When a bed bug infestation erupts in your home, it is a frightening and frustrating experience. Bed bugs love to hide in isolated, dark places and once they have made themselves at home in your mattress, carpeting, and couches, you can have a true mess on your hands. Bed bugs refer to ants also, as they can be found on the bed of the person. The primary question raise – what are ants attracted to ?The furniture of the bed can be a source of attracting the ants.
If you suspect a bed bug infestation in your home, take action as soon as possible. Adult bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye (they are typically dark brown in color, and are roundish in the shape of a tiny leaf) and can cause serious skin irritation (rashes and bumps that itch and are painful). Bed bud excrement can be seen along the edge of the bed in the form of tiny black dots that are either colonized or spread throughout the mattress, depending on how sever the infestation is. Even worse, one can see the bed bugs they have crushed in their sleep via the blood spots (looks like rust) in the mattress. Disgusting!
To treat bed bugs, clear all clutter from the affected area(s) and vacuum the whole area thoroughly with a vacuum attachment. Stuffed animals, clothing, and bedding needs to be washed in hot water of 120 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter. Simply placing linens and soft toys in the dryer without washing may not successful kill bed bugs and their eggs. Dresser drawers need to be emptied out and inspected in the cracks and crevices (remember, bed bugs love dark, isolated areas) and vacuumed out successfully. Outlets and electrical appliances need to be vacuumed and crevices along floorboards, under couches, behind televisions, all nooks and crannies should be vacuumed thoroughly as bed bugs will hide nearly everywhere in your home. Throw away vacuum bags immediately and empty vacuum cartridges outdoors to prevent reintroducing bed bugs and their eggs in your home.
Bed bugs don’t just inhabit the mattress. This is where they feast throughout the night, on flaking skin and human/pet flesh. During daytime hours, they can often be found in the base of the headboard or in the box spring, where many crevices and dark, protected areas are present. Remove the mattress and take a flashlight to the headboard and box spring to expose the critters. Vacuum this area thoroughly.
Couch cushions should be removed and placed in sealed garbage bags and left in a shed or outside the home for at least 2 days. While vacuuming the home, especially for extreme infestation, applying baking soda to carpeting and couches and along the floorboards, in corners and crevices (if deemed necessary, apply baking soda absolutely everywhere) and let sit for 15 minutes. This will aid in suffocating the bed bugs and their eggs, making vacuuming more successful.
It is also important to quarantine appliances (including cell phones) if infestation is bad enough. Cover all appliances in the home with plastic and leave for 2 days to suffocate hiding bed bugs.
Should your mattress be thrown out? Yes and no. Many people are so grossed out by the thought of bed bugs having inhabited their bed that they are tempted to throw out their mattress even after the pests have been eradicated. If your mattress is of good quality there is no need to toss it after an infestation. There are many bed bug pest products available for mattresses (such as Pyganic Dust and Phantom Aerosol) that are available through companies that sell mattresses or pest control products.
However, if you catch a bed bug infestation quickly enough, by thoroughly washing, vacuuming, and applying baking soda to all nesting areas (you can liberally apply baking soda to the bed springs and mattress while vacuuming as well- you know you got the baking soda sucked all the way out when you don’t get plumes of baking soda when you bounce on the bed) you should be able to keep the infestation under control.
It is important to know that fifth does not cause bed bugs. Bed bugs are traveling parasites, which means anyone can pick up a bed bug in any situation and take them home with them. Perhaps you stayed at a hotel with bed bugs and they snuck home in your clothing or luggage, or you acquired an unwelcome guest while at the movies. A dirty home does not encourage bed bugs, having blood for a hungry pest does. Even rich people have bed bugs in their homes.
However, a cluttered house is a welcome establishment for a bed bug. They have many places to hide (including behind your wallpaper). The more nooks and crannies you have, the better the bed bug will thrive.
Since bed bugs tend to hide during the day in those dark isolated areas and feast at night, day time cleaning and inspection is the most thorough way to catch the critters before they attack again. By deeply vacuuming every nook and cranny and washing in hot water any items that can be washed and bagging everything else, you should be able to quickly rid your home of these nasty blood suckers.