HOW TO TREAT FOR BED BUGS

Attempting to get rid of bed bugs yourself should be avoided if at all possible.

Bed bug control is best conducted by professionals who have the training, materials, and expertise usually required to successfully eradicate this dreaded insect

Still, for those attempting this difficult task on their own, consult the information below which incorporates many proven methods along with helpful tips concerning the preparation and treatment processes involved with bed bug removal.

BED BUG PRE-TREATMENT PROCESS

When bed bugs are discovered, it is essential to contain the existing population and avoid a total infestation. This requires timely execution of the pre-treatment process which involves cleaning and sanitizing of the infected area, ridding the area of clutter, repairing all areas and surfaces that serve as entry points or hiding places for bed bugs, and establishing a barrier to ensure containment.

One or more of these measures will be essential to addressing the bed bug situation:

• Clean and organize the infested bedroom

• Eliminate clutter from infested rooms

• Clean furniture and personal items that may be infested

• Use a vacuum to remove bed bugs and their eggs from the room

• Use chemical and other methods to eliminate the infestation and prevent re-infestation

• Area Cleaning & Organization

It is vital for cleaning and organizing to take place before any chemical or other treatment methods are attempted. Dirt and clutter make bed bug eradication difficult, so cleaning and de-cluttering are essential first steps.

Cleaning should be done in an orderly manner that ensures nothing is missed. The liberal application of soap removes harmful allergens and debris that commonly result from a typical bed bug infestation.

Follow this process to effectively clean and organize a room:

• Create a list of all items that are kept on the floor

• Establish how each item should be treated, such as with disposal, isolation and storage or with chemical or other treatment

• Soft items like towels, sheets, clothing, stuffed toys, shoes and pillows should be placed in sealable plastic bags for removal to the laundry machine

• Launder soft items using the highest permissible heat setting in both the washing machine and the dryer. Bed bugs often cannot survive this level of heat.

• Items that cannot be put in the washing machine can be stored in plastic storage bins with airtight lids. Books, electronics, hard toys, lamps and alarm clocks are examples of items that may need to be stored.

• The plastic bins can be stored for one year, which will ensure the death of all bed bugs. Alternatively, these items can be inspected after the other cleaning and organizing steps. It may be possible to find a way to treat these items so that they can be used again in a shorter time period.

• Move furniture away from walls

• Disassemble each piece of furniture into its component parts for optimum inspection

• Area Vacuuming

Once virtually everything has been removed from the room, the vacuuming process should begin. This is an essential procedure. A crevice tool should be used to enable access to very small openings. Refrain from using a bristle attachment as eggs and bed bugs may get caught in the bristles and unknowingly spread to other areas.

Vacuum all furniture, walls, floors, windows, closets and anywhere else that bed bugs may be hiding.

• Treating Rugs & Carpeting

Begin treating rugs and carpets with thorough vacuuming. Then follow these steps:

• Run small rugs through the washer and dryer on the highest acceptable heat settings

• Steam larger rugs and carpets at home or by a professional service

• Rugs sent out for cleaning should first be placed inside plastic bags or containers to prevent the spread of bed bugs. These items should contain warnings to alert others regarding their potential infestation

• Wall-to-wall carpeting should be removed or thoroughly steam cleaned with a professional steamer, followed by chemical treatment

• Installing Mattress & Box Spring Encasements

A mattress encasement is a safe, healthy and economical way to protect mattresses and box springs from an infestation. They are also an excellent way to get rid of bed bugs in a mattress. Encasements are made either of vinyl or cloth. The vinyl encasements are less expensive, but more susceptible to tearing. Tears can be repaired by patching or applying duct tape.

Repairs should be made quickly to prevent any bed bugs from escaping or from using holes as entry points to seek shelter within the encasement .

Cloth encasements are less susceptible to tearing and are strategically designed to minimize hiding spots. Encasing both the mattress and the box spring is recommended for the highest level of protection.

• Identifying & Making Required Repairs

A few straightforward repairs can be immensely helpful to prevent re-infestation. These simple fixes also may help contain an existing infestation or eliminate places where bed bugs can hide. Some of the suggested repairs include:

• Sealing moldings and joints to get rid of gaps. Spots to include are windows, doors, baseboards and door frames.

• Space around pipes and wiring should be permanently sealed to prevent possible migration to other locations through floors, walls, and ceilings

• Repair loose wallpaper

• Fix any cracks or holes in walls and floors

• Seal all spaces around wall outlets and light switches

STEAM TREATMENTS

Steam can be an effective method for treating bed bugs. In fact, this method is known to kill members of the species at all stages of development. Steam can be used for the treatment of mattresses as well as upholstered furniture. Additionally, steaming can be used as a tool to force bed bugs out of their hiding places prior to vacuuming.

