How to Kill Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are becoming a more and more common problem that people face. These nocturnal bugs live in bedding and feed off of human blood. They can infest nearly anywhere but often prefer the mattress, box spring or mattress cover. They feed in the dawn hours and often you won't have any sign of them except the red, itchy bites they leave behind. Infestations are hard to eliminate and take dedication.

Instructions

1. Make sure you really have bed bugs. Bed bug treatments only work effectively on bed bugs so make sure that's what's eating you and not some other nocturnal parasite like bird mites. Look for bed bug waste (dark spots on your mattress), discarded skin and eggs in your bedding and in the folds of your mattresses. You can also place carpet tape around the mattress where you won't roll into while you sleep. After a few days, if you have bed bugs, some should be stuck in the tape.
2. Buy a mattress encasement. This is different than a mattress pad, as it encloses the entire mattress and zips up around it. This will trap the bed bugs inside and essentially starve them to death since they can't get out to feed on you. This can take many months however, so commit to the long term on this solution.
3. Vacuum thoroughly and often. If you are in the middle of an infestation, vacuum daily before bed. Use a crevice tool to get every nook and cranny of your bed and all surrounding furniture and fabrics, including drapes. Empty the vacuum outside, away from the house immediately and then wash the filter and hoses. If this isn't practical, vacuum up a pile of flea powder that contains Pyrethrum so that the bed bugs will die instead of crawling out of your vacuum.
4. Steam them out. Rent a commercial steam cleaner and like with the vacuum, steam every available fabric and piece of furniture in your bedroom and neighboring rooms. The heat will kill the bugs and the eggs.
5. Call an exterminator. This can be your last chance solution as it is the most costly but it could mean the difference between having to buy a whole new mattress set or not. Call an terminator with experience in handling bed bug infestations and clean your house thoroughly before they arrive.

How to Identify Bedbugs

Bedbugs can quickly become a nightmare. Vacationers mostly encounter them when staying in hotels. Most of the time, you won't know you have had an encounter with a bedbug until after you have been bitten, but there are some things you can do to check for them.

Instructions

1. Look for a bug that is ovate, light yellow, wingless and 1/5" in size. A bedbug will be darker in color if it has already had a meal of blood. They most often come out at night, so expect to find them between the sheets in the middle of the night.
2. Bedbugs can be found in the daytime if you know where to look. Check under mattress folds, in mattress seams, between bedposts, behind headboards, in pillow cases, on nightstands or near any object that is close to the bed.
3. Bedbugs live in cracks and crevices near or in the bed. Evidence that a bedbug has been in the vicinity includes little droplets of blood on the sheets. If there is a large infestation, you can begin to smell an odor, and you will likely find dark dots of feces.
4. Look for bite marks on your person. You could have red itchy bumps anywhere on your body, but the most common location is your stomach. These bites are just like many other types of bug bites, so you have to be careful in determining whether or not they came from a bedbug. If a bite looks like a small welt and it itches and burns (and if you didn't have the bite before you went to bed), chances are you have been bit by bedbugs. If you have been bitten by a bedbug, use soap and water to cleanse the area and then apply an anti-itch cream.

How to Prevent Bed Bugs

The old saying, "Don't let the bed bugs bite," is more than just a mother's goodnight. These creatures do exist, and they can be a real pain. They are rare, but once they're in your house, they're very hard to get rid of. So, preventing them from getting in is your best defense.

Instructions

1. Inspect all places in your house that are warm, close to human contact and have plenty of hiding spaces. This includes mattresses, carpeting, pillows and sofa beds, as well as behind chairs and dressers.
2. Treat your furniture with insecticides to get rid of any possible bed bugs. Basic insecticide spray will get rid of any on the furniture, but insecticide dust will get them where they hide.
3. Cover your mattress in plastic. This will prevent any bugs from getting in or out.
4. Consider getting rid of any old furniture if you can. If there is the chance any bugs remain, this will help prevent them from multiplying in your home again.
5. Seal and repair any cracks on your home's exterior to prevent bugs from entering. Install or repair window screens to keep birds or rodents, who may have bugs on them, from getting in.
6. Clean your house regularly, reducing clutter and even vacuuming the mattresses. This may not completely prevent bed bugs, but it will reduce their hiding places.
7. Check any furniture you buy secondhand, especially mattresses. Also, inspect all luggage and clothing that comes into your home, especially if you have traveled outside North America.