Bed Bug Detection & Control

A bed bug infestation can easily cause disgust and frustration in even the most tidy of homes. These pest are flat, brown in color and oval shaped, ranging in size from ¼ inch to 5/8 inch long. The make-up of their shape allows them to easily move into small crevices and cracks, effectively hiding from the property owners and causing confusing and panic.

Once a bed bug has fed on the blood of their victim, the female will lay her eggs in the aforementioned hiding spots. If you suspect that your home has a bed bug issue, but are unsure of how to deal with it, this handy guide will help you through the process of detection and bed bug control.

Step 1 – Inspect your body for bites that you may have received while sleeping. The bites are small, red marks, some of which will show a lighter circle of red around the exterior. The bites take place very quickly, and will commonly go unnoticed for long periods of time after the incident has occurred. If you are sleeping, it is unlikely that you will be awoken.

Step 2 - Check out all potential hiding spots in your home. Inspect your box spring and mattress, especially areas with holes or rips in the fabric. Remove any and all bed linens, furniture and curtains from the area. Take a good look at cracks in the frame of your bed in addition to other furniture pieces in the bedroom. Look for smaller, dark fecal and blood spots, eggs, dead specimen and skins.

Step 3 – Remove all of the drawers from your dressers and desks. Flip over your furniture items to properly inspect the bottom side. Use a vacuum with a cleaning attachment on crevices and cracks in furniture. Take the mattress from the bed and vacuum it thoroughly, paying a little extra attention to tears and rips. Remove your box spring as well, placing it upright against a wall and shine a flashlight through the fabric to see whether pests are inside the frame.

Step 4 – Use caulk to seal off any cracks and holes found throughout the room. These areas are common where pipes and wires enter the room.

Step 5 – Place any bed fabrics and garments with waste into the laundry, making sure to place the water temperature on high. Dry the loads in a hot dryer cycle.

Step 6 – Purchase a quality insecticide from your local home improvement store and apply it to the exteriors and interiors of your room furniture aside from couches and chairs. This includes window frames, baseboards and doorways. Avoid applications near or on mattresses, garments or bed linens.

Step 7 – Invest in a protective cover for your mattress and box spring in order to prevent bed bugs from entering your bedding. These will need to be changed once a year, but will eliminate any need for insecticide applications to the mattress.

In cases where your issues have not be rectified, your best option is to invest in a bed bug control service with experience treating these types of infestations.