Bedbugs are the recent growing problem all over the world, especially for people staying in apartments. Bedbugs are small parasites, which always feed on the blood of their host. Bedbugs always hide in small places and they can easily accompany the luggage as well. Bedbugs can live for months without food and they are present in vacant homes and apartments as well. Therefore, you must know how to control bedbugs.
If you notice that you have bedbugs then you will have to control their infestation. Here are some easy steps on how to control bedbugs.
Things Required:
- Blow dryer
- Flashlight
- Plastic or latex gloves
- Putty knife
- Caulk gun
- Caulk
- Magnifying glass
- Soapy water
- Sponge or cloth
- Plastic bags
- Vacuum cleaner
- Sticky tape
Steps:
Detection
- Start with removing the sheets or any other bed coverings and check for bugs or clusters with dark brown spots on your sheets. Check the mattress carefully on the seams for any black or brown spots. You will have to pull out the mattress and box spring away from your wall. Pull up the box springs and use a flashlight to shine on the material.
- You will have to shine the flashlight on the frame of the bed and check underneath as well. Pull away the furniture from the wall as well; look for signs of bugs or their excrement. Open the dresser drawers, nightstand and chest and check for the bedbugs or any signs of their infestation. Take out the handles of the drawer and take a careful look around the screws. Take a magnifying glass for examining any indentation or holes.
- Take out mirrors, posters or pictures. Look at the back for bugs or their excrement. Look inside the cracks in the peeling wallpaper or plaster.
Control
- Take a putty knife and insert it between the baseboard and wall to sweep down or dislodge all the bugs hiding in that place. In all the cracks, you can use a blow dryer. If you get hold of a live bug, then press a hot dryer over it for 30 seconds or catch them with a sticky tape. Crush all the bugs that you get hold of.
- Wipe clean all the exposed surfaces with a mixture of hot water and soap. Wash the bed coverings, sheets and any other item with hot water. Dry wash the items on highest settings on a dryer. Place all the un-washable things in the dryer and put the heat on the highest setting for minimum 20 minutes.
- Remember to thoroughly vacuum or sweep the floor clean. You can use the vacuum upholstery tool for cleaning the mattress. You will have to vacuum on the baseboard, headboard, bed foundation or any crevices. Remember to vacuum stuffed toys, pillows and other such items. Keep the used vacuum bags inside the garbage bin and keep the bin outside the home.
- Now, enclose the infested box springs or mattress in an allergen rated cover. All the tears and rips will have to be sealed with tape. Keep all the un-washable items in a large bag outside the house.
- Keep some caulk on the caulk guns and seal all the floor, wall cracks and crevices as well. Caulk around the wires and pipes as well. Go outside; seal any foundation of openings or cracks. You can contact the department of pest control to eliminate the bedbugs completely.
Tips and Warnings:
- You can make a mixture of strong smelling herbal essence to get rid of bedbugs, like thyme, eucalyptus and lavender.
- Black walnut is also considered as a great repellent for the bedbugs. You will find the black walnut in the form of tea in any local market.
- You can treat bedbugs with the use of boric acid or diatomaceous earth.
If you are bitten by a bedbug, then do not scratch that area; just apply a slice of potato on the area of bite. Comfrey and willow leaves will help as well.
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