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The bedbug (or bed bug) is an insect of the family Cimicidae that lives by hematophagy - feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. Its name comes from its preferred habitat: mattresses, sofas, and other furniture. Although not strictly nocturnal, bedbugs are mainly active at night.
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Once a bedbug infestation has occurred, it is nearly impossible to eradicate without help. The best way to get rid of these pests for good is by hiring a licensed pest management professional. There are many ways to prepare for the containment and extermination process. Because bedbugs do not only live in beds, it is extremely important to tidy up and organize in every room so that the exterminator can be most effective.
Begin by removing all the bedding from every bed, as this will probably be where most of the bugs live, closest to their hosts. Remove and contain everything single thing that has ever been on your beds, sheets, pillows and pillow cases, blankets, plastic covers, everything, even stuffed animals or canopies.
If you have wicker stuff to keep your laundry in! or store magazines in the bathroom? Throw 'em out! (But make sure you transport them outside in a sealed plastic bag.)
Wash EVERYTHING including fabrics, linens, cloth, bedding, clothes, and anything that has seams or threads, because these pests will go to great lengths to hide. Even things that may have not come in contact with the infected area my have eggs or larvae.
Be sure to WASH in HOT water, unless dry cleaning is required, then do dry cleaning.
Be sure to empty out closets and storage areas that may have eggs, which can survive and later reproduce. This includes anything; fabric, towels, curtains, table covers, miscellaneous linens, etc., even if you haven't used it, or it's in the room next door, it has to be cleaned and properly stored and sealed afterward, and also organizing these areas and making them more vulnerable to extermination. Emptying out these nooks and crannies will allow our exterminators to treat the whole area and kill of any stage of bedbugs. This is a very important part of the process to ensure that there is no chance of them coming back, this way, you only have to do it once. So it is worth doing properly.
Be sure to put all your thoroughly dried items in FULLY SEALED bins or garbage bags. You must do this step to prevent sneaky bed bugs from re-infesting your belongings by hiding again where they can populate. Bed bugs will take the opportunity, if you give it to them, to re-infest safe items, so be sure you're accurate. Don't underestimate these creepy little pests.
VACUUME. Rugs, floors, carpets, mattresses, couch cushions, box springs, counters, and corners. If you can think of it, vacuum it. Rent a steam-vac for the carpets, cloth furniture, and rugs and mats, couch cushions, love seats, and chairs. VACUUME TWICE:
Box springs, mattresses, pillow covers, box spring covers, and everything where bedbugs could possibly hide. Don't underestimate their ability to go unseen in small crevices. Look for small blood stains and brown marks where they have fed and defecated. These are undoubtedly areas where they live during the day. Once everything has been vacuumed twice, make sure they are ready to be sealed after treatment to really ensure they stay gone for good.
After cleaning, and vacuuming just about everything, be sure to clear a path around the walls and put things into clusters so that it is easier for the pest control expert to maneuver around the house and treat the objects and rooms. Make the perimeter of every room cleared out including every livable space. Our bedbug professional will need access to every nook and cranny to ensure that the bugs are dead and never to return.
After our extermination professional has treated your home or business, be sure to stay out of the area for at least 4 hours so that the treatment can do its work! Once you return, wait for couches, beds, and other furniture to dry completely before using, just to be sure it does its job. Be prepared to follow-up within 7 – 10 DAYS FROM ALFA PEST CONTROL.
It is usually necessary to do a follow-up treatment before they are completely gone, as bedbugs are one of the toughest pests to kill. The most important thing is that once the first treatment is finished, that you keep clutter at a minimum, as well as vacuum often. Each person in your household should check their body and clothes on a daily basis just to know that the treatment and follow-up procedures are working. If not, then it's time for a THIRD extermination appointment.
To make the exterminator's job easier and to improve the effectiveness of the treatment, you should make sure that the affected room(s) are ready for treatment. This means stripping the bed and washing the bedding (and all other textiles that can be removed and washed, such as draperies) in detergent and the hottest water the fabric can stand.
In addition, you should vacuum the carpeting using a new bag, and then throw the bag away outside the home, preferably sealed tightly inside a plastic garbage bag. Shampooing the carpets and furniture is also a good idea, but allow enough time for them to thoroughly dry before the treatment.
Steam-cleaning of mattresses is a good, non-chemical method of killing bedbugs already in the mattress, assuming that it's done by someone with the right equipment and know-how. Water vapor will not kill bedbugs. It has to be real, genuine, honest-to-goodness steam under pressure.
If you decide to have your mattress or other belongings steam-cleaned, the mattress should not be put back into the room until the rest of the room has been treated. Otherwise, "new" bedbugs may simply reinfest the clean mattress.
Mattress encasements are also very helpful in preventing mattresses from being re-infested after treatment. You can find a selection of bedbug-proof mattress and box spring covers, along with other bedbug treatment supplies, at the Scarafaggio Online Pest Control Supply Store.
You should also remove all clothing from the room, including any that is stored in closets, trunks, and night tables. Clothing should be washed or dry-cleaned as appropriate to the fabric, and then sealed in large zip-lock bags. In addition, any luggage you have used recently should be available for inspection and possible treatment by the pest control operator. (Bedbugs often hitch-hike in baggage.)
Below are general recommendations to help prevent and control bed bugs in apartment buildings. Other actions may be required depending on conditions at the property and the extent of the infestation.
If a property has widespread bed bug problems, every apartment will have to be inspected and treated as necessary.NOTE: Residents must completely prepare for treatment for the treatment to be effective.
Properly designed encasements completely cover and seal the mattress and the box spring and trap bed bugs inside.
Click the list icon above to download the file with a list of things you must do to avoid Bed Bugs before traveling.
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Since most bedbugs are carried by travelers through contact with beds and hotel rooms in infected locations, certain measures taken while traveling helps in control of bedbugs: