The tiny little insects you must have noticed crawling on your mattress many times, and surely you must have tried various remedies to get rid of them, but the results were not effective before learning about how to get rid of bed bugs. First, acknowledge what they are. Let’s read further in the article.
What are bed bugs?
They are tiny, reddish-brown insects that survive on the blood of humans and animals. You may notice them during the night. Their bite can be itchy like a mosquito bite. That’s why you cannot realize it could be a bed bug. These bed bug bites cause itch, redness, rashes, and allergic reactions.
These tiny bloodsucking parasites regularly feed on human blood to survive and reproduce; the newborn bed bugs are very tiny, similar to the size of a poppy seed, and are clearly visible to the naked eye. When they grow to adult size, they can be seen dwelling in your spaces with an adult-grown size of 0.25 inches.
Your house’s soft furnishings are the most preferred place to dwell; they can be found in sofas, mattresses, bed linens, cushions, curtains, carpets, wooden furniture, electrical outlets, etc they can easily move from one place to the other place. Get a ride on your clothes, linen hair, or any other item you keep within their reach.
They do not spread any infection or diseases. You only need to get rid of them and stop their growth. These tiny wingless insects are considered a universal problem in all living spaces, such as homes, dormitories, cruise ships, army barracks, hostels, and shelters. You may find them seeking a place in the wooden cracks and crevices.
This parasite is not very harmful, but it’s not easy to eliminate their infestation. You may notice their presence in your home by observing a moving tiny little insect, their egg skin dropping, and blood stains found often on your bed sheets or bed covers.
Why do you get bed bugs?
Human blood is their food; they love to feast on your blood, so they love places where many people are together; they can detect body heat that’s why they are found on soft furnishings, bus seats, hotel rooms, headboards of your bed they are great opportunists as soon as they find host they hitch themselves to their belongings and lands safely to a new place, even a short car drive or bus ride is enough for them to get along with you, the best you can do is to avoid their infestation as they can happen again and again. Consistent treatment helps minimize their growth. They love to dwell in dark spaces that do not get enough sunlight; they are survivors and can live without food for a year.
Read the below tips for getting rid of these tiny parasites
How To Get Rid Of Bedbugs
When you think of getting rid of bed bugs, remember one thing that won’t go away in one practice: it is a time-consuming process that takes lots of patience, consistency, and effort. You will be able to get rid of them with some strategies and practicing dusting and cleaning regularly. Here are some steps you can take to get rid of bed bugs:
1. Look for the infestation
The first step is to locate and identify the signs that you have bed bugs around your belongings. Grab a torch light to inspect the area. You may notice blood stains on the bed covers and brown spots on the edges or base of the furniture. If you are lucky, you may find some tiny wingless bugs moving under the mattresses.
2. Reorganize the area
Your busy schedule may not push you to deep clean your room or the bedside area, which allows the bedbugs to survive, so another important step to get rid of bed bugs is to remove the clutter near the bed, like drawers, books flowers vase clocks cloth quilts and blanket after removing them clean the area, thoroughly and let it be an open space for a week you can keep your things later once the bed bugs are washed up. Bed bugs have a tendency to hide in cluttered areas, so removing these items will make it easier to treat the infested areas.
3. It’s time to clean
After disposing of the objects for cleaning purposes, you would like to relocate them to their previous location. Still, before that, you need to remove the object from that place so that the prolonged infestation can be halted. Wash the infected clothing and bedding, remove all bed covers, bed sheets, pillow covers, and quilts, and wash them thoroughly in hot water, and dry them at high temperature so that all bed bugs are killed.
4. Vacuum frequently
Everyday cleaning and dusting might be your routine, but it is necessary that you vacuum your bedroom or the wedding areas frequently. Use a vacuum cleaner to properly vacuum mattresses, furniture, baseboards, headboards, and almirahs where the bed bugs could be hiding. After vacuuming, dispose of the garbage or dust in a plastic bag, seal it well, and throw it in the trash can outside.
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Use bedbug-proof encasing
Your bed requires proper encasement that covers the mattress and the box spring where they are usually found. Encasement prevents the entry of bed bugs and makes it easier to eliminate them.
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Cracks and crevices need to be sealed
These are the secret hideouts of the bed bugs, so if you have any cracks or crevices on your furniture floorboards or headboard frame of the bed almirahs, then fill them with the required material or a proper sealant so that the bed bugs do not hide deep in the cracks of walls or any other furniture.
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Consider professional extermination
If you are facing extreme bed bug persistence and, due to a busy schedule, you cannot get rid of them on your own, then you can seek help from professionals who own licenses that is you can get help from a licensed pest control company. They are specialized people who know the techniques to eradicate bed bugs effectively.
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Be Careful for future infestations
Getting rid of bed bugs is a time-consuming process, so after the cleaning, you need to maintain a routine that prevents the infestation of these critters, keep your surroundings clean, do not leave the cracks open, keep dusting your mattresses, clean your bed frames and boxes regularly to prevent the bed bugs do not clutter objects that are not required around your bed. Practice good hygiene, avoid using furniture or clothing used by others, and avoid bringing them to your home.
