There are a lot of annoying insects that a home may have but bedbugs are one of the worst. If you have an infestation of bed bugs in your home it is helpful to first understand their habits and diet. This will help you to properly eradicate these unwanted pests from your home.
According to Swat Bug Killers, a Las Vegas pest control company, it is usually necessary for a homeowner use a magnifying glass to confirm that they have bedbugs in their home. An adult bedbug is reddish-brown or brown in color. It is flattened and oval-shaped and its dimensions are about 1/4” to 5/8”. Because they are flat they are easily able to hide in crevices in cracks. After a bedbug has eaten a blood meal its body becomes swollen and elongated.
How to Search for Bed Bugs
The first step is to find where the bed bugs are living. To search for bed bug infestations you should look in places that are isolated, dark, and offer the bedbug protection. Bed bugs will often wander from one place to another and therefore you will have to inspect adjoining rooms where the bedbugs are found. You may not see any of the bedbugs themselves but you will be able to find their hiding places by looking for spots of fecal matter or blood that they leave behind.
The bedbug’s fecal matter or bloody spots will look similar to rust and you will see them on pillowcases and bed sheets. If you see these rust looking spots then it is a sure sign of a bedbug infestation. Bedbugs prefer to hide during the day and come out at night to feed on the blood of the person sleeping.
If you suspect bed bugs in your home you should immediately make an inspection checklist. The inspection checklist should include crevices and cracks in foot and headboards, any attached bed supports and railings, and mattress buttons and seams. Also check any electrical switch plates, wall posters, and pictures that are on the wall.
Other areas that you will need to inspect are any seams or cracks in wallpaper or plaster, electrical appliances, underneath wall-to-wall carpeting, and any other furniture that is in the room. You may have to remove the baseboards in the room to check behind them and do not forget to investigate any adjoining rooms where you suspect the bedbugs to be hiding.
Treating Your Home for Bed Bugs
Before you begin any treatment to remove bedbug infestations you will need to do a few things such as reducing any clutter in the area. However, be careful when removing anything from an infected area so that you do not transfer the bedbugs to another area. Any personal items should be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and then put into a plastic bag with a bedbug killer strip.
Unfortunately, you may have to also dismantle any bed frames so as to expose any bedbug hiding sites. All drawers will have to be removed from dressers. Desks and furniture should be turned over and thoroughly inspected throughout. Stand up the box-spring mattress and use a flashlight to peer through the gauze fabric to look for signs of any bedbug hiding places.
There are mattress encasements that will help to prevent future infestations of bedbugs. Simply put them over the mattress and leave them there for at least one year to kill any existing bedbugs. There are also mattress liners available that can actively kill bedbugs for up to two years.
After you have done a thorough preparation you will need to use an appropriate bedbug spray. There are a variety of effective sprays on the market from which to choose.
