What should you know about preparing for a bed bug extermination
If you want to make sure that you get rid of bed bugs as fast as possible, you have to focus on the right bed bug treatment preparation. More often than not this can be a bit challenging, but taking the time to prepare will help eliminate bed bugs the first time. Here we created a list with all the stuff you have to do in order to deal with bed bugs and to get the best control the first time.
The bed bug treatment preparation process is all about bringing in front all the options you can in order to get rid of these pests. As you can imagine you need to be very careful in regards to what you do. It can be easy, it can also be very hard and somewhat tricky to complete. But then again this can totally be worth it if you know how to handle it the right way, so try to consider that.
Recommended Read :HOW TO PREPARE FOR BED BUG EXTERMINATION
Free Downloadable Bed Bug Preparation Guide
Packing and furniture preparation
What we recommend you to do is to pull the furniture away from the walls, at least with 2 feet. That can be very interesting and the best part is that it totally brings in front the value and support you want, all while offering you a resounding set of opportunities and experiences that you do not want to miss. It’s quite normal to encounter desks and book cases that will end up with a bit of damage. That’s why you need to empty all of that if you want good results.
One of the first things you want to do is to lift the mattress and the box springs out of the bed frame, then you can put them up against the wall. If you have empty closets with unlaundered items, put those at the middle of the room for the best results.
We also recommend you to eliminate all the stuff from dressers and night stands. This way you at least treat the interior, so that’s definitely a very important aspect to keep in mind. You can basically put the items in plastic bags and then place everything in the middle of the room. You should also try to remove books from shelves and pictures, mirrors or even hanging items. All of this is crucial to keep in mind, so you might as well do it. You should also open any sleeper sofas, convertible beds, futons and so on.
Laundering
One of the good ideas behind bed bug treatment preparation is laundering. You can launder everything before the treatment. Ideally you should do that for bedding and linens. Follow the manufacturer requirements and make sure that you go over 140 degrees Fahrenheit if you want to eliminate bed bugs. If you had bags used to transport laundry before washing, you might want to remove them or not use them anymore, just because they can still have bed bugs in there.
Remember that even if you might not be able to wash some items you can still choose to dry them for 30 minutes or so at a very high temperature if possible. And items that are not launderable are great for the dry cleaner.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming is always great for bed bug treatment preparation. That’s because it allows you to remove the bed bugs pretty fast and it’s quite good most of the time. You do need a crevice attachment, just because it can be extremely hard to reach all those bugs the way you want to. For the most part it does work really well, and the best thing is that you can use the attachment to find those bed bugs hiding in furniture interiors, mattress seams and so on. Just remember, the more you focus on this, the better it will be, so might as well want to consider all of that for the best results.
So where do you need to start vacuuming then? You can start with carpets, area rugs and floors to begin with. You also need to think about handles, buttons, crevices and so on, every little place matters here and it will be a great aspect to consider. Vacuuming the baseboards, futons, sofas, recliners, bed frames, and any upholstered furniture is just as important. You need to discard all the vacuum bags right after use, as that can be a really good idea. The more you do that, the better it will be in the end so try to think about it if possible.
Get rid of furniture?
This is definitely the type of thing that you will do only when there’s no other choice. Eliminating furniture from your home does come with costs and a lot of losses too. Which is why you might want to avoid it as much as possible. That being said, replacing these items will not always solve the problem. It all comes down to the condition and the owner comfort, the level of infestation and so on. You should always try to find some other idea if possible.
We encourage you to install high quality bed bug mattress encasements. Using such an encasement is great and it will offer you more support and value unlike never before. It’s a great approach and a system that does tend to work for you more often than not. It’s certainly one of those things that you will enjoy using and the best part is that you have more and more adaptability and value as a whole. You won’t have to worry about bed bugs on the box spring or the mattress, and that’s definitely a huge win in your situation.
As you can see, removing furniture from your home is only the final step in dealing with the bed bug infestation. But if that needs to happen, make sure that you deface or damage the furniture so no one will be able to use it. If it looks great, other people will end up taking it to their home, and that’s obviously going to be quite the issue in the end. It’s a good thing to consider and in the end it’s something that you want to consider only if possible.
Even if you destroy the furniture or remove it from your home, you still have to use some sort of protective items until you put it out in the wild. Why? Because the bed bugs will end up being dropped in your home or on the road, spreading the infestation as a result. So that will be more than a problem as you might imagine. It’s a great opportunity to think about and the results can be among some of the best all the time due to that. Rest assured that the bed bug preparation is always a bit tricky and that’s why you really have to think about it. Even if it might end up being a problem from time to time, in the end it will be more than ok and that’s a very important thing to keep in mind.
What should you do after the treatment?
