4 DIY Bed Bug Treatment Tips

Although bed bugs are not known to carry and spread diseases, government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider these insects as public health pests. A Stockton pest control expert gives us some advice with four DIY bed bug treatment tips.

The bites of bed bugs are not painful but can cause itchy red welts. People who live in homes infested with bed bugs may find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, resulting in irritability and emotional distress. Bed bug bites are also known to cause significant blood loss and anemia.

Low level bed bug infestations can be hard to detect, with some homeowners mistaking bed bugs for carpet beetles. When this happens, it is highly likely that the population of bed bugs in your home will explode.

What are the signs that there are bed bugs in your home? The best way to spot bed bugs is to look at your beddings. If you notice reddish stains and dark spots on your bed sheets, it is likely that you have bed bugs in your home. Other signs of an infestation include sightings of bed bugs and their eggs. You might be wondering “What can I do to get rid of bed bugs?”

Here are four DIY bed bug treatment tips from AAI Pest Control.

Use hot water to wash your beddings

If you suspect that bed bugs have invaded your home, remove the bedding from your mattress. Check the care instruction of the beddings to see whether it is all right to wash these with hot water. Next, set your washing machine to a hot water setting and wash your beddings. After that, set the dryer to its hottest setting. Remember to separate the beddings from your other laundry to prevent contaminating other garments.

Decontaminating your bedroom

Start by vacuuming the usual hiding spots of bed bugs, including the mattress, the bed frame, baseboards, and headboards, and even nearby cabinets. Once you are finished, put the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and put it inside your outside trash receptacle. After that, wrap your mattress and box spring in an encasement especially designed for bed bugs. Next, apply a pesticide made especially for bed bugs on the bed frame, headboard, baseboard, floors and cabinets and drawers.

Trap and starve

Even after you have followed the aforementioned tips, it is highly likely that there are still bed bugs lurking in your home. The best thing that you can do is to deprive these bugs of their food source. You can use bed bug traps for this purpose and dispose of these traps as soon as possible.

Check your pets and their stuff

Sometimes, bed bugs may feed on the blood of pets and lurk in their things, like bedding and stuffed toys. After following the three previous tips, it is a good idea to err on the side of caution and throw away items, even those that belong to your pets, which you suspect to harbor bed bugs.

Occasionally, solving a bed bug problem can seem like a daunting task. If you want to eliminate your worries and have a professional take care of it, call the friendly technicians at AAI Pest Control and let them solve any pest control issues you might have.