5 Helpful Tips for Dealing with Bed Bugs

September 28, 2022

It's every homeowner's nightmare: you wake up in the middle of the night with itchy spots all over your body. You turn on the lights and see telltale signs of bed bugs. Now what? First of all, don't panic. While bed bugs can be a nuisance, there are steps you can take to get rid of them. Here are five helpful tips for dealing with bed bugs.

1. Wash Your Clothes and Bedding

The first step to ridding yourself of bed bugs is to wash all of your clothes and bedding in hot water. This will kill any bugs that are currently on them. Be sure to wash everything in your room, including sheets, pillowcases, blankets, clothes, and towels. You should also put these items in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes to kill any remaining bugs and their eggs.

2. Declutter Your Home

Bed bugs thrive in cluttered homes because they have more places to hide. As such, the next step to getting rid of bed bugs is to declutter your home -- get rid of anything you don't need anymore. This might include books, magazines, toys, worn-down furniture, and other items that are taking up space. The less clutter you have in your home, the fewer places the bed bugs can hide.

3. Seal up Cracks and Crevices

Bed bugs can squeeze into incredibly small spaces, so it's important to seal up any cracks and crevices in your home. This includes cracks in walls, floors, furniture, and gaps around electrical outlets and light fixtures. You can use caulk or another type of sealant to fill these spaces and prevent bed bugs from getting in.

4. Steam Clean Your Home

Steam cleaning is an effective way to kill bed bugs and their eggs. You can use a handheld steamer to clean carpets, upholstered furniture, and other fabric items in your home. Be sure to hold the steamer close to the surface so the heat can penetrate through and kill the bugs.

5. Call a Pest Control Professional

It can be tricky to know for sure what type of pest you're dealing with. Many people confuse bed bugs with other types of pests, such as fleas -- in fact, according to Pest World Magazine, 84% of pest control professionals have had a client call them thinking they had another type of pest when they actually had bed bugs. This is why it's important to call a pest control professional if you think you have bed bugs. You need to be able to properly identify the pest to develop the right treatment plan to get rid of them.

Dealing with bed bugs can be a nightmare, but following these helpful tips will make the process much easier. Remember to contact a pest control company, prepare your home for treatment, follow their instructions carefully, and monitor your home for further infestation. With these steps, you'll be bed bug-free in no time. Call Dunphy's Extermapest Inc today to learn more about our pest control services.

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