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HOW TO GET BED BUGS FROM A MATTRESS？
CONTENTS
- What Are Bed Bugs?
- How to Locate Bed Bugs?
- Tips for Cleaning Bed Bugs
- How to Prevent Bed Bugs?
- FAQs
WHAT ARE BED BUGS?
Bedbugs are insects from the genus Cimex that typically feed on blood at night. Their bites can cause a range of health effects, including rashes, psychological effects, and allergy symptoms. Parasitic insects known as bed bugs prefer to reside on mattresses, box springs, and other pieces of furniture. They cannot fly but instead, crawl quickly on all fours. They are as big as a small apple seed and feed only on blood.
HOW TO LOCATE BED BUGS?
Due to their super-mini size, even the smallest areas can become home to bed bugs. You can remove your mattress from the bed base, inspect the mattress from head to toe, and look out for marks of yellowish, reddish, or brownish, which can be bed bugs or their eggshells. You can use a magnifying glass to check the sides of the mattress, pillow, bed structure, and you can even find them in the loose wallpaper.
HOW DO I KNOW MY MATTRESS HAS BED BUGS?
Here are some signs if you’ve doubted if your mattress has bed bugs:
- Red or rust-colored blood stains on your bed or pillowcases
- Tiny and pale-yellow worm eggs or eggshells
- Dark-colored spots or smears from bed bugs drooping
- Musty odors
- Red cluster on your skin
- The itchy area before you go to bed
Bed bugs are so tiny that you may have difficulties spotting. You can consider using a magnifying glass or other devices to help you get a closer look.
TIPS FOR CLEANING BED BUGS
You don’t have to panic when you find bed bugs, but removing them early from a mattress is neccesary. If bed bugs are not found in a timely manner, the infestation will grow. When there aren't as many of them, getting rid of them is simple. Follow a few instructions carefully to get the bed bugs out of your mattress.
LAUNDER YOUR BEDDING
Strip all the items that might have been infested, including your sheets, blankets, and any stuffed toys (we don't judge XD). Put all the items in a plastic bag and secure the top with a knot. This will stop the bed bugs from emerging from the bag as you transport it to the washing machine or laundromat. After putting all infested items in the washing machine, the plastic bags used should preferably also be sprayed with insecticide and thrown away.
All your bedding should be washed in hot water and dried for at least 90 minutes in a high-heat setting. 118 degrees Fahrenheit kills bed bugs in about 20 minutes, but it takes 90 minutes for bed bug eggs to perish at the same temperature.
VACUUM YOUR BED AND ROOM
Vacuum your mattress thoroughly with a hose attachment as the brush can be a good place for bed bugs to hide, paying more attention to the creaks and seams where the bed bugs are possibly hiding. Vacuum the surfaces, side of the mattress, and bed frame. It is recommended to disassemble your
USE PESTICIDES THAT DO NOT DAMAGE THE MATTRESS
Make sure you have pesticides designed specifically for mattresses rather than general-purpose aerosol. When using an aerosol spray, ensure you have comprehended the instruction of it and your bedroom is well-ventilated. Then you can spray the insecticide on the infested spot as well as any nearby furnishings.
USE ESSENTIAL OIL
If it is difficult for you to find the pesticides that won’t hurt your mattress, the easiest way would be to use essential oil. Tea tree, lavender and mint essential oils are good options. The smell of these plants has a disinfectant effect, diluting 20 drops of 100% essential oil in a spray bottle with cold water and spraying them evenly throughout the room. If you are suspicious the area was infected by bed bugs, you can add the proportion of the essential oil.
ENCASE YOUR MATTRESS
There is various specialized mattress encasement that completely seals the mattress. Their zipper is designed to be so tight that not even the smallest bed bugs can escape through it, in addition, the material of the encasement can prevent the bed bugs from biting through it.
The encasement traps bed bugs and eliminates their feeding source. Even if bed bugs are still in your mattress after vacuuming, they starve to death within the encasement. Without food, bed bugs can survive for 10 - 400 days. To ensure that bed bugs lose their chance of survival, it is better to keep the encasement on for a year.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs feed on human blood and they love the warmth. Knowing how annoying bed bugs can be, you definitely need to take precautions next time. Here are a few prevention techniques so you won't be troubled by these pests again.
Get professional bed bugs treatment
If you’ve followed the steps above to deal with bed bugs but are still concerned if there are areas you’ve missed, you can contact your local pest professionals, which will safely and efficiently eradicate bed bugs from your home.
Clean your bed and room regularly
Keeping the space clean and hygienic will ensure maximum protection from bed bugs. Launder your linens, clean your bed frame, and scrub your room of dust from time to time. Another helpful piece of advice would be washing your bedding with a disinfectant solution, which can swiftly get rid of bed bugs, and the second best thing would be hot water and high heat. Washing bedding and dry them in a high temperature can effectively eliminate bed bugs and bacteria.
Reduce clutter
Piling your clothing and your odds and ends are so attractive to bed bugs and other insects. You can recycle, dispose and donate the items you don’t need anymore. Reorganize and store them properly so that they won’t be a nest for bed bugs.
Put unused clothing in vacuum-sealed bags
Store your seasonal clothing in standard vacuum-sealed bags can prevent bed bugs from following you home and limit insect access to your possessions. Especially on long trips, packing your clothing in vacuum-sealed bags can prevent bed bugs from being brought home.
Cover power outlet
Bed bugs can slip into your home through the power outlets and infest the inner walls of your home. They can pass through walls and into adjacent rooms of your house. Using a plastic power cover can help stop pests from using your power sockets as a entrance into different areas.
Keep the room ventilated
Open the windows often to effectively prevent bed bugs, bed bugs are anaerobic organisms. Keeping the space ventilated can effectively eliminate the conditions for bed bugs to grow and reproduce.
Inspect your furniture
Prior to acquiring old furniture, perform a preliminary inspection. Examine all furniture for bed bug traces, especially old, vintage, or antique furniture that has cracks or is in poor condition.
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