Remove and clean drapes and the drapery hardware. Look for bed bugs, eggs, and other bed bug evidence (e.g., shed skins, hatched eggs) on furniture and remove--this will also help in evaluating treatment success. Vacuum thoroughly, then remove and dispose of the vacuum bag: Seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag.
Remove all blankets, sheets, covers, pillows, bath towels, and drapes/curtains from the bed and room, and place them in sealed plastic bags for transport to the laundry. EMPTY ALL DRAW ERS AND CLOSETS into plastic bags, and place belongings in the center of the room.
It really is better if you leave the house, unfortunately. Most treatments involve treating all the living areas (bedrooms, living room, etc.) in the same session; if you choose to only treat the living room you run the risk of potential escapee bugs.
You are supposed to wash and dry everything once, then BAG it up (zip lock bags are best) and only get them out again after you are in the clear for at least six weeks. Until that just have a small choice of outfits also always bagged so you don't walk around with infested clothing.
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.
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.
No, not necessarily! There are ways to treat furniture that has been infested with bed bugs without having to completely dispose of the furniture. Consult with the pest control company that is treating your home for bed bugs to see if they can treat your furniture too.
You may continue to sleep in your bed after treatment. Encasements should be put on mattresses and box springs. Any surviving bed bugs in the mattress or box spring will not be able to escape the encasement or bite.
Wool items, plush toys, shoes and other non washable items should be placed in the dryer at the highest dryer setting for 20 minutes. 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.
Bed bugs can stay alive in closets even if they aren't near a food source since they can go 20 to 400 days without a meal. Wardrobes containing outerwear, like clothes, jackets, scarves, and hats, are also susceptible to beg bugs.
Do continue to sleep in your bedroom after identifying a bed bug infestation. If you move rooms or start sleeping on the couch you run the risk of contaminating these other areas of your home.
We recommend keeping the books stored until you have been able to fully treat the rest of your belongings and your home. It is fine to put any loose items from your bookcase into boxes. Just remember that cardboard can be a haven for bed bugs. So plastic is best.
wash all bed sheets, curtains and clothing at 60 degrees and then put them in the dryer on a hot setting for 30 minutes to kill the bugs, or have these items dry cleaned. empty bedside cabinets and drawers under beds. remove all items from the floors and under beds.
Chemical Treatment: Pest control professionals may use a variety of insecticides or pesticides that are approved for bed bug treatment. These treatments are typically applied to cracks, crevices, and areas where bed bugs are known to hide.
Reduce clutter in your home to reduce hiding places for bed bugs. Vacuum frequently to remove any successful hitchhikers. Be vigilant when using shared laundry facilities. Transport items to be washed in plastic bags (if you have an active infestation, use a new bag for the journey home).
The very nature of bed bugs and how they travel is exactly why your entire home must be treated. Bed bugs are hitchhikers, and will travel from one room to the next on you, your blankets, clothing, etc. They can also use baseboards throughout your house to travel around from room to room.
Bed bugs do not like to climb or stay on smooth plastic materials. Placing small items in plastic containers or in sealed heavy-duty plastic bags will prevent bed bugs from infesting the items. In an infested home, placing clutter in plastic containers will make bed bug elimination efforts easier.
Tips for Handling Bed Bugs with Family
Restrict visits and visitors. While you are going through treatment and until your home is cleared – Do not allow visitors and do not visit other peoples' homes. Prevent Spread.
As previously mentioned, many homeowners utilize perfumes to try to ward off bed bugs and other pests. Natural scents and essential oils, like blood orange, paraffin, silicone, and spearmint, are popular. Research by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that these avenues are only mildly effective.
Keep clothing off the floor. Eliminate all cardboard boxes (the bugs can hide in the cardboard). Replace with plastic boxes, if you need the storage. Get rid of clothing and other items you no longer use (but make sure they are free of bed bugs first so you don't spread them).
You shouldn't have to throw away any of your possessions during a bed bug infestation. Everything can be salvaged with proper treatment in place. Instead of tossing your clothes and bedding, you should try washing them in a hot water wash. High heat washing and drying consistently kills bed bugs and their eggs.
If you've recently had your home or business treated for pests, don't be alarmed if you are seeing more pests. It's a normal part of the process; give the products time to do their job. If you are still seeing bugs 10 days after your treatment, contact your pest control company.
Spray the chemical spray on your couch and it'll kill off the bed bugs and their eggs and keep the couch bug-free for roughly 2 weeks post-treatment.
If you see bedbugs or other signs that you may have them, you do NOT need to throw away furniture or bedding.
Since bed bugs can go a significant amount of time without eating it is strongly recommend that if you decide to vacate your home that you do so for an extended period of time. This will ensure that all of the bugs will die due to the lack of food source and the treatments provided by the exterminator.