If you have never come across bedbugs, you have no idea of what a stubborn insect can be. These small brown living things can completely disrupt your peace. Most people out there are always seeking to know how to get rid of bed bugs fast, but this proves a hard nut to crack. The adults have a flat body that turns red and swells after they feast on your blood.
Although these insects do not fly, they move at lightning speed over walls, beds, or furniture. While there are many ways through which you can get rid of bed bugs in vain. You need to equip yourself with adequate knowledge. Otherwise, all your combative measures could just be in vain. The female lays a lot of eggs, which are minute in size over its lifetime.
The nymphs can mature fully within a month and can have over three generations in a year. Therefore, you can see how these insects can quickly multiply. You have to be very keen to control their breeding before they multiply to an overwhelming population.
Steps to Getting Rid of Bed Bugs
1. Monitor the situation
If your dwelling place has got bedbugs, the best thing is to identify them before they begin to multiply. It is easier and cheaper to get rid of bed bugs when they are in a small population. However, the small infestations could be challenging to detect.
Ensure that you search by yourself. You can as well seek assistance from a professional. Some experts come with specially trained dogs that detect bedbugs through scent. These insects are so shallow and can hide in very tiny spots. Places you need to be keen on include:
- Seams of mattress
- Between couch cushions
- Bed cracks
- Furniture joints
- Inside electrical sockets
- Under loose wall hangings
These points could be dark, and you need to use a flashlight. Additionally, a magnifying glass is essential as it helps you zoom even those small nymphs and eggs for accurate identification. Some of the signs of bed bugs include white spots near the above mentioned hot spots, reddish stains, and dark spots, which are their droppings. Additionally, it is possible to see the bed bugs themselves. Proper identification of your dwelling’s exact infested sections is critical as you move to get rid of bed bugs.
2. Prepare for the treatment
Once you confirm that these insects are indeed present on your premises, it is time to control them. However, before you take any step to get rid of bed bugs, you need to make some preparations. Of course, you want a treatment that effectively kills the insects but not pushing them away to other areas.
If they happen to shift in location, they will surely come back up after some time. So, how do you prepare for the treatment? The first thing is to ensure that all the hiding places are clean. Isolate all those carpets, clothing, and linens. However, do not move them into another room; otherwise, you will be spreading the bed bugs. The best thing is to throw them out, and you only bring them back after cleaning. That way, you are sure that they are free from insects.
The next thing is to seal any open points. Seal those loose wallpapers and cracks on your furniture. Additionally, use tape to seal the electrical outlets. Move your bed from the wall around six inches so that bed bugs don’t climb on it.
3. Kill the bedbugs
All the activities above seek to prepare the room. Now, below you will get to know some home remedies to get rid of bed bugs.
a) Nail Polish Remover
After polishing your nails, there is that gel nail polish that persists for some time. How do you remove it? Most people use Acetone. That is the product that you will use to get rid of bed bugs on contact. The moment you see the stubborn insects crawling, pour the nail polish remover and watch as they dry up. The bed bugs die on the spot and remain intact. Therefore, you need to vacuum up to get rid of them. The unfortunate thing about Acetone is that it does not kill the eggs.
b) Vacuum
A vacuum assists you to get rid of bed bugs but does not kill them. After carrying out the procedure, you should empty the vacuum in the trash to ensure that the insects do not crawl back.
c) Diatomaceous earth
The use of diatomaceous earth is another ideal method to get rid of bed bugs. This chemical kills any living thing that has an exoskeleton, and bed bugs are among them. It completely dissolves them such that you don’t have to clean up. However, it might take up to two days to kill the insects. To ensure that this chemical is effective, sprinkle it along a path where bed bugs cannot crawl around and only have the option to pass through it. Unfortunately, this chemical does not eliminate the eggs.
d) Dryer
Despite these insects being stubborn, they cannot survive at a temperature of 120o Fahrenheit. You can use a dryer to get rid of bed bugs since they attain this temperature in a normal cycle. It is possible to dry anything, including curtains and clothes. Load them in small quantities to ensure that the heat penetrates efficiently. This method is effective in eliminating both the insects and their eggs.
e) Steam mop
Steam mop generates adequate heat to kill not only the bed bugs but also the eggs. Although it is more expensive, using a steam mop is an ideal technique to get rid of bed bugs fast. A dryer’s disadvantage is the limitations on which items can fit in it, which is not the case, especially if the steam mop has a portable steamer. You can use it in cars, bed frames, baseboards, etc. You can also use it for other purposes such as cleaning floors after getting rid of bed bugs, provided the steamer is detachable.
f) Rubbing alcohol
Rubbing alcohol dries up the insects in a similar way that Acetone does. You only have to pour it on the live bed bugs and clean them up after they die. Like Acetone, rubbing alcohol is effective at killing live bed bugs, but eggs remain intact.
You now have the most effective methods to get rid of bed bugs in your dwellings. Note that you need to keep monitoring the situation after about seven days. There could be some eggs that you did not eliminate during your last clean up. Therefore, there is a need to track and schedule another treatment afterward.
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