Where do ants, cockroaches, and mice have in common? They are all pests that belong inside, but that love to venture inside your home. If you do see them inside, you need to take action fast — because this is not where they should be! Pests are not just a nuisance. They can spread disease, destroy your insulation and other building materials, and leave nasty smells behind.
Every homeowner should know the basics about pest control. Yes, you can call in a professional as needed, but knowing the basics will still help you keep the pests outside where they belong. You can learn those basics right here on this blog.
Tips For Removing Bed Bugs From Your Home
One pest that your home is very susceptible to is bed bugs since they can easily get into your home by traveling on clothing. Once inside, they can reproduce quickly and infest your home with ease. Here are some tips for dealing with bed bugs.
Detecting Bed Bugs
One of the first things you should do is determine if you have bed bugs in your home and how wide the infestation has spread. You can actually buy bed bug traps from your local home improvement store and place them in various rooms of your home. You can place them on fabric items in different rooms of your home, and within a few hours, it will trap any bed bugs that pass through it.
Prepping For Bed Bug Removal
You'll need to prep every infested room before you get rid of the bed bugs. This means removing clutter where bed bugs can hide. If you plan on washing items, place them in a sealed plastic bag, and leave it in the room. And items that are clearly infested and need to be thrown away should be put in a sealed plastic bag and removed from your home. Cardboard storage boxes should be replaced with ones made out of plastic since bed bugs love to hide in cardboard.
Washing Items
Before you put anything through a washing machine that could have been infested by bed bugs, you'll want to make sure you are using a laundry detergent that says it is capable of killing bed bugs. You will also want to wash the items on the hottest settings possible.
Vacuuming The Room
You can get rid of bed bugs by vacuuming the room thoroughly. You'll want to get inside small creases around mattresses, in tight places where bed bugs can hide, and even behind electrical outlet covers. The debris container from your vacuum should be emptied into a plastic bag that is sealed, and then thrown away.
Treating The Room
Unfortunately, vacuuming will only do so much to get rid of bed bugs. You have two options for treating bed bugs to get rid of them for good. You can purchase DIY products that can be effective, such as foggers and sprays, or you can hire a professional to do it for you. Hiring professional pest control services is one of the best ways to ensure that the job is done correctly and that the bed bugs have been completely removed from your home.