How To Get Rid Of Bedbugs
How do you get rid of bedbugs this is a question asked by many and now I’ll share some tips to help.
I’ve done a few blogs about bedbugs over the years, and I do them because I think it’s important to put out there on the internet some good advice from someone that’s been in the front line fighting the war on bedbugs for the last 20 years.
The main reason for this blog is from a phone call I had just a few hours ago, from a customer that has a bedbugs problem. I’ll call this customer Jim for this blog.
Jim has booked me in to go and treat his home, but during our conversation on the phone, it became apparent to me that there’s some misleading information about these little critters that come biting in the early hours of the night.
Jim lives in a small bedsit in the suburb of Moorooka in Brisbane, he was telling me that he’d spoken to some other pest control Brisbane companies; and wasn’t getting anywhere with them, he was telling me they didn’t seem to understand much about bedbugs or how to deal with them.
So he turned to the internet and started to research bedbugs after he felt that the pest companies weren’t answering his questions, but soon became even more confused. So hopefully I’ll be able to shed some light on the topic.
Treating a bed for bedbugs
The internet is full of all sorts of information about all manner of different pests we find in and around our homes, but how much of it is true, and who’s writing it.
Unfortunately, the good majority of blogs on pest control website these days are written by people that have no clue about pest control. They are people sat in an office all day making websites for others, and finding bits and pieces of information, and placing it on websites for the masses to find.
The first thing you need to do when engaging the services of a pest control company to deal with a bedbugs problem whether it’s a small localized problem, or a major infestation, ensure that they fully understand how to get rid of bedbugs.
The way you find out if the company you are talking to is an expert in that field is to ask questions; if they can’t answer them confidently put the phone down and try someone else.
Some companies have receptionists answering the phone, and they may not understand fully about a particular pest, and that’s fine, but they should get a trained technician to give you a callback.
The people and the companies to trust are the ones that go out and do the jobs; and that also write their own content, (like this blog) no one knows pests like a real pest controller. Be aware that not all you read on net from a google search is correct.
So we’ll now have a look at what needs to be done to help get rid of bedbugs and stop them from returning.
Treating behind light switch for bedbugs
What Needs To Be Done To Get Rid Of Bedbugs
Firstly anyone that has an issue with these nighttime dwelling blood-sucking little pests needs to understand that a very intense treatment is necessary, and pretty much every part of an infected room will have to be inspected and treated.
Anyone can go in and spray some chemicals around a room in a house and say that’s a bedbug’s treatment done, thanks now pay me. Now I can tell you it’s not that easy when dealing with these horrible pests.
Cleaning all bed sheets and clothes is a great start, some people do prefer to place all clothes into a black plastic bag, and leave it in the sun for a day; this will kill pretty much anything. As we have a lot of days in the sun here in Brisbane, you may as well use it; it is free after all.
So once the linen is stripped from the beds, and the clothes are all cleaned, a good thorough vacuum of the room is recommended, this will help remove any dust and dirt from cracks and crevices before any spraying is done.
Dead bedbug
Once the room is clean and tidy; you are ready to call in your local pest control company to do their treatment.
Bedbugs will lay their eggs in all sorts of places; they prefer a mattress as it’s close to the host and makes for an easy meal. They have also been found behind pictures, in light switches, around skirting boards, in bed frames; so pretty much anywhere they can safely lay their eggs.
This is why it’s important to clean and treat everything in a room; no stone can be left unturned, if it is, then there is a good chance that the problem will eventually return.
Bedbugs are one of the most challenging pests to treat; they are very resilient and in most cases can take two or more treatments to get them under control.
A combination of spraying, dusting and even heat is required to bring a problem with bedbugs under control; where a spray can’t be used; dust with an active ingredient in it that kills bedbugs must be used.
What Are Bedbugs
Bedbugs are a small but visible insect that survives from feeding on blood from a host, in most cases, the host is a human, but they have been known to also feed on animals.
A lot of people think that bedbugs aren’t visible, but that is not true, they very easy to find and see.
The adults have a black body that’s round and start to narrow towards the head, the body is quite flat, and the legs are also very easy to see.
As mentioned earlier they prefer to harbour around a mattress, and if they are present they can be found around the edges of the mattress, where it has been stitched, this is also a popular area for laying their eggs.
Where bedbugs are found on a mattress, there will also be a lot of black staining, this is faeces, and they’re not the most hygienic of pests.
When a bedbug bites its host; it draws blood, and this will leave blood spots on the sheets, this is another good telltale sign that bugs are present.
Bedbug
When To Throw Out The Mattress
It’s not necessary to throw out a mattress that has been infested with bedbugs, or at least not until a licensed pest control technician has had a look at it.
Your local expert in bedbugs should be able to let you know whether or not a mattress can be treated, in some circumstances it’s best to destroy the mattress; this is necessary if the mattress has any holes in it.
Once a mattress gets any holes or tares, it becomes challenging to treat; this is because the bedbugs could be nesting deep inside the mattress, this makes it almost impossible to be sure that they have all been wiped out.
When we go into a customer’s home, and we tell them that they need to get rid of the mattress, as it’s not able to be saved; they can get a bit annoyed; this is because they are thinking that the treatment they are paying for will solve all the problems, but this is not always the case.
It’s essential a pest controller explains everything in detail over the phone and then again at the job site to the customer; this saves a lot of distress for the customer and lets them know the reality of the situation.
Seat with holes and rips.
Get Rid Of BedBugs DIY Treatments
So is there a get rid of bedbugs DIY treatment on the market today, that a customer can do themselves to save money, well the short answer to this is no, and I’ll explain why.
The customer Jim, I spoke about at the start of this blog was telling me that he has had bedbugs for about two months, and has just recently tried some products from the local supermarket.
He’s been spraying them for the last couple of weeks with different products with no success.
Aerosol cans from the shops just don’t work in getting rid of bedbugs, they will kill them, but they aren’t strong enough to have a lasting effect on them and wipe out the whole colony.
Trying to do DIY extermination of these little bloodsuckers is just a complete waste of money and time, that’s the case for many of my customers They pretty much all try and get rid of them to start with, but fail.
Spraying a seat for bedbugs
Conclusion
At the end of the day sometimes knowledge is key, and when it comes to dealing with bedbugs, that couldn’t be truer.
Understanding their harbouring and feeding habits is paramount if treatment is to be successful.
There are chemical bed bug treatments and bed bug heat treatments and sometimes both may have to be used to get rid of bedbugs.
For any help or free advice on bedbugs please feel free to leave a comment below, or you can call or email us anytime.
