How much do you know about bed bugs? Are you aware that bed bugs are tiny, oval-shaped, six-legged insects that hitchhike into your home, establish themselves in tight spaces and voids, and bite you while you're sleeping? If so, you have a good start. There are many people who have a lot of misconceptions about bed bugs, and these misconceptions can make bed bug control extremely difficult and frustrating. Let's break it down in a way that will help you to quickly deal with bed bugs if they get into your Baldwin County home.
If you think that bed bugs come into your home from the outside, you need to correct that understanding. These insects don't live in your yard. They're carried into your home. There are two reasons this is essential to know.
- You can't drive them out. Bed bugs don't live outside, so they will do everything they can to survive in your home.
- The secret to getting rid of bed bugs could be to target the item the bed bugs used to get into your home.
Bed bugs can climb into luggage, duffel bags, backpacks, sleeping bags, pocketbooks, and other items that are carried. If you detect bed bugs in an item, you can target that item and possibly eliminate your bed bug infestation quickly.
- Put dryer-safe items in the dryer for 30 minutes. This kills bed bugs in all stages of development.
- Apply rubbing alcohol to cracks, crevices, and seams of an item. This will dry out the bed bugs and kill them. Do this to the item while outside of your home so that any bed bugs that run from the treatment and survive will not survive inside your home.
- If you have an item that can't be treated in either of the two ways already listed, you could put the item into a freezer and kill the bed bugs with cold.
- You could also call a pest control provider and have your items inspected and treated.
At the first sign of a bed bug infestation, you could stop it fast. Unfortunately, bed bugs are pretty sneaky. When you start to notice them, it is likely that they will have already established themselves somewhere in your home.
Where Bed Bugs Hide
Another important misconception is that bed bugs don't just live in beds. Don't let the name fool you. These bugs can live in other furniture, electronics, and even inside the structure of your home. If you attempt to correct a bed bug infestation by throwing your bed out, you're likely to be disappointed. You can, however, take measures to address bed bugs in your bed and keep other bed bugs out of your bed.
- Do a detailed inspection of your bed frame, mattress, and box spring. If you detect bed bugs, eggs, or shed skins, it is wise to move the bed out of the home and contact a pest professional to have your infestation addressed.
- If you don't detect bed bugs in your bed, apply mattress encasements to trap bed bugs in and keep bed bugs out, and apply traps under the legs of your bed to stop bed bugs from crawling up from the floor.
- Remove clutter from your home and keep things clean to remove bed bug hiding places, and to help you detect activity.
Bed Bugs Can Bite You While You're Awake
If you take steps to keep bed bugs out of your bed, it may not be enough. Keep this in mind. Bed bugs can feed on you, and others in your home, while you're fully awake. They can do it while you're watching television. They can do it while you're using the computer. They can do it while you're relaxing on the couch. If you're sitting still, and you're in a low-lit environment, bed bugs can feed. If you continue to notice bite wounds on your skin, it means your attempt to control bed bugs has fallen short.
What To Do If Bed Bugs Aren't Easily Controlled
If you've inspected and treated the items bed bugs could have used to get into your home and applied protection to your bed to prevent bites but you're still seeing bites, the best and fastest way to get rid of bed bugs is to contact Prewett Pest Control. Bed bugs have been living almost exclusively with humans since before the beginning of recorded history. If you attempt to control them, you're likely to drive them to spread throughout your home. These bugs are clever, resourceful, and persistent. Our licensed pest professionals have the training and experience to corral bed bugs, get rid of all the bed bugs in your home, and keep the bed bugs out.
For assistance in Daphne, Fairhope, Orange Beach, and Foley, reach out to us and request a pest inspection to get started. We are standing by to help.