The bed bug treatment is always a bit challenging to start, just because it’s rather complex and it has its fair share of unique demands. But on the other hand it is one of the best ways to remove these critters from your home, so you might as well start to do it anyway. You should stay away from your treated home for at least 4-5 hours, just to be safe. This way you will be sure that all materials are completely dry and there are no problems to deal with. The thing to keep in mind is that now you can focus on your household activities and bring your kids as well as pets back to your home.
Do remember that you need to avoid moving your furniture at least for a while. Preparation for this type of thing is definitely stressful and it really goes to show just how tough bed bug infestations can really be. Which is why you need to try and find a way to eliminate them from your life as fast as possible. And a good treatment offered by a great professional team will certainly help you. The idea is to not rush the treatment in any way as you actively figure out the best possible solution on the market. It’s certainly worth checking out at the very least, so you might as well want to see how to work with it and how to achieve the best results.
Bed Bug Preparation Checklist
There are always some good things you need to do in order to prepare for a possible infestation or for removing the bed bug infestation. Which is why we created a quick list that you can use to eliminate these unwanted pests from your home. It all comes down to doing it one step at a time, so try to give it a shot and see how it works for you more often than not.
- Start with washing bedding materials, stuffed animals, linens and bedding materials, use the highest temperature that you can to kill those bugs as fast as possible.
- You need to place all the laundered items in new bags until you remove the bed bugs and relocate everything.
- Even if you have clothes that can’t be laundered, dry clean them. It’s a good idea to leave these items at the cleaners until you are done with the entire treatment process.
- Get everything out of the closet, launder clothes and so on. You shouldn’t leave anything in the close, as it can end up bringing problems and that’s definitely the thing that you want to avoid.
- Remove the miscellaneous items from the night stands, chests, dressers and so on. Put them in sealed containers or plastic bags. Everything needs to be removed from the bedroom.
- At this point you want to vacuum the rugs, carpets and floors. The crevice and crack attachment is very useful and important at this particular time. Discard the bags after use.
- All your luggage needs to be emptied and then treated to ensure there are no bed bugs.
- Remove artwork, decorations, pictures, shelves and so on. Inspect every one of them and see if you need any kind of treatment or not, just to be safe.
- Pull the large pieces of furniture away from the walls, around 2 feet away should be more than fine for the most part.
- Remove the box spring covers and mattress cover.
- It’s important to discard the box spring backing before you start the overall treatment process, just to make sure that there are no problems.
- Inspect and then treat the crib mattress and any baby furniture, just to be safe. There can always be some residual infestation or a few bed bugs that remained there. And this is the thing needed to start a new infestation, so might as well do that.
- It’s a good idea to place your shoes either in plastic containers or plastic bags. In case your shoes are ok with a dryer cycle, you can use that too. But it’s important to not leave your shoes in the closet or bedroom, just to be safe.
What do bed bugs look like?
Checkout Our Post on Bed Bug Identification
They are very similar to an apple seed, they are oval and their color is reddish brown. The nymphs are even smaller and they will be either tan or clear, depending on the situation. The thing to notice is that bed bugs are visible to the naked eye, however they try to stay away during the day. In fact, they are mostly active during the night.
Where can you find bed bugs hiding during the day or night?
Since a bed bug is small and also quite flat, he can easily enter any crevices or cracks. They can be in the mattress and box spring, inside furniture, tiny cracks and so on. The thing to keep in mind about bed bugs is that they usually live in groups and that means you rarely find a single one. Most of the time they will be in a very large group. And that’s when you need to start dealing with the infestation and the entire treatment, just to be safe. It can be very well worth the effort in the end.
How can you acquire bed bugs without knowing?
Bed bugs are widely known for the fact that they are hitchhikers. They attach to furniture, luggage and clothes, so you usually get them during travels. If you accommodate at a specific place, you might end up dealing with them there, which is extremely important to keep in mind. Public places are also a possible location for bed bugs.
Do they bite you?
Yes, but their bite is very hard to distinguish at least when compared to the mosquito bites. There are rarely any skin reactions outside the ordinary, so finding what happens there can be quite challenging to say the least. One thing to notice is that they won’t bite you and your loved one too. They might bite you both however, yet the reactions differ just because some people will have skin irritations and allergies, others will not have that.
Is it possible to treat the bed bug infestation on your own?
Usually the bed bug infestations are very hard to deal with on your own. It’s important to hire or work with great technicians because they will help eliminate these bugs fast and with great results. The faster you do that, the better the results will be, so use that as your own advantage if possible. Also, taking your pet to the vet is important when you have bed bugs, as that will be a crucial aspect to consider and keep in mind all the time.
Eliminating bed bugs from your home can take a little bit of time. Depending on the situation, it might take 2 or even more treatments to eradicate these pests from your home. But once you do that it will totally be worth it and that’s exactly what you need to think about at this point. It definitely works and the only challenge is actively figuring out how to handle the process and manage it adequately.
