around baseboards and general area treatment. When using a (BELLOW DUSTER, CENTROBULB DUSTER), you will have to fill the duster with the dust as directed in the label and apply (DRIONE DUST, DELTA DUST) to voids or cracks and crevices and bearing joints of the wooden member. Apply lightly and uniformly to the infested area. DO NOT OVER USE DUST. For better results, you will have to retreat the area every 2-3 weeks and every 3-4 times.

PREVENTION

To help prevent from more bed bug infestation, be careful when you buy or bring in pre-used furniture because sometimes, the furniture may have bed bugs in it as well. Also after a vacation trip, remember to wash all your clothes and everything that you have taken and brought back home with you because these items are a common way which bed bugs are transferred. It always depends on the condition of your mattress. But, if your mattress is in good condition, simply use the aerosol and the directions listed above, and make sure to vacuum the mattress to clean and pick up all the dead bed bugs. After the vacuuming, wrap your mattress, box springs, and pillow cases with bed-bug protection covers to help prevent future bed bug problems (Zip it Bug¢ā - Bed Bug Mattress Encasement, Zip It Bug¢ā Bed Bug Box Spring Encasement, Zip It Bug¢ā Bed Bug Pillow Encasement). These covers are waterproof yet air vapor porous which will help keep the moisture out and prevents bacteria and dust mites from breeding in your pillow and mattress. If bed bugs are still inside the mattress or box spring, this covering will trap the bed bugs inside and will not let them out. (This will eliminate a lot of spreading.) These covers do not have hiding places which causes for the bed bugs to be trapped, causing them to die.

For more information, click a desired link below.

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