How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Night Night Sleep tight don’t let the bed bugs bite! This common bedtime rhyme has never rung truer than today.

Bed bugs are horrible and disgusting creatures that are a very real problem for many people today. In fact, over the past decade or so, Bed Bugs were at a controllable level due to the chemicals that were available at that time to combat the problem. Today many of these chemicals have been restricted. In the past pest control operators were spraying chemical on a consistent basis which helped combat the problem. Today, most companies are practicing IPM – Integrated Pest Management. This is a strategic approach based on prevention, monitoring and control to reduce the use of pesticides where applicable.

The change in pest management practices with their resistance to pesticides today has contributed to the successful re-establishment of the bed bug population. Another reason this insect is on the rise is due to the increase of international travel with overnight stays. Bedbugs can reproduce and spread at a rapid rate. Bedbugs are spread by taking them home with you from infested locations. The purchase of second hand clothing and furniture has also helped introduce them into your homes. Our industry is fighting the war against bed bugs. Because of this the Bedbug is the number one pest topic at all the conferences north America wide.

Do You Really Have Bed bugs?

First, you need to make sure that you really do have bed bugs. The first signs that you might have bed bugs would be having bites on your skin. If you have any bug bites that you cannot explain, you will want to look at your mattress and sheets to look for some of the signs of a bedbug infestation. The bedbug is reddish brown in colour appearing redder and pumped up after having a blood meal. Check to see if you see any evidence of blood stains on your sheets.

Inspect the seams and folds of mattresses for live insects or their feces. Their feces look like Little black dots Look for hatched egg shells or white eggs glued onto your mattresses or headboards. Look for cast skins left behind from the bed bug in fabric folds. They shed their exoskeletons in order to grow before reaching adulthood. Bedbugs can be seen with the naked eye and you might even see the insects themselves walking around on the mattress and sheets.

Here’s your check list of where to look for Bed bugs:
You will want to check the mattress, sheets, box spring, baseboards, curtains, the carpet, and more. Be thorough when you are looking for bed bugs. The very best way to get rid of bed bugs is to hire a professional, which is discussed later in the article. There are, however, some things that you can do to help with the infestation.

Getting Rid of Bed bugs on Your Own

The most important advice to give the homeowner is to be careful where you apply chemical.

If you spray a chemical, all over, you are at risk of repelling the insect and instead of the problem being localized to one area you are now at risk of repelling them and spreading them all over and making the problem worse.

We train our hotel customers to bag a room. Do not take things out of an infested room and place them elsewhere or you are at risk of spreading the problem.

You must do what you can to minimize the spread of the bed bugs. Vacuum areas that are infested, including mattresses and carpets. Once you are done vacuuming, you will want to empty it into a plastic bag, which you seal then throw into the garbage outside.

You will also want to wash your clothing, blankets, sheets, curtains, and more in hot water once or twice, and dry on high heat.

Using steamers, including handheld stammers, can be helpful for removing bedbugs.

Heat Treatment

Heat can be an effective method of killing bed bugs. The problem with Heat Treatments for the Homeowner is it requires expertise to have complete control. Treating one area will not solve the problem and you will need to get 100% control and make sure that the heat is brought up to temperature and held to get the necessary kill.

JAPCO performs heat treatments as an option to customers that may have chemical sensitivities.

You no longer need to throw out mattresses or box springs. Bed bug covers will take care of infested mattresses and box springs or the damage to the box spring and mattress after a bed bug problem has been eliminated.

These covers are waterproof, breathable, non-allergenic, fire retardant. This also aides in eliminating a problem because the bedbug will not be able to get out of the encasement and will succumb to death from starvation.

While these suggestions can help, and in some cases, it is possible to remove the bedbug problem on your own if the problem is at a low level, you will find that it tends to be a better option to work with the professionals. Bed bugs are resilient, and if only a couple of them survive, the infestation can return.

Every time the bedbug feeds it will lay 1-4 new eggs. This can be an ongoing saga of many treatments to get the problem to zero. Getting the problem to zero is the only way to eliminate the problem due to their reproduction. Working with the pros tends to be the best option.

You Want Help from Professionals

While there are some things that you can do to help you handle and deal with bed bugs on your own, the pros are the right solution. You will want to find a professional pest control company that has experience and knowledge when it comes to dealing with bed bugs. Ask them what types of tools and techniques they will be using, and how long the process is likely to take.

You need two scheduled chemical applications to eliminate the problem. One treatment will not do the trick because it will not kill the egg stage. The eggs will hatch out within 7-14 days temperature dependant. Heat treatments only require one treatment.

Bed bugs are not a problem that you can ignore. You want to make sure that you are taking action as soon as you realize that you have bed bugs in the house or apartment for the best results. Contact JAPCO if you are having bedbug problems, we can help!