Bed bugs can live on carpets for several months without feeding. They are adept at hiding in carpet fibers and underlay, making them challenging to eliminate without professional help.
Bed bugs can travel through carpet. They most likely will not stay there. They like to hide in more inconspicuous places like cracks and crevices of the head board, in walls, etc. This is why we recommend before treating to steam clean and then use one of our Bed bug kits.
Looking for Signs of Bed Bugs
Dark spots (about this size: •), which are bed bug excrement and may bleed on the fabric like a marker would. Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger. Live bed bugs.
Fortunately, bed bugs should not be able to survive the high temperatures of the washing machine. By setting the water temperature to around 50°C (122°F) or higher and using a dryer on the highest heat setting, you should be able to effectively kill all bed bugs and their eggs.
Bed bugs are averse to slick surfaces like glass, plastic, and polished metals and stone. They can, however, grasp and cling onto textiles and porous materials like wood.
Bed bugs are not known to spread pathogens through their bites. Bed bug bites can be itchy and stressful. Do not squish a bed bug as it will release the blood and any pathogens it may be carrying.
Some individuals attempt to use dryer sheets as a DIY bed bug treatment, believing that the scent might discourage bed bugs. However, little scientific evidence supports their effectiveness in repelling or eliminating bed bugs. Relying solely on this method is unlikely to fully address an active bed bug problem.
Wash Bedding, Clothing and Other Items
Seal and throw away bags used to move laundry to be washed. Clean clothing and sheets should be stored in sealed bags or sealed plastic containers until the bed bug problem is stopped. Wash and dry all sheets, blankets, and pillow cases at least once or twice a week.
Like bed bugs, most insects like spiders, chiggers, and mites are active at night, so these creatures could be causing the problem. Meanwhile, here are other critters that may cause itchy bites on your skin: Mosquito bites usually appear as reddish, swollen welts scattered around your body.
So, what is the main cause of bed bugs? Travel is widely recognized as the most common source of bed bug infestations. Often unbeknownst to the traveler, bed bugs will hitchhike on people, clothing, luggage, or other personal belongings and be accidentally transported to other properties.
While you can use your Hoover to reduce bed bugs and remove visible adults, treating an infestation solely by vacuuming is not recommended. Bed bugs are often hidden. The eggs especially can be in non-visible areas of the bed or mattress, so vacuuming isn't likely to eliminate them.
Bed Bugs will live anywhere near a host that they can feed on. This includes furniture such as couches and chairs that you sit in often. If you see red bite marks on your skin, make sure to check every spot that you spend your time in for bed bugs.
The only way to be certain that you've killed the adult bed bugs and the eggs is to contact a professional bed bug exterminator.
Some bed bug products are like additives for regular laundry detergents. They promise additional success rate, but actually, any laundry detergent can handle the same task. If possible, also use a dryer set for at least 30 minutes.
Most times, clothing, bedding and furniture from a home with a bed bug problem can be treated and do not need to be thrown away. If you decide to dispose of items, they should be carefully sealed in a plastic bag or container first so the bed bugs don't spread.
The first clue suggesting that you may have a bed bug infestation is often the presence of itching bites. However, bites reactions are quite variable and may not be due to bed bugs at all. Be aware of the other signs that bed bugs leave behind: fecal spots, molted skins, and aggregations.
Thus, you need a professional exterminator. They have the tools and methods to fully kill bed bugs at all life stages. They also keep them from coming back. Bed bugs have also become resistant to many of the pesticides they encounter in their travels.
Tea tree oil, renowned for its antibacterial properties, is like a natural bug repellent that bed bugs can't stand. Peppermint oil, with its invigorating minty freshness, overwhelms their acute senses. And eucalyptus oil, known for its refreshing aroma, is a formidable deterrent against these tiny intruders.
Baby Powder or Alcohol: Two other common substances will kill bed bugs. Baby powder can be used to smother and suffocate bed bugs. A 70% isoprophyl solution will also kill bed bugs and their eggs on contact. Both of these methods, however, may require multiple applications to fully eliminate an infestation.
If bed bugs have one weakness, it's that they're intolerant of extremely high or low temperatures. Washing clothes and bedding at the highest possible setting followed by drying for at least 30 minutes at high heat should do the trick. You can also freeze clothing or other objects you suspect of being infested.
Although it sounds like a grim choice, it is best to continue sleeping in the infested area using the population reduction methods described above, until the bed bugs are eliminated.
Killing bed bugs that we press will leave many more bed bugs behind that will continue to breed. And squeezing bed bugs may end up in an even worse infestation.