Top Ten Tips to Prevent or Control Bed Bugs
1. Make sure you really have bed bugs, not fleas, ticks or other insects.
You can compare your insect to the pictures on our Identifying bed bugs Web page or show it to your local extension agent.Exit (Extension agents are trained in pest control issues and know your local area.)
2. Don't panic!
It can be difficult to eliminate bed bugs, but it’s not impossible.
Don’t throw out all of your things because most of them can be treated
and saved. Throwing stuff out is expensive, may spread the bed bugs to
other people's homes and could cause more stress.
3. Think through your treatment options -- Don’'t immediately reach for the spray can.
Be comprehensive in your approach. Try other things first. Integrated
pest management (IPM) techniques may reduce the number of bed bugs and
limit your contact with pesticides. If pesticides are needed, always
follow label directions or hire a professional.
4. Reduce the number of hiding places -- Clean up the clutter.
A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes
locating and treating them harder. If bed bugs are in your mattress,
using special bed bug covers (encasements) on your mattress and box
springs makes it harder for bed bugs to get to you while you sleep.
Leave the encasements on for a year. Be sure to buy a product that has
been tested for bed bugs and is strong enough to last for the full year
without tearing.
5. Regularly wash and heat-dry your bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads and any clothing that touches the floor.
This reduces the number of bed bugs. Bed bugs and their eggs can hide
in laundry containers/hampers Remember to clean them when you do the
laundry.
6. Do-it-yourself freezing may not be a reliable method for bed bug control.
While freezing can kill bed bugs, temperatures must remain very low
for a long time. Home freezers may not be cold enough to kill bed bugs;
always use a thermometer to accurately check the temperature. Putting
things outside in freezing temperatures could kill bed bugs, but there
are many factors that can affect the success of this method.
7. Kill bed bugs with heat, but be very careful.
Raising the indoor temperature with the thermostat or space heaters
won’t do the job. Special equipment and very high temperatures are
necessary for successful heat treatment. Black plastic bags in the sun
might work to kill bed bugs in luggage or small items, if the contents
become hot enough. Bed bugs die when their body temperatures
reaches 45°C (113°F). To kill bed bugs with heat, the room or container
must be even hotter to ensure sustained heat reaches the bugs no matter
where they are hiding
8. Don’'t pass your bed bugs on to others.
Bed bugs are good hitchhikers. If you throw out a mattress or
furniture that has bed bugs in it, you should slash or in some way
destroy it so that no one else takes it and gets bed bugs.
9. Reduce the number of bed bugs to reduce bites.
Thorough vacuuming can get rid of some of your bed bugs. Carefully
vacuum rugs, floors, upholstered furniture, bed frames, under beds,
around bed legs, and all cracks and crevices around the room. Change the
bag after each use so the bed bugs can’t escape. Place the used bag in a
tightly sealed plastic bag and in an outside garbage bin.
10. Turn to the professionals, if needed.
Hiring an experienced, responsible pest control professional can
increase your chance of success in getting rid of bed bugs. If you hire
an expert, be sure it’s a company with a good reputation and request
that it use an IPM approach. Contact your state pesticide agency for
guidance about hiring professional pest control companies.
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