How to permanently get rid of bedbugs in an apartment or house

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

No one is immune from meeting with parasites.

Bed bugs are reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of sleeping humans and animals. Small (like an apple seed, about 5 mm long), flat parasites can squeeze into slits as thick as a plastic card.

These are easy Bedbugs to bring with you from places where there are a lot of people at night: for example, from a hotel, hospital, train or bus.

Bedbugs need blood and lots of cover. So insects can also be found in spotlessly clean homes and hotels.

Bedbugs can also make their way to you in used furniture (especially beds and sofas), clothes and other items, as well as from the next apartment.

How to understand that bugs have started up at home

Bedbug bites can be easily confused with mosquitoes, flea bites, or rashes. So, to be sure, you have to look for the insects themselves and traces of their habitat.

Examine the bites

Bedbugs are nocturnal parasites of Bedbugs, so bites appear in the morning. Moreover, more often Bedbugs are on the face, neck and arms - those places that are usually not covered with a blanket or pajamas. Reddish itchy dots form irregular chains or clusters.

Bedbugs do not tolerate disease. Bedbugs usually go away on their own in a week or two.

If the bites itch or hurt badly, see your doctor. He will prescribe you an antihistamine or other medication.

Check your bed

If you have bed bugs, you will find rusty or reddish spots on your sheets and pillowcases.

Search the house

You will have to search not only for insects, but also for small pale yellow eggs (about 1 mm long), their shells, as well as yellowish skins that are shed by young individuals (they molt five times during their life). Also pay attention to the dark little dots - bug excrement.

You should look for parasites where you sleep. Examine carefully:

• seams of a mattress, sofa, armchairs and other upholstered furniture, joints of sofa cushions;
• spring block of a mattress or sofa;
• any cracks in the furniture;
• folds of bed linen;
• folds of curtains;
• skirting boards;
• the space under the carpet, especially next to the baseboards;
• places under paintings, mirrors and other hanging objects;
• sockets and switches, especially slots around them;
• rarely used bedding and clothing;
• books;
• peeling paint, peeling wallpaper, cracks in the plaster;
• the joints of wallpaper and ceiling.

Walk through these and other secluded spots with a flashlight and magnifying glass. You may have to look for parasites at night - while they are active.

How to get rid of bedbugs

You need to fight parasites as soon as you notice them. Otherwise, the bugs will multiply and spread throughout the house.

Vacuum

Vacuum all areas where parasites can be found. Scrub the seams of the upholstered furniture with a stiff brush to help collect insects and their eggs.

Then clean the vacuum cleaner thoroughly. Seal the trash in a plastic bag and discard.

Pack everything you can

Place all contaminated items in plastic bags. Try a zippered cover on your mattress to prevent bugs from getting through.

It is important that the packaging is airtight. This will prevent insects from crawling and leave them without food. Without it, they can do Bedbugs for up to a year. Then the insects will die. You can wait or speed up the process.

Change the temperature

At 50 ° C, bugs, their eggs and larvae die instantly. In addition, Bedbugs cannot tolerate temperatures below 0 ° C. Take advantage of this:

• Wash curtains, bed linen and clothes in hot water (from 50 ° C). Ideally, dry the items afterwards in a dryer at the maximum temperature.
• If items cannot be washed, dry them for at least 30 minutes Bedbugs.
• Steamer mattresses, sofas, and other places where bed bugs hide.
• Place the bags in the freezer or on the cold balcony for a few days.

It is better to throw furniture, things and other items that cannot be cleaned.

Get rid of the shelters

Fill up cracks in furniture, around sockets and baseboards, and glue loose wallpaper. Try to keep the room free of secluded spots and unnecessary items on the floor next to the bed.

Also, move the bed or sofa at least 15 cm away from the wall to prevent the bugs from jumping towards you.

Use chemicals

Even if it seems that you got rid of bed bugs while cleaning, it is still worth treating the house with insecticides.

For this, agents based on pyrethrin, cypermethrin, chlorfenapyr, chlorpyrifos, neonicotinoids, imiprotrin or fenthion are usually used.

Bed bugs are sold in the form of sprays, powders, and liquids. Read the instructions for use carefully and follow them. Use a respirator, goggles and gloves when handling.

Bedbugs may not disappear the first time. To be on the safe side, inspect your home every seven days.

If you can't get rid of bedbugs on your own, call specialists.

How to prevent bedbugs

Here are some tips:

• Before bringing used furniture or other items into your home, check carefully for bed bugs.
• Do not scatter clothing or other items on the floor.
• Frequently wash bedding, curtains and carpets, and clean furniture.
• In hotels, be sure to check the seams on the mattress and other spots that bedbugs love. Place your luggage not on the floor, but on a table, wardrobe or dresser.