Bedbugs are often tough to get rid of, so you may need to try a few different approaches to kill them all. Once you identify and contain all infested areas, you can combine chemical and non-chemical treatments to kill the bugs.

Bedbugs measure just 5 millimetres across, which is smaller than a pencil eraser. These bugs are smart and tough, and they reproduce quickly. Bedbugs know where to hide to avoid detection and can live for months between meals. A female can lay 500 eggs in her lifetime.

It’s no surprise that these tiny bloodsuckers can cause a lot of trouble in your home. If they get into bed with you, they can leave red, itchy welts all over your body.

You can get rid of bedbugs. Try to be patient, as removing bedbugs often takes some time and effort. You may have to try a few different chemical and nonchemical approaches, especially if you have a large infestation.

Certain factors can make bedbugs harder to remove. You may have a tougher time ridding your home of them if you have a lot of clutter or if you travel often and bring new bedbugs home in your luggage.

If you cannot get rid of them on your own, you may have to call in a professional exterminator.

Step-by-step guide on getting rid of bedbugs.

1. Discover all the infected areas in the house.

If you’ve got bedbugs, you want to find them early before they start to reproduce. It’s much easier and cheaper to treat a small infestation than a big one. But smaller infestations can be harder to detect.

Search for bedbugs yourself or hire a professional to do an inspection. Some inspectors use specially trained dogs to hunt down bedbugs by scent.

Bedbugs’ small and narrow bodies enable them to squeeze into tiny spots, like the seams of a mattress or couch and the folds of curtains.

Also, look for them near the tags of the mattress and box spring, in cracks in the bed frame and headboard, in baseboards, between couch cushions, in furniture joints, inside electrical outlets, under loose wallpaper, underneath paintings and posters on the walls, in the seam where the wallpaper and ceiling meet.

2. Deal with the infestation

Once you know you have bedbugs, you need to keep them contained so you can get rid of them. A quick and easy way to trap bedbugs is with your vacuum. Run the vacuum over any possible hiding places. This includes your bed, dresser, carpets,  electronics, like TVs

Seal up the vacuumed contents into a plastic bag and throw it away. Then thoroughly clean out the vacuum.

Seal up all your linens and affected clothes in plastic bags until you can wash them. Then put them on the highest possible temperature setting in a washer and dryer or dry them up under the hot sun. If an item cannot be washed, put it in the dryer for 30 minutes at the highest heat setting or take them out under the hot sun if you don’t have a dryer.

3. Eliminate the Bugs

You can first try to remove bedbugs without chemicals. These bugs are pretty easy to kill with high heat at 115°F (46.11°C) or intense cold at 32°F (0°C).

Here are a few ways to treat bedbugs using these methods:

Wash bedding and clothes in hot water for 30 minutes. Then put them in a dryer on the highest heat setting for 30 minutes.

Use a steamer on mattresses, couches, and other places where bedbugs hide.

Pack up infested items in black bags and leave them outside on a hot day that reaches 95°F (35°C) or in a closed car. In cooler temperatures, it can take 2 to 5 months to kill sealed-up bugs.

Once you’ve cleaned all visible bedbugs, make the area inhospitable for the rest of them. Place bedbug-proof covers over your mattress and box spring. Zip these covers up all the way. Bugs that are trapped inside will die, and new bugs will not be able to get in.

If these methods do not wipe out all the bugs, you may need to try an insecticide.

4. Prevent Bugs in the Future

Bedbugs can take some time to wipe out. Before you can ensure that your treatment has worked, you need proof that the bugs have moved on. Check the infested areas about once every 7 days for signs of activity.

Bedbugs are hardy creatures. Just when you think you’ve wiped them out, you might spot them again. You may have to try a few different treatment methods to control the infestation. And if they still do not go away, you’ll want to call in a professional exterminator.

5. Hire Pest Control Experts

If you cannot wipe out bedbugs on your own, it’s time to get the pros involved.

Pest control companies have the advantage of using chemicals and other treatments that are not available to you. They have insecticides that both kill bugs on contact and that stay inside furniture and cracks to kill bedbugs in the long term.

Pest control companies can also use whole-room heat treatments. They bring in special equipment that heats the room to a temperature between 135 and 145°F (57.22 and 62.78°C) — high enough to kill bedbugs.

Before the pest control company arrives, they should give you instructions for prepping your home. Follow their directions carefully and you’ll have the best chance of wiping out the bugs.

Professional treatments take two to three visits to start working. After each treatment, you may have to stay out of the treated rooms for a few hours until the insecticides have dried.

6. Avoid welcoming them back

Once the bedbugs are gone, you’ll want to make sure they stay gone for good:

Clear up any clutter. Do not leave papers, magazines, clothes, or other items on the floor.

Cover your mattress and box spring with a bedbug cover and zip it up all the way.

Vacuum and wash bedding, furniture, curtains, and carpets often.

Seal cracks around light sockets, baseboards, and electrical outlets so bedbugs cannot sneak in.

Check for bedbugs in hotel rooms when you travel to avoid bringing them home with you.

Source: healthonline.com