There are various pesticide treatments that can be used to treat bed bugs:
1. Insecticidal spray
These pesticides are compounded to kill or harm one or more species of insects they work in different ways; insecticidal sprays suffocate the nervous system of the insects and damage their exoskeleton; it also control their infestation.
Insecticide sprays are used to treat the cracks, crevices, and other hiding places of the bed bugs. It commonly spreads around your bed frames, baseboards, and furniture, where the bed bugs are found commonly before spraying the insecticide. Make sure that you empty the room and keep all the things, especially children’s objects, away from that area. While the professionals do spray out, you follow safety measures, too, like wearing proper face masks and gloves do not letting the children in and around that place.
2. Dust insecticides
These are ready-to-use insecticides. They are just sprinkled on the affected areas to stop the infestation and movement of insects or bed bugs, dust insecticides have a long-lasting effect. Before using dust insecticide, make sure that you are wearing a mask and gloves for safety purposes dusting. Around the affected area, make sure that you do not have any object placed there.
3. Insecticidal aerosols
To get rid of bed bugs using aerosols, ensure you follow all safety measures. These are pressurized cans that release a mist of insecticide. They can be used to target specific areas where bed bugs are seen or suspected, such as mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture. Aerosols usually have a residual effect, meaning they continue to work for a period of time after application.
It is important to note that these treatments should be applied by a licensed pest control professional to ensure safety and effectiveness.
If you do not like chemicals or are allergic to certain compounds, then avoid using them. You can go for some herbal treatments that are effective and safe.
Herbal remedies for how to get rid of bed bugs
1. Clove
If you don’t want to be the dinner of these critters, then try cloves. Mix a few drops of eucalyptus oil, essential oil with clove oil, rosemary oil, and Lavender oil with one cup of water. Mix it well put this mixture into a spray bottle, and spray to the affected area or the infested area; leave the area for a day. It’s an effective method, but it will take some time to completely get rid of bed bugs. Later, you can wipe off the furniture with the damp cloth to avoid oil stains.
2. Cayenne Pepper
It’s an effective remedy for how to get rid of bed bugs by using cayenne pepper. It also contains antibacterial properties. The long-lasting odor of cayenne paper is very annoying for bed bugs which completely eradicates them; just sprinkle the powder around the infested area.
3. Peppermint Leaves
The peppermint smell is what bed bugs hate. The scent will keep away the bed bugs, add 15 drops of peppermint essential oil to one cup of water and spray this mixture on and around your bed to repel the bed bugs. Following this process regularly, you will notice the bed bugs are gone completely
4. Black Walnut Tea
It is a natural remedy for insect repelling and killing bed bugs. Place the tea bags in the infested areas and some other corners of your house to avoid infestation.
5. Bean Leaves
Bean leaves have microscopic hair that traps insects and bed bugs. Put these leaves on your room floor in the affected area. You will notice the bedbugs getting trapped, and they get entangled in the microscopic hairs.
6. Indian Lilac
Try something Indian that is more effective and problem-resolving, the leaves of Indian Lilac have a similar effect to herbal remedies. Crush some leaves and spread them to the affected area, soon, these bed bugs will be gone completely.
7. Lemongrass
Unlike some of the other natural solutions that only repel the insects, lemongrass actually kills them. The acid levels kill the bugs and their eggs. The smell works as repellent.
8. Tea tree oil
It’s no wonder to learn anything about the effective uses of Tea tree oil; this aromatic essential oil has antimicrobial properties that kill bacteria and neutralize insects or bed bugs on contact.
9. Lavender
The smell of lavender oil is very tempting for humans, but it works differently for bed bugs; the smell of lavender makes them feel nauseous and can even lead to death. You can also use the scent of lavender in various forms by washing items with lavender soap, spraying diluted essential oils, and spreading leaves over affected areas.
10. Stiff Brush
Buy a nice stiff brush from the market and clean your mattress. Using the brush will remove the clinching bugs and eggs that are not easily caught by a vacuum cleaner.
11. Borax powder
It is one of the most effective remedies for getting rid of bed bugs. Just sprinkle the borax powder on your furniture cracks mattresses. This will help you to get rid of bed bug infestation. You can also sprinkle borax powder on the other spaces of your house where you have doubts that bed bugs can infest here, so it is the best way how to get rid of bed bugs.
12. Baking Soda
You can sprinkle baking soda powder on the affected area to get rid of the bed bugs. Baking soda dehydrates the skin and kills it instantly, sprinkle baking soda and leave that space for a few days, and before reusing that space, clean the area properly.
13. Rubbing Alcohol is effective
You can pour some alcohol into a spray bottle and spray it on the affected area or corners of your bedside and the sign you notice that shows that bedbugs are here; as soon as they come in contact with alcohol, they begin reducing in numbers.
14. You can try scented dryer sheets
This is a partially affected method to get rid of bed bugs. Buy some drying sheets that have a new smell that can repel the bed bugs and insects. This won’t make them go away immediately, but they will leave the spot and may go to some other area for infection.
How Getting rid of bed bugs is a common problem. You may find some relief from the above-mentioned remedies and tips, but if you are not satisfied, then don’t panic; keep calm and seek help from a licensed pest control company.
If you are not able to control their growth and now the matter is out of your hands, then you need to get help from a professional exterminator. They will solve your issue professionally as they are skilled and trained professionals.
