Bed Bugs infestations are common and happen to homeowners and businesses. Bed Bugs are as big as an apple seed(about 5 to 7 mm long), they are brown with an oval body, and become elongated and reddish-brown after feeding.
Bed bugs are found in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, and luggage racks. Other places include nightstands, chairs, baseboards, wall decor, and curtains. Beds bugs are usually brought into the home from an outside source.
Buying used furniture, returning from travel, and staying in hotels, are some of the reasons why you now have bed bugs. Bed bugs are not potentially dangerous as they do not transmit disease.
They will cause severe itching, and create welts that will get infected. They will become a severe nuisance which will be the cause of numerous sleepless nights that will take a toll on anyone.
Identification
The first step to controlling bed bugs is correct identification. You might mistake them for Carpet Beetles, young German Cockroaches, Ticks, and Fleas, but Bed Bugs have some characteristics that set them apart. Bed Bugs are about 5 to 7 mm in length, have flat brown oval bodies, have two antennae, six legs, and no wings. You can identify bed bugs if you find them in the following locations.
- Indoors you will find bed bugs in and around beds, in mattresses, box springs, bedding, and pillows. There are only two species of Bed Bugs and both these species are found in the same locations. After feeding they become elongated and reddish and will be visible. In large infestations, you might catch these insects close to your bed, in nightstands, cabinets, electronics, and small cracks.
- A symptom of a bed bug infestation is waking up suddenly with red welts all over your body. This is a clear sign of a bed bug infestation.
Inspection
The next step for control is an inspection of areas where you believe you have bed bugs. A good inspection will let you know where you have to apply the treatment. During the inspection, you will be looking for bed bug activity. Below are some of the places you should look for bed bugs and the signs of bed bug activity.
Where To Inspect
Begin your Bed Bug search in the mattress and bedding. Check carefully along the edges, tufts, and seams of the mattress. Use a flashlight to inspect more carefully. Flip the mattress to inspect it thoroughly. Check every nook and cranny of the box spring and bed frame and headboard. In the room, look in furniture, shelves, cabinets, electronics, and every object with cracks and crevices where bed bugs could hide. Examine the baseboards of the carpeting, as well as the curtains of the room if you have any. And finally inspect the whole house looking for bed bugs in furniture, baseboards, and carpeting.
What To Look For
During your search, you will be looking for bed bug activity. This means looking for small stains (reddish and black) on the mattress and bedding, the bed bugs themselves, discarded skin shells, small feces, and bloodstains where feeding occurred. If you find dark and red marker stains in your mattress or bedding or bed bugs, you have discovered bed bug activity.
Treatment
Once you have confirmed bed bug activity it is time to begin treatment. Remember that you must read all product labels in the products and follow application instructions and stay safe wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
Step 1 – Preparation
To begin your Bed Bug treatment, you will prepare the room for treatment. You will use a vacuum, plastic bags, and tools. With the vacuum, you will be able to suck up all the Bed Bugs currently in your mattress, box spring, and bed frame. With the plastic bags, you will collect all the infested items and wash and dry them on high heat to eliminate Bed Bugs. If there are some items you can not wash, leave them in the plastic bags and put them in storage for at least a year.
Collect wash and dry on high heat (above 50 degrees Celcius) all bedding, including pillowcases, covers, linens, clothing, and all cloth related materials found in the infested beds or rooms. Empty any furniture and closets completely as part of this process. Use the vacuum on your mattress and go over seams, tufts, and edges. Vacuum the box spring and remove the netting to vacuum inside.
Vacuum the whole room, including carpeting, furniture, and curtains. Use the tools to disassemble the furniture and bed frames and vacuum the now exposed joints.
Pro Tip: – “Always remember, if you look at something and think, ‘Bed bugs can’t be there, I don’t need to treat that.’ then you need to treat it! Bed Bugs can hide anywhere and they’re experts at hiding.”
Step 2 – Treatment of Bed Frame, Box Spring, and Furniture
The next step is to apply safe and approved bed bug insecticides to the bed frame, box spring, and furniture. You will use any of the products listed in our online shop to accomplish this. All these products will allow you to apply treatment to cracks and crevices in the room and the box spring, bed frame, and furniture. They have proved to be great products over time by providing a quick knockdown and leaving a residual control (or long-term effects) for up to 3 months.
Pro Tip: – “Remember not to let people or pets enter the areas treated until the products have dried.”
Step 3 – Mattress and Room Treatment
Now it’s time to apply products to the mattress and room. To do this you will use products found in our online shop here(bed bug insecticides). These insecticides will provide a quick knockdown of Bed Bugs and control the undeveloped stages of Bed Bugs, like eggs and nymphs, which will come in contact with the products.
Step 4 – Mattress and Box Spring Protection
After applying treatment you can now move on to protecting your mattress and box spring from future infestations. You will use two products for this. Bed Bug Cover and Box Spring Encasement. Both these products will protect you from future Bed Bug infestations.
To use simply cover the mattress with the bed bug cover and insert the box spring over the encasement. That’s it. A fast way to provide additional control. You’ll want to keep the bed bug cover and box spring encasement on the mattress and boxspring for at least a year.
Prevention of bed bugs
The best way to keep Bed Bugs away is by diligently preventing them. Remember that bed bugs almost 100% of the time invade a home when they are brought in from the outside.
When coming back from travel remember to immediately wash your clothes, and dry them on high heat. Vacuum your suitcase thoroughly, along with the seams and edges. If buying used furniture, examine the furniture carefully (it could be hiding bed bugs). And finally, use bed bug covers and box spring encasements to prevent bed bugs from re-infesting.
If the DIY methods fail, you can always contact a bed bug control expert. Imagine Care ensures to provide affordable and long-term solutions to bed bug infestations. Our customers trust us to provide quality and timely services. If you want bed bug control services in Kenya, call us on +254737898884, +254759292158, +254789231328, +254742448334, or drop an email to .
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