Steam's ability to kill bed bugs is limited in that contact with the insects is required, and therefore this treatment method must be combined with the proper pesticides.

FREEZING & CO2 TREATMENTS

Using a freezer to kill bed bugs is often recommended. However, research has found that bed bugs can survive this treatment method if not exposed to sufficient temperatures for a sustained period of time. To be effective, items to be treated must be subjected to temperatures of zero degrees Fahrenheit or lower for a period of several hours to several days depending on the type and size of the items.

Systems using carbon dioxide as a spray to instantly freeze bed bugs can also be an effective treatment method. These systems are mainly used like steam as a crack or crevice tool to kill bed bugs. However, because the CO2 spray must come in contact with bed bugs to kill them, and that it does not provide residual protection, such systems must be used in conjunction with a pesticide treatment.

CHEMICAL TREATMENTS

Chemicals for killing bed bugs can be effective. These insecticides have been proven to be among the most successful methods for bed bug eradication when correctly applied. However, they can be dangerous if they are misapplied.

Proper insecticide treatments should consist of three types of agents. The first of these is a fast-acting insecticide that kills bed bugs on contact. This treatment is applied to surfaces that frequently are touched by humans. The second is a residual insecticide that is placed in cracks and crevices as well as inside and on the bottom of furniture. The third insecticide is a dust that is used in cracks and crevices, including behind baseboards and inside electrical outlets.

Guidelines for general application of these insecticides are provided in the chart below.

Location / Item	Pesticide	Form	Usage / Hazards
Mattress, upholstered surfaces Folds and seams only	Various Pyrethroids; Chlorfenapyr	Liquid, Areosol	Do not spray around open flame or heat sources or electrical sockets Allow product to dry
	Diatomaceous Earth (silicon dioxide)	Insecticidal Dusts	Inhalation hazards
Soft / Upholstered Furniture	Pyrethrins	Liquid, Areosol	Lung, eye, skin contact hazards
Wall / Floor Cracks, Crevices only	Various Pyrethroids; Chlorfenapyr; Imidacloprid	Liquid	Do not use around flame, heat, electrical sockets Allow product to dry before re-entering
	Diatomaceous Earth (silicon dioxide)	Insecticidal Dusts	Avoid applying diatomaceous earth to large floor surfaces
Carpet Edges Baseboard-carpet edges	Pyrethroids, Pyrethrins, or Dinotefuran often formulated with Diatomaceous Earth	Liquid	Do not use around flame, heat, electrical sockets
Hard Furniture Bed frames, Bookcases, Dressers	Various Pyrethroids and Pyrethrins	Liquid	Do not apply to surfaces where skin contact occurs; avoid eye contact
Wall Voids Behind electrical outlets/wall switches	Diatomaceous Earth (silicon dioxide)	Insecticidal Dusts	Inhalation hazards
Electronics	Dichlorvos	Chemical Fumigation	For professional use only

Read All Product Labels For Instruction And Warnings

TREATMENTS MAY VARY DUE TO CONDITIONS
CONSULT A PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL

AFTER TREATMENT ASSESSMENT

Despite how thorough and systematic the cleaning and treatment process was performed, it is seldom possible to eradicate all bed bugs and their eggs in a single session. So subsequent signs or sightings of bed bugs is typical and is not an indicator that the eradication process was unsuccessful.

Often, this situation is the result of some bed bug eggs having gone unnoticed until they eventually develop in the coming days and weeks following treatment. Maintain vigilance in looking for residual outbreaks. These should be insignificant in scope and able to be brought under control.

However, if the symptoms are still occurring after two or three weeks have passed or if a re-infestation happens on a larger scale, it can be assumed that the initial treatment process was ineffective.

Check for these problems:

• Improperly applied insecticides

• Use of ineffective or expired insecticide

• Bed bugs are migrating from an adjacent, untreated locations

• Bed bugs are lurking in unexpected spots in the treated room

A pest management professional should be consulted if a second bed bug treatment process does not provide satisfactory results.

GET RID OF BED BUGS FOR GOOD

There are many issues associated with the do-it-yourself approach to bed bug eradication. Most products available to the general public provide little if any residual protection. Another problem with self treating lies in the methods themselves as most require direct contact with bed bugs to be effective, such as with steaming and CO2.

Due to these and other issues, attempting to self-treat bed bugs often results in not only forcing bed bugs to find other hiding places but also drives them into other areas of the structure, eventually leading to a full-blown bed bug infestation.

Don't lose another night's sleep over bed bugs.

Call 215-494-3484 today for a free estimate or to discuss our treatment options.