Dealing with bed bugs – what you should do

There was a time when bed bugs were not all that common. This is no longer the case. As some of the stronger pesticides have been banned from use, so bed bugs seem to have become more resilient against those that are still being used. This does not mean that you cannot get rid of bed bugs that you find in your home. It's important to start dealing with the issue as soon as you can in order to get the best and quickest results.





Pest control professionals can help you to deal with a bed bug problem. They know which methods and products work best; you can find out more about this. But, how do you know if you have a bed bug problem and is there any way that you can deal with bed bugs yourself?

Knowing whether you have bed bugs or not 

You may have heard that you will not find bed bugs in a clean home. This is not the case. Unlike pests such as cockroaches which thrive on dirt, bed bugs feed on blood, so the cleanliness of your home is not important to them. There are several things that you 
can do to check if there are bed bugs in your home. 

Use a flashlight to check for bugs on bed linen at night. 
Look for black dots that can be smeared, on beds and on soft furnishings in your home. These dots could be bed bug excrement. 
See if anyone living in your home has been bitten. Bites on their own should not be taken as evidence of the presence of bed bugs as plenty of other insects also bite. 

If you notice any of these signs, you need to start dealing with the bed bugs as soon as possible. They are not dangerous but they are also not pleasant house mates. 

Ways to get rid of bed bugs

If you want to try and deal with the bed bug problem yourself, there are several methods that may work for you. 

Use a vacuum on the area. You can acquire a vacuum that is specifically intended to be used for this purpose. Using your normal household vacuum can cause the problem to spread, if it's not thoroughly cleaned afterwards. 
Kill off the bugs by utilizing a heat tent
Use a steam cleaner to kill off the bugs. 
Spread Diatomaceous Earth around any of the areas of your home where bed bugs are present. 

It's often a good idea to use more than one of these methods at the same time. 

If you still have a bed bug problem, after trying to deal with the situation yourself, do not just forget about it. Speak to experts in pest control. They will visit your home and assess the problem. They will then set about clearing your home of bed bugs. It may take more than one treatment for this to happen, but they will advise you about what to expect. 

Comments

Chubskulit Rose said…
Bed bugs are a nightmare that's why we thoroughly check ourselves after returning home when we go to movies.
Terri Steffes said…
I’ve never had to deal with bed bugs. I have friends do in NYC who have to deal with this constantly. Great post and so I formative.
Farrah Less said…
I can't imagine dealing with infestation. A house should be your piece of haven not a nightmare. This is something we should all be aware of .
Glenda Cates said…
We lived in a apartment one time and ended up with Bed Bugs and it was so hard to get rid of them and for some reason they didn't bite my son or husband just me and I was so bite up that I ended up getting sick.
GiGi Eats said…
I dealt with them in college. THE WORST. I told my land lord who DID NOT believe me!! And he did not help in any way thus I wound up sleeping on the couch in the living room for the last 1/2 of the semester!
SimplyTasheena said…
This is a really informative post. I’ve never had to deal with bedbugs. However, I’ve read many stories where people have and are unsure how to treat it.
candy said…
Oh my gosh after looking at those bites, I was like oh heck no. Going to do everything you said. Don't want bed bugs in my house or where I stay.
Bed bugs are quite nasty and irritating. It's always good to regularly check for bed bugs, this post is very informative.
Unknown said…
Bed bugs are such a nuisance. We live in a country ish city where fleas run rampant as well. I try to vacuum baseboards and plug sockets at least once a week. As precaution, I have a huge bag of the powder too that I spread around a couple times a month as well
AiringMyLaundry said…
Eek, I always worry about bed bugs when I travel. So far, I've gotten lucky, but I know they can happen.
Jacky said…
I am lucky I have never had to deal with bed bugs, but this post is an awesome source of information in case it happens to us or someone we know!
Anosa Malanga said…
I experienced this once and I hate the feeling. It's really so irritating. I agree on your suggestions. Making sure the house and your linens are clean is a way to avoid it to but in case of some instances that you can't really killed all of it, contact the experts.
Kita Bryant said…
I am so glad I have not had to deal them yet. My sister did once and it was terrible!
Madeline said…
This is honestly my worst nightmare. I mean, I have literal nightmares about it. lol. But my friend just got through this and these are great tips! The minute I feel an itch, I am on it!
I really hope that we never have to deal with bed bugs. I've heard horror stories.
We stayed ina hotel recently and my son was bitten all over. We had no idea how to check whether they were bed bugs as none of the rest of us were bitten, but they looked just like your photograph :/
Shoshana S said…
I have never dealt with bed bugs luckily but I hear bicarbonate of Soda works well too to get rid of the infestation.
Bernetta said…
OMG!! I've never had bed bugs but I always look for them when I go out to hotels. THanks you so much for these tips!
CrescentFire said…
Luckily, I haven't encountered bed bugs yet but it always helps to be prepared of course. These tips help a